Those annyoying people who interrupt...

[Cedarpoint_Mark]

You know, this could be about realtives, or politicians, or broadcast-journalists...



But it's not. This is about those special people who feel the need to sell you a product or to get you to sign up for something over the phone. Telemarketers. They can't seem to take "no" for an answer. I have had a few call me and try to get me to sign up for a credit card. Keep in mind, I already have 1 and don't need another at this time. I politely told the woman, "no." She replied, "I understand your hesitation, sir, but...." <CLICK> I hung up. How is saying "no" hesitant? Also, why do they think they can call you at dinnertime? I understand its when families converge around the table catching up on everyone's day. A time to relax before the evening's activities, if any. Funny how it takes them a minute to answer after you say "hello", but yet they won't leave a message on the answering machine, well 99.5% won't. I have tried being polite. I have tried being forceful. Perhaps my father has the best way...After he told this person "no" a half dozen times, he got tired and asked to speak to the supervisor. He explained his situation and hasn't been called since. The most recent one I got was today as I was leaving for the bank. Ironically, it was for an app for a credit card. She gave me all the stats that sound good and, as usual, wanted to verify my personal info without even asking if I WANTED the card. So, I told her to hold on...went about a few other things and five minutes later, hung up.

I know through personal experience that if the telemarketers (tmk, for short) get a child on the phone, they will ask for the parents, who in turn get to say or attempt to say "no". BTW, that personal experience comes from them calling me, not me being a tmk.

Those that have received calls of this nature...what do you do? Do you politely respond? Do you give them some choice words? And what ideas do you have for dealing with these people in the future?

[Raptor]

We used to get telemarking calls 10 times a day, but we got this service from Ameritech( i think from its them) called "Privacy Manager." Basically, any caller that is registered as "unknown" on your caller ID, which is almost all telemarkers, is blocked. It does wonders, I highly recommend this service. It doesn't cost much either.

[Kraken]

Oh god, don't get me started! Here are some helpful suggestions. Trust me, you will never get a call again!

1. Telemarketer: Hello, I'm with Providan,
You: Providian?!
Telemarketer: Yes Sir.
You: PROVIDIAN? NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!NOT YOU! GO AWAY GO AWAY.

2.Telemarketer: Hello sir, I'm with BankOne
You: Oh, I'm sorry, I don't have a phone.

3. Telemarketer: Hello, I'm with Mastercard. I'd like to offer you a new card, the Ultra Lithium Mega Card.
You: Well can I ask you a few questions?
Telemarketer: Yes sir.
You: What do you do when you have Hemroids? I got about six or seven sorta on the left half of my ass, and I don't know what to do about them.**Continue until Telemarketer hangs up**

Or, for best results, laugh loudly, turn a power drill on and off, and have someone scream in the backround.

[Aaron]

Very clever Kraken. I'll have to try that. Sometimes I just like to not say a word when I pick up a sales call. It's pretty funny to listen to them saying "Hello.........hello?.........is anyone there?"

[coastersrsweet]

WHat I would do is:

telemarecter: HI im with soandso
you: hang up

they call back : I dont like it when kids make prank calls on me ; hang up.


....... they call then you go my phone bills are too high plz dont call back for about 100000 years thank you. good bye.

[SFGadvKing]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Kraken [/i]
[B]Oh god, don't get me started! Here are some helpful suggestions. Trust me, you will never get a call again!

1. Telemarketer: Hello, I'm with Providan,
You: Providian?!
Telemarketer: Yes Sir.
You: PROVIDIAN? NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!NOT YOU! GO AWAY GO AWAY.

2.Telemarketer: Hello sir, I'm with BankOne
You: Oh, I'm sorry, I don't have a phone.

3. Telemarketer: Hello, I'm with Mastercard. I'd like to offer you a new card, the Ultra Lithium Mega Card.
You: Well can I ask you a few questions?
Telemarketer: Yes sir.
You: What do you do when you have Hemroids? I got about six or seven sorta on the left half of my ass, and I don't know what to do about them.**Continue until Telemarketer hangs up**

Or, for best results, laugh loudly, turn a power drill on and off, and have someone scream in the backround. [/B][/QUOTE]

AAAHHHhahahaha, those are great!! if you wanna be polite just say no thank you and hang up.

[Kraken]

NO THANK YOU? HAHAHAHA, that never works!

"Stop calling me or I'll beat you down like a red-haired step child!

Telemarketer: I want to know if you interested in a Visa.
You: No.
Telemarketer: Let me tell you a bit about it before making your descision.
You: Yo Mama!**hang up**

Answer with your mouth full

[CedarPoint1]

Nice one(s) KRAKEN. I got another one for ya - When a tele-marketer calls speak quickly & say "This sounds VERY interesting to me BUT I'm on my way out the door right now, I tell you what "Why don't YOU give me YOUR home phone number & I'll call YOU back when I have time :D LOL

[DyingDutchman]

one time i was so scared b/c i though i was going to get in trouble but i have the same name as my dad so the tmk calls and says may i speack with so and so. i go this is him( thinking they meant me not my dad). they tell me there with something or other so i go sorry not inteerested. then i hang up. they call again and i pick up the phone and go "allright you **** face" then im like oops and i hang up and unplug the phone. i can laugh at it now but back then iw as scared to death of them callnig my parents. lol

[Marc]

How about this one

TMK: hello so and so, how are you today?

Me: I busy right now, but if you give my your home phone I'll call you back.

TMK: Sorry I can't do that.

Me: You don't want me to call your home phone!

Now you know how I feel!

[birderboy]

1.) Telemarketer: Hi, I'm from Visa. Can I talk to the patron of the household?
You: Sure. Hold on a sec.
(leave the phone on the table for about 10 minutes. 10 minutes later...)
You: Hold on, he'll be here in a second, just hold on...
(repeat with increasingly longer intervals)

2.) Telemarketer: Hi, I'm from Visa. Can I talk to the patron of the household?
You: Crap! They're on to me! Tony! To... (hangs up)

[Aaron]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by mfmfmf [/i]
[B]How about this one

TMK: hello so and so, how are you today?

Me: I busy right now, but if you give my your home phone I'll call you back.

TMK: Sorry I can't do that.

Me: You don't want me to call your home phone!

Now you know how I feel! [/B][/QUOTE]Isn't this from a Seinfeld episode?

[Pantera Psycho]

I don't think the privacy messenger thing is a great idea, considering that my Aunt comes up as unavailable at my home, but I just have caller ID and don't pick up unavailable and my aunt knows this and lets us know on the machine that it's her. Other than that, telemarketers are the most annoying people out there, right now I've got one that calls me literally 3-4 times a day, same person, same company, trying to sell me the same thing. The thing costs over $600, and I'm a college student. I told him right away that I'm a college student on a tight budget, and he went through all this bs, basically I just had to tell the guy no and hang up. He tried back again later, same thing, minus the college student stuff, plus a "Don't call me again." So now I use a different voice when picking up the phone and keep telling the guy that I'm not home. He's still calling very often, and I'm thinking about taking stalking charges against him and his company. It's out of control.

[RagingBull#1]

they always call during dinner it never fails

[Cedarpoint_Mark]

Wow...and stuff I post usually doen't get high replies.

My friend has a good way as described similarly here...just get these tmk's talking. OFF of what they are selling. I know thats one way. My former boss once put the guy on hold for 15 minutes, then came back, said "hello" and said he wasn't interested. Sometimes I can tell if its a tmk, they usually take a while to answer and butcher your name unless you have Smith or Jones as your last name. Funny thing is, once they asked to speak to _____ (who doesn't live here)...I said, "He doesn't live here." The tmk hung up. Not more than 5 minutes later, the same blasted tmk calls and asks for me. Ah the choice words I could give. This one quote I got from a Foxtrot cartoon....the mother is busy as the tmk calls, she listens a bit and after refusing a few times, replies with: "Does it occur to you that I have a life outside of this sales pitch you are trying to put on me??" I think that might work too.

Caller ID is something I probably will be getting, although most tmk's call when I'm at work, so I get mainly blank messages on my ansering machine.

[TITAN GIRL]

I don't think that I could make it without Caller Id! I hate Telemarketers! We also have privacy manager, I like it and it keeps those telemarketers from bugging us! Before we got it I got a call from Time Life Music! I had ordered a Dance Cd from them in the past and had cancelled there service! They called several months later trying to get me to buy some other stuff! Yall are right, these people just can't take NO for an answer! This women just wouldn't shut up! She tried to sell me a cd collection, I told her no- and that I was not interested in that kind of music, she tried to sell me three other things:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :mad: , keep in mind that all of them she made a long speal over each cd! I had to tell her like 3 times NO, she was going on and on I finally just told her NO I DON"T WANNA BUY ANYTHING RIGHT NOW! I Told her I lost my job and that money was tight- she took the hint! I have learned to just hang up!! DUH- Stupid me should have done that the first time!!

[Limacoasterboy]

All you have to do is ask them to stop calling you. After that, write down their name, company, and what time they called. If they call agin do the same thing. After about 3 times you can sue them and get lots of money just cause they want your money (BTW some lady has actualy made around $500,000 one year from doing this, I saw it on datline)

[SensationSeeker]

Limacoasterboy is right. Just ask any telemarketer who calls to take you off their calling list, and make a note of who was calling and when. I'm not sure if it's a state law or a federal law that covers this, but I live in Virginia, and I believe that here, if a telemarketer calls you after you request that they take you off their calling list, you can get $500 for each time they call you back.

[Raptor]

Oh, about Privacy Manager, it doesn't actually block the calls, but it makes then go through a screening system, and they can chose to leave their name, which will have a recording call you. Sort of like when you call somebody collect. 99% of telemarketers don't even bother, so it really works great! Of course, if it is somebody important, they can leave their name, and you can chose to have it always accept their number.

[Pantera Psycho]

Oh man, I should have a fortune by now, I'm gonna start doing that.

[CedarPoint1]

But what about JUNK e-mail solicitation? I have asked to be "Removed" from several mailing lists & this seems to work only1/2 the time... Any Ideas ???:confused:

[Cedarpoint_Mark]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by CedarPoint1 [/i]
[B]But what about JUNK e-mail solicitation? I have asked to be "Removed" from several mailing lists & this seems to work only1/2 the time... Any Ideas ???:confused: [/B][/QUOTE]

Just keep blocking away...

Ohio is trying to pass an idea where you can sign up to be on a NO CALL List. Any telemarketers that defy this list risk a penalty in the thousands of dollars. I found myself flabbergasted when I receieved a telemarketer call on a Sunday. The some had the nerve to call my parent's house on Thanksgiving. My mom sure gave her an earful.

I think a good way to fluster these people is to ask "What?" after every sentence. I can usually tell when one calls because I say Hello, and a few seconds pass before, "Hi, is Mr. Andrew _____ (mispronounces by last name or asks for another member of my family). When that happens, I just hang up. Just wish they could take NO for an answer...but when the next one does call, I will be sure to ask if I can have their home number to call during dinner. The ONE benefit to having a dial-up modem means these annoying people cannot reach you.

[CPFan]

Telemarketer- Hello, mam, can I interest you in saving money on long distance with AT&T
You- I don't like to save money
Telemarketer- Oh really, mam, well how much are you currently paying for phone service
You- I don't pay for phone service
Telemarketer- And mam, we are only trying to save you money
You- Well I guess if it is for saving, oh, hang on a minute, hey Honey, could you go out and grab me a pare of undywear from the neighbors yard, im sorry, what were you saying?
Telemarketer- What is your name?
You- Oh shoot, I gotta go, can you give me your home phone number and I will call you back later.
Telemarketer- Umm....im not allowed to do that.
You- Why, because you don't want people calling you at home?
Telemarketer- Well, yes, I suppose so.
You- Well now you know how I feel.

[TopGun77]

LOL i never get telemarketer calls.....ever. Maybe coz i live in a small town. If i got one id just hang up

[RiddRevenger]

Me and my brothers favorite line to telemarketers comes from Seinfeld. Jerry is talking to one, but he has to go. He says, "listen I'm really interested in this but i have to go. Can you give me your home phone number?" Then jerry says, "Oh you don't want people to call you at your house? Well now you know how i feel." and then hang up. It is hilarious. But the problem is sometimes they will actually give you their numbers!

[cedarpoint4ever]

telemarketer:hello may i speak with mr or mrs.......
me:my parents are dead (crying noise)
telemarketer:hang up
works every time
telemarketer:hello can i speak with mr or mrs.....
me:you are the weakest link, goodbye! (hang up)

[antfarm007]

TMK- Hello I'm here with(cut off by me)
Me- Can I get your campanies name, phone number, and address
TMK- Gives info
Me- Put me on your Do Not Call List, and if I ever get a call back from you or anyone else in your company, I will sue your @$$ back to the stone age for everything you've got, and I will personaly make sure YOU get a firebomb through your home window if we ever get a call back from you!!!

It hasn't failed yet :)

[PhantomRevnge67]

all you have to do is ask many questions. heres one...

a person calls tryin to sell you steaks.
ask them what kind of cow the steaks come from.

if they ask why say...im allergic to any cows that are brown.

ask them to call to find out if the cows are brown.

the key is to confuse them... ask them how long it will be for delivery... and exactly what time theyll arrive at the door... so oyu can get the steak before it goes bad... just keep talking their ears off so they get confused and eventually give up.

[Marcus]

You know I used to say a bunch of things to amuse myself and to make fun of the caller, but after some years, I quit. After only so long, run out of things to say, and when you can think of something new, its no longer that amusing. Sometimes I just swear at them and just hang up and thats all i need for entertainment.

[Hector]

I hardly got Telemarketers all my life, and to this day. There are devices from a store that can put your number as disconnected on the computers of the telemarketers. Go to your local walmart/target-like stores, and ask for something like that. They should have it. Any way there are some very funny things to say to them as said here, take your pick and see if any of them work.