How to torment telemarketers

[Amy SF]

How to torment telemarketers
Blasting an air horn, putting the telemarketers on a lengthy hold, boring them with sob stories — readers respond in force to a request for ideas on combating 'Rachel from cardholder services.'

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lazarus-20140114,0,1753169.column#ixzz2qOOjbzXq

By David Lazarus
January 13, 2014, 4:52 p.m.

I almost feel sorry for telemarketers. Almost.

Last week, I solicited advice from readers about the best ways to get telemarketers to stop bugging you, especially robocallers like "Rachel from cardholder services," which the former head of the Federal Trade Commission branded "public enemy No. 1."

Judging from the avalanche of responses I received, I can say with confidence that many of you are not only fed up with these pests, you're more than happy to exact a little revenge in the form of pranks and time-wasting tactics.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lazarus-20140114,0,1753169.column#ixzz2qOOCumBR

I have to admit that I don't get that many telemarketing calls, and I tend to agree with at least some of the commenters on the Times page (I haven't read all the comments). These poor people are just doing a job, and probably a job that they hate, but they took the job because they need the money. Blasting air horns and keeping them on the line for an extended period with some fake story? Really? What kind of crap is that?

 

[shyvas]

We had one of these topics on another forum and some of the remarks made me angry. The telemarketers are only trying to do their jobs.

A 'No Thank You, good bye' is a more polite and elegant manner to terminate the call.

 

[RascalsMom]

I've worked at call centers (not as a telemarketer, but csr) and I have horrible phone and social anxiety. I would sometimes have panic attacks on break. I would never "torment" a worker. Horrible.

 

[RascalsMom]

These places have call time limits, as well. Keeping them on the line for bogus reasons or to mess with them is actually ******* with their standing at work, and potentially raises and bonuses.. So therefore their paycheck. And no one works at a call center unless they really need the money.

 

[Calliegirl]

I'm polite to them the first and second time they call, after that I consider it harassment.
I had one company call me every single evening. The always asked for the woman of the house, I guess they thought she would be more gullible. It was for the 'you won a free cruise' scam where they want a credit card for the fees and taxes.
The third night I tried saying she wasn't home, but they just called back later. So I finally I would just tell them to hold on while I go get her, and then put the phone down until they hung up. It took three nights of doing that before they finally stopped calling.

 

[beancounter]

We screen all of our calles, and some telemarketers call us a dozen times per day before they give up. (we can see it's the same telemarketer from the "name" displayed on the phone.)

That's harassment. I didn't pick up the phone the first three times, so why are you calling me again and again and again....

 

[ledboots]

I just politely say "I will never be interested, please take me off your call list." There's a law here that they have to comply, though it can take a month. Unless it's a freedom of speech thing, like the annoying political poll calls or newspaper subscription sales, they will keep calling. The worst for me is the charities. Donate to.one and they sell your information to others who hound you.

For those in the US, you can stop telemarketers by this https://www.donotcall.gov/

 

[Pirate]

I dont know anyone who would optionally take a job in telemarketing. To do that, you've gotta be fairly desperate. They are bound to have a several targets to hit and it's not their fault they keep having to call the same person. They're probably told to try each person x times or they risk getting sacked. So yeah, I wouldn't be mean to them. Blowing a foghorn down the phone is terrible.

My general rule is never pick up the phone to a number you don't know. If it's important they can leave a message or will text me. If I do happen to pick up to a telemarketer (ie if waiting for another call) I say something like "No thanks, have a good day though".

 

[Clueless Git]

Simple way, not at all rude ...

Ask them to phone back once they have their MD/CEO's home phone number for you.

 

[Moll Flanders]

I hate to be disturbed at home so I just say I'm not interested and if they carry on I just say "sorry" or "bye" and put down the phone.

 

[thefadedone]

My general rule is never pick up the phone to a number you don't know. If it's important they can leave a message or will text me. If I do happen to pick up to a telemarketer (ie if waiting for another call) I say something like "No thanks, have a good day though".

Same here. Although I don't really get any telemarketers calling on my cell phone and I don't own a landline. Are you guys getting these calls on your cell phones or landline phones?

 

[Calliegirl]

The time I was getting them daily I had a landline without caller ID, so I had to answer it.

Now I get the recorded ones and texts on my cellphone, which is supposed to be illegal.

 

[RabbitLuvr]

I've had some on my cell phone. Last year I was getting up to five calls a day from some Time Warner Cable person in Oregon and/or Washington. I didn't answer after the first time, as I just screened them, but it was still annoying when I'd get the alert. I'm on the do not call list now and haven't had any spam calls in several months.

However, the time I did answer I was polite. As others have said, telemarketers might be annoying but they're just doing their job.

 

[kazyeeqen]

What a horrible article. Mean people are mean. If you want to be a jerk you could just hang up. Then you waste as little of everyone's time as possible, and still get to be an a-hole, if that's what you're going for.

 

[PTree15]

Same here. Although I don't really get any telemarketers calling on my cell phone and I don't own a landline. Are you guys getting these calls on your cell phones or landline phones?

I get them on my cell, but I don't answer them because I don't answer calls for numbers I don't recognize. I used to get really annoyed with the multiple calls from the same place. What part of "not interested, thank you" do you not get? I, too, consider that harassment, and on several occasions, I've threatened to call the Attorney General's Office on them and report them as politely as I can.