How to torment telemarketers with one word

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   paradigmsearchposted 11 years ago

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&f … 3BCEPMGggU

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      Don Fairchildposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, yes, that was great.
      I have found an Ideal way to deal with these telemarketers using technology.  I have a Google phone number and when ever a telemarketer calls my number the first time, I go into my phone main page and tell Google that this person that called is spam.  From that point on, if that person calls me they get the squealing tone of a disconnected  phone number with a recording of "This number is not in service at this time".
      This is especially good technology because when those robo-calling systems get a disconnected tone, they will automatically remove your number from their data base.  Cool, Yes.

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         paradigmsearchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!

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         aykianinkposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         What exactly does this mean?  How does one get this?

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            Don Fairchildposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            I guess I let the cat out of bag on this one.  I will have to write a Hub on this whole process. 
            In short, you can get a phone number assigned to you through Google Voice.  Once you have the number you can pick up a hardware device that hooks to your router at your house.  And now when anyone dials your Google phone number it rings at your house.   Kind of like how a Vonage phone works.

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               aykianinkposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               I'm too young to say this but...I don't understand the tech:-(
               
               Interesting system though.  Thanks for sharing, Don.

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      Sarra Garrettposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Love it.  My brother and I tell telemarketers that they just called a crime scene and then start interrogating them.  It freaks them out.

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         paradigmsearchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Now that is evil!

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            Sarra Garrettposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            he he he he

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      prettydarkhorseposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Lol

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      paradigmsearchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Have you hugged your telemarketer today...?

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   Rob Wintersposted 11 years ago

   Sounds like a good plan.I must remember this for the next time i regrettably answer one of those types of calls.Funny clip :-)

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      paradigmsearchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      It made my day. I might actually do it sometime as well.

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   Sally's Troveposted 11 years ago

   Love it! Sharing all over the place. I'm a moron, don't cha know?

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   Marcy Goodfleischposted 11 years ago

   Love it!
   
   If they don't leave me alone after I tell them to put me on the "Do Not Call List," I sometimes pretend I don't speak English, or act like I'm investigating the call due to a complaint that's been filed.

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      paradigmsearchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I've been known to tell them to hold on there's someone at the door. I then set the phone down and never come back.

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   psycheskinnerposted 11 years ago

   Telemarketers are just people doing a shitty job who don't generally need any more grief (yes, been there, done that).  IMHO you should just go on the do not call list and report any company that calls you despite that listing.

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      paradigmsearchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Calling up strangers during their dinner hour to sell them something is not only rude, but is also unethical conduct. Everyone hates spammers. Telemarketers are 10 times worse. At least with spammers, you get to select the time when to deal with them.
      
      And I won't even address the issue of telemarketers using auto-dialers to call up a 100,000 people a day, and then the machine hangs up on half of them because the telemarketer is too busy to get to that particular connection.
      
      Or I could address the fact that 9 out of 10 times the product or service they are selling is inferior or an outright rip off.
      
      As for the do-not-call list, telemarketers are famous for just plain ignoring it. Many, if not most, just set the auto-dialer to start at phone number xxx-xxx-0001; and then just work their way up through the 10,000 numbers. Then they bump the prefix number by 1 and do it all over again. And again. And again. And again... The do-not-call list doesn't even enter their picture. And they couldn't care less about being reported. They just relocate somewhere else when things start to close in.
      
      Frankly, psycheskinner, your post surprised me. You must be watched.

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         psycheskinnerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Feel free to torture the minimum wage earner not the policy makers if that's what makes you happy. 
         
         But as a strategy it strikes me at not only rude, but unethical.  And so not exactly the moral high ground.
         
         And if you report the company for ignoring the list they get hit with massive fines--which actually effects the douche who decided to "spam" people not the guy/gal who just needs a job to fill the pantry.

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            paradigmsearchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            To make a long explanation short about that "poor" minimum wage earner... The ethical ones quit pretty quickly. The unethical ones stay. The net turnover result is that the chances are probably 9 out of 10 that you will be called by a person who will cheat you blind given half the chance. And as to that minimum wage..., there is this thing called commissions. And the more unethically the telemarketer conducts themself, the higher those commissions will be.
            
            I consider my conduct not only ethical, but a contribution to society. For every minute that I can keep a telemarketer occupied, that is 1 to 5 fewer people that will be harassed that particular day.
            
            I totally agree about reporting the company. Sometimes the government gets lucky and actually catches the b*stards.

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               psycheskinnerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               Honestly I think you just can't be bothered going on the no call list, or targeting the guy who decided to bother you, and so have justified that the employee is the most evil one.
               
               There is a difference between acting out of frustration and actually solving the problem.

