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OAC_Sparky,Oct 19 2006, 07:35 PM Wrote:Believe it or not, what I've found that works is to interrupt them (don't wait, talk over them) and say "I don't buy anything from telephone solicitors/answer surveys/etc" (whatever is appropriate) "Please take me off your call list." Then hang up. Don't wait for a response, just hang up.

Yes, it's rude and it goes against your natural tendency to be polite, but I rarely get calls anymore.
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Exactly what I do....I just say, No thanks, and take me off your list please.

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OAC_Sparky,Oct 20 2006, 09:17 AM Wrote:

ZTWsugardaddy,Oct 20 2006, 05:20 AM Wrote:LOL, I made a post about this a few years back.  I remember you adding one of those sarcastic images with text saying "Raise Your Hand, If You Care"
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:lol:
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:lol:

[ANTHONYD]

did i?

:lol:

The tables have turned then.

[NOS2Go4Me]

I give them enough time to start their spiel, and then I lay into them...

"If you cared about your life, you'd get a real job."

"There are plenty of inbound call centers out there if you're addicted to headsets and cubicle farms."

"Do all of you lemmings have a leader?"

Then I tend to hang up. I'm sure my comments brand our number as "negative" or worse :lol:

Also, getting a VoIP-specific exchange seems to work so far. Keeping them on hold works too. If it's not RBC calling, I throw them on hold first. Our brutal hold music normally sends them running. :D

[focusracer]

^^^ I'm not flaming anybody or anything, but I'd say that's going a little far personally. Yeah it's annoying but it's not neccesary to to degrade them. That would be like telling 35 yr old guy working at the gas station or Mcdonalds or Tim Hortons to get a real job. At least they have a job and are not being a burden on the welfare system. Some of these telemarketers made pretty good coin. My friends sister used to do it and could easily clear 5 G's a month, meanwhile we were working our asses off doing drywall making 4, now she's a manager making $70,000 a year. I'd say it's a real job. Eventually it will be a job that may go to the wayside, as did door to door salesman for the most part.

Usually when they call, I just tell them that I'm not interested and I'd like to get back to my dinner. Sometimes I'll do their little 5 minute survey, sometimes I'll let them give me their speel and then tell them no thanks, at my buddies place once I set the phone down beside the tv and turned on a porno, don't know how long they stayed on the line but being drunk at the time I thought it was funny as hell.

[ZX5focused]

my mom babysits a little girl, maybe 1.5 yrs old, one time they couldnt get the hint, so she put the phone up to the babys mouth. the baby talked for awhile and eventually my mom heard the dead line tone!! :lol:

[NOS2Go4Me]

focusracer,Oct 20 2006, 01:59 PM Wrote:^^^ I'm not flaming anybody or anything, but I'd say that's going a little far personally. Yeah it's annoying but it's not neccesary to to degrade them. That would be like telling 35 yr old guy working at the gas station or Mcdonalds or Tim Hortons to get a real job. [right][snapback]212722[/snapback][/right]

I don't know how much free time you have on your hands, but I sure as hell am not sitting there for the whole thing.

As for the guys working at Timmies and gas stations- those ARE real jobs. They're out in the world, providing a service. You have a choice over whether or not these folks affect your life directly. Telemarketing doesn't give you that choice (unless you let the phone ring constantly) and is only slightly less annoying than Dave Chapelle's "what if the Internet was real?" skit... they're constantly harassing you to buy s*** you likely won't ever need. Even my bank got the hint - I told the guy calling as he offered his "Premium service on behalf of RBC" that if they ever called me again, I'd take our entire financial needs to another bank.

[paolo]

Here is some ways I've got back at Telemarketers and they have not called ever since.

-subscribe to Call Display

-recognize a telemarketer and save them in your directory/address book.

1) Politely tell them your phone number has been recently ported over to a Cellphone and its illegal for telemarketers to call peoples cellphones or

2)if they are trying to sell you windows tell them you dont have any windows, and if they ask why, tell them its not your job to ask why or

3) if they say can I have a few mins of your time, ask them if you will be PAID to listen or partake in any surveys or questioneers, and if they say no, tell them to call you back ONLY if it involves in you being paid to answer questions OR

4) if they call you at dinner time do this:

Seinfeld (to telemarketer): I can't talk right now. Why don't you give me your home number, and I'll call you back later.
Telemarketer: I'm afraid we can't do that.
Seinfeld: Oh, I guess you don't want people calling you and bugging you at home.
Telemarketer: Right.
Seinfeld: Well now you know how I feel.

[paolo]

Also from working in the Telecom Industry, here is a little known secret about telemarketers if you REALLY want to get them back. They can NOT hang up the call on you at all for whatever reason. So if they call you and are being disturbing to your family time, just answer the call and say "hold on a sec" and place them on hold, they will not be able to hang up, I kept one telemarketer on hold for an hour and when I picked up the phone, he was still on the line. LOL. Another thing you can do is now that you may recognize numbers of repeat telemarketers since you have call display, instead of answering the phone saying hello? you should Answer it as if you were calling a buddy up.. and make it so YOU are the one initiating the call and somehow you think your friend john is pretending to be a telemarketer. Haha that will throw them off or they will think the lines got crossed.

[paolo]

NefCanuck,Oct 19 2006, 07:28 PM Wrote:Sadly there is no "Do Not Call" list as in the US (Apparently the Direct Marketing lobby here (AKA The telemarketing scum) can twist arms better up here :rolleyes:
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No, but there is a "do not contact" service in canada, its not the same as a do not call list but it is very similar: http://www.the-cma.org/consumer/donotcontact.cfm

[ANTHONYD]

paolo,Oct 23 2006, 08:39 AM Wrote:

NefCanuck,Oct 19 2006, 07:28 PM Wrote:Sadly there is no "Do Not Call" list as in the US (Apparently the Direct Marketing lobby here (AKA The telemarketing scum) can twist arms better up here :rolleyes:
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No, but there is a "do not contact" service in canada, its not the same as a do not call list but it is very similar: http://www.the-cma.org/consumer/donotcontact.cfm
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Thanks Paolo. I registered my wife and I for that.

Hope it works.

[02_svt_guy]

1# find out who's calling you
2# get there home number
3# call them at all hours trying to sell them useless crap, or used item u have lying around.
4# remember ur there to bargain if u do manage to sell your useless crap get the most $$ u can for it
5# they pay shipping and handling
6# make sure u add all his coworkers to your soliciting list :lol: