Annoying Telemarketing calls.

flipswitch · Post by **flipswitch** » 04 Aug 2006 06:37 pm

Is there any way to stop these bastards? In the past half hour the phone been going crazy . "Hello sir, could I speak to the owner of the house" "No, he's not home atm" A minute later it rings again with the same crap.They are so annoying.If they don't ring you, they're knocking on your front door. And why are they all Indian? not only do you have to put up with them, you have try understand what they're saying/selling.Our phone number is not even in the whitepages....unless they're randomly dialing numbers.Is installing gun turrets still illegal??. They have been trained not to take no as an answer!.What should I do?

jizzlobber · Post by **jizzlobber** » 04 Aug 2006 06:39 pm

they don't bother my that often, when they do I just hang up

westical · Post by **westical** » 04 Aug 2006 06:44 pm

http://www.adma.com.au/asp/index.asp?pgid=1999" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Pretty useless until more stringent regulations come in force next year though.

mech · Post by **mech** » 04 Aug 2006 07:17 pm

I've got caller id on my phone, and any private numbers go straight to my answering machine - or if it's not on, I'll pick up, and if I hear no one there and no one answer in the first few seconds (because usually they put you on hold when they call you and transfer the call when you pick up) I just hang up. A "real" person would just call back.

Anyway, I haven't had to deal with a telemarketer in years thanks to this. Real businesses don't hide their numbers.

westical · Post by **westical** » 04 Aug 2006 07:34 pm

mech wrote:Real businesses don't hide their numbers.

Shit, I don't work for a real business.

mech · Post by **mech** » 04 Aug 2006 07:38 pm

Guess not!

By "real" I mean ones that don't use a team of phone jockeys.

asmodeus · Post by **asmodeus** » 04 Aug 2006 08:03 pm

I used to never be able to just hang up on them, but now I find it easy - just hang up right away, sometimes without even saying anything. I've never had anyone come to the front door, but I imagine with the phone experience I wouldn't find it too difficult to just shut the door.

One thing that I've always wondered, but haven't had the chance to try, is what happens when you leave the phone off the hook. I know from a couple of annoying experiences, if someone has phoned me but they don't put the phone back properly (so it doesn't hang up) the call never terminates, even when I hang up (or has this changed recently?). Would it wrack up a huge phone bill for the phone spammers if it was just left off the hook for a few hours? I suppose they have some kind of bulk deal with a telecommunications company anyway, so it probably wouldn't make any real difference anyway if it worked.

westical · Post by **westical** » 04 Aug 2006 08:20 pm

I only hang up when they keep pushing after I've said I'm not interested. Have to remember it's some poor guy/gal on the end trying to do their job.

MiNiStRy · Post by **MiNiStRy** » 04 Aug 2006 09:10 pm

Just do what this guy does, had me nearly pissing myself

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_wbyx1PCmc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Faraday · Post by **Faraday** » 05 Aug 2006 03:21 pm

We have a game at work. Everytime a telemarketer calls and asks for the owner, you have to give the phone to whomever your working with and they have to pretend to be someone else for as long as they can. We once had a guy on the phone for 15 minutes with us pretending to be Cartmans hand as Jennifer Lopez. Its bloody great fun! Its like a prank call you don't have to waste 25 cents to make!

Timbo · Post by **Timbo** » 05 Aug 2006 10:19 pm

Our home phone no. is a silent number. We've been living here for almost 3 years now and haven't had a single telemarketing call. Not one. Best thing I ever did.

unfnknblvbl · Post by **unfnknblvbl** » 06 Aug 2006 12:55 am

my phone number is a silent one, and it doesn't stop telemarketers calling

Timbo · Post by **Timbo** » 06 Aug 2006 10:14 am

Really? Well that sucks. Especially because it actually costs money to not have your number listed. (which is a total joke)

Mybe you'll have to get a new number, then get that number silenteded. Mind you, they'll charge for that too, no doubt.

asmodeus · Post by **asmodeus** » 06 Aug 2006 01:43 pm

westical wrote:I only hang up when they keep pushing after I've said I'm not interested. Have to remember it's some poor guy/gal on the end trying to do their job.

I have very little pity for them for choosing to do such a job. I would never actually verbally abuse them though.

skinner · Post by **skinner** » 06 Aug 2006 03:07 pm

mech wrote: if I hear no one there and no one answer in the first few seconds (because usually they put you on hold when they call you and transfer the call when you pick up) I just hang up. A "real" person would just call back.

I discovered this in the last couple of months too. If there's dead silence, then hang up. Easy.