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                  paradigmsearchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                  Sorry for the misunderstanding. I am on the do-not-call list. Have been for years. But they keep calling me anyway.
                  
                  And in truth, 5 out of 6 times, I just hang up. But that 6th time, when I'm in the mood to contribute to society...

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                     Sarra Garrettposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     Unfortunately, you have to register every year for the do not call list.  I found this out the hard way.

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                        psycheskinnerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        Telephone numbers on the registry will only be removed when they are disconnected and reassigned http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consume … lt107.shtm
                        
                        I am on it and report spam calls here: https://www.donotcall.gov/ -- you can register here: https://www.donotcall.gov/register/reg.aspx
                        
                        As a result I have not received a spam call other than from political candidates for over 2 years.

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                           Sarra Garrettposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                           that's great

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                           paradigmsearchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                           You forgot to mention the dozen auto-dialer calls you received from Diane who wanted to clean your carpet.

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                        paradigmsearchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        I just checked. Federal is forever. However, as for states, your results may vary...
                        
                        And while we are at it, here's the well-known homepage.
                        
                        https://www.donotcall.gov/
                        
                        Drop by, everybody. They've got a big, red scam warning right at the top.

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   tandaaposted 11 years ago

   An interesting one lol. The telemarketer was very brave

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   Maggie Bennettposted 11 years ago

   Yes!

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   gmwilliamsposted 11 years ago

   I tell them don't  #$%#@^&! call me again and bang the phone down.  That always work.

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   Reality Bytesposted 11 years ago

   I know telemarketing!  People go to the mall and enter in to all kinds of contests to get something for nothing.  They do not bother to read the back of the entry that clearly states the contest is for marketing purposes and will usually describe the product being promoted.
   
   Then when they get the call they act like it is somehow disturbing them.  Bullnuggets, read the entry before you enter the promotion, do you really think someone is going to give away a John Deere lawn mower or a new Ford for the heck of it?

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      paradigmsearchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Only the stupid, or the inexperienced, or the trusting ones don't read the back of the entry. The exact kinds of people that the telemarketers want to call. Why do you suppose that is?

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         Reality Bytesposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Of course that is what they are looking for, the vulnerable and the naive.  This type of telemarketing, IMO, is solicited from the customer and not something to complain about, if they won the prize there would be no issues.    The ones that get to me are the ones that will not tell you what company they represent.  These calls, I have no patience for, but a call that I initiated, well the other person is a human being attempting to earn an honest living.  In my book, that is just fine as it would be just as easy for that person to turn to the government for a handout instead.

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    gmwilliamsposted 11 years ago

    Another way is to make a loud screeching sound and go into a demonic chanting mode- I did that and they immediately hung up the phone, never callng me again.

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       Sarra Garrettposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       LOL  good one

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    DreamerMegposted 11 years ago

    We don't get many "real" telemarketing calls any more and I just say "no thanks" when we do. We have also stopped answering unsolicited "questionnaire / survey" calls wanting a few minutes of your time because despite them saying that they don't want to sell you something, these are invariably followed by an increase in literature or phone calls or email contacts trying to sell something.
    The ones that really annoy me (well, the ones that I allow myself to get annoyed over) are the ones that say "we are from 'Windows' or 'PC windows' company (or something similar) and we have had a report that your machine is not working correctly". They then try to get you to check out your machine, looking at the log entries with yellow triangles beside them. I went through their spiel one time (I had nothing better to do) to see what they were trying to do and they are trying to frighten you that the log kept on your machine is something to be worried about (it isn't) and then they try to sell you a rubbish anti virus product which probably makes your machine worse or even try to get you to let them access your machine (PLEASE DON'T LET THEM). Some of these are trying to sell you rubbish software. Others are trying to infect your machine with viruses and trojans and still others are trying to hack into your machine and steal your passwords. I now just ask them "Do you enjoy working as a criminal?" The phone is usually slammed straight down.
    
    The others I get annoyed by are those trying to get you to reclaim money from the banks for PPI (payment protection insurance) which was mis-sold. You can claim it back yourself for free but they will charge you 33 - 50% of any money you get for the privilege of doing it for you. This is not criminal, but I do believe it is unethical, so I shout "NO" and hang up.

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    Michael Dwellsposted 11 years ago

    Hahaha! That was funny. I bet that telemarketer's sorry he ever talked to you.

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    Michael Dwellsposted 11 years ago

    If you like playing jokes on these callers, well, you can find the best tips to annoy them at Callercenter. That's where I got my tips, too. They sure work like magic. One call and I pull on a prank, and they're gone. Never calls again.

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    paradigmsearchposted 11 years ago

    I am checking out "Callercenter". I will get back to you.

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       paradigmsearchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Giving them a backlink. More power to them.
       
       http://www.callercenter.com/

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