PSA - How to cut down on Telemarking calls

[kenny]

I do not like sales calls. GRRR.

The phone number to call to register your phone number on the Do Not Call List for 5 years is 1-888-382-1222.

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/donotcall/

 

[soocool]

I have been on the list several times, but still need to ask people to take me off their call list.

What I hate are the computer generated robo calls that you cannot opt off from and uses random numbers as I can tell on my phone's user id.

Also, this does not keep you off any political call list.

 

[zoebartlett]

I'm assuming this is for people with land lines, right? I haven't gotten any telemarketing calls since only using my cell phone.

 

[manderz]

I get them on my cell, since I don't have a land line. I signed up for the do not call list, and it has helped a lot. I still get one every now and again though.

 

[LGK]

I don't get it; my cell and my husband's have had zillions of telemarketing calls suddenly, in the last two months or so. At least one each a day. It's very annoying, I'd forgotten.

The business phone also gets the WORST telemarketing calls ever. Scams, in point of fact. One trick, which is awesome, is someone calls and and asks who the name if the manager is, then hangs up. Then later you get a call saying "Your manager So&So ordered fax paper but didn't provide the model number. Could you give me the model # of your fax [or visa tape, or cash register tape, or printer ink, or whatever]?" If you are stupid enough to fall for THAT one, you do indeed get the rolls of, say, Visa tape (which of course are provided free from your bank) and a bill for like $1,000 to a company in say the Czech Republic or something. Typically most of the employees who'e worked here for years know to not give out info like that. But every now and again you get somebody to fall for it- I'd say twice in the last five years it's happened. Both times I've just not paid.

 

[iugurl]

I'm assuming this is for people with land lines, right? I haven't gotten any telemarketing calls since only using my cell phone.

I don't think so... When I first had my cell phone, (a new number) I NEVER got telemarketing calls. After I had the number for a few years, the telemarketing calls began. I put my number on the list and I very rarely, if ever, receive them.

 

[iugurl]

I don't get it; my cell and my husband's have had zillions of telemarketing calls suddenly, in the last two months or so. At least one each a day. It's very annoying, I'd forgotten.

The business phone also gets the WORST telemarketing calls ever. Scams, in point of fact. One trick, which is awesome, is someone calls and and asks who the name if the manager is, then hangs up. Then later you get a call saying "Your manager So&So ordered fax paper but didn't provide the model number. Could you give me the model # of your fax [or visa tape, or cash register tape, or printer ink, or whatever]?" If you are stupid enough to fall for THAT one, you do indeed get the rolls of, say, Visa tape (which of course are provided free from your bank) and a bill for like $1,000 to a company in say the Czech Republic or something. Typically most of the employees who'e worked here for years know to not give out info like that. But every now and again you get somebody to fall for it- I'd say twice in the last five years it's happened. Both times I've just not paid.

I used to get those calls at work at least twice a week. I think it is the weirdest scam ever.

 

[Dancing Fire]

easy, i answer the phone like this... "hello,who the F is this"? if it was a telemarketer he/she will hang up...

 

[mayerling]

Anybody know the number for the UK? We get a call like this at least once a day

 

[GK2]

Anybody know the number for the UK? We get a call like this at least once a day

Hi Mayerling. Search for TPS (telephone preference service) and call or register on line to stop these calls. You can also register with Silent Call Guard but you have to reregister every 12 months with that one.
Any UK based companies have to abide by it and can face hefty fines from OFCOM if they continue BUT I'm afraid any calls originating from overseas will not be stopped - pain in the bum I know, but it will stop a lot of them.

Hope this helps

 

[zoebartlett]

I'm assuming this is for people with land lines, right? I haven't gotten any telemarketing calls since only using my cell phone.

I don't think so... When I first had my cell phone, (a new number) I NEVER got telemarketing calls. After I had the number for a few years, the telemarketing calls began. I put my number on the list and I very rarely, if ever, receive them.

Huh, interesting.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Never has a telemarketer called my cell phone and I've had the same number for over 8 years. We don't have a land line but when we did, we signed up for the no-call and the *only* calls we got were from non-profit organizations. They apparently do not have to follow that no-call law.

With my cell, I DO NOT answer any calls that say "unknown." Only numbers of those on my contact list I pick up for. If I don't know the number I google it to see if it's someone from the kids' school or similar.

 

[Andelain]

Back when I had a landline I used to get those calls that were a taped speil. I started putting the phone down for a while instead of hanging up right away. One time after several minutes I heard someone saying "Hello.... HELLO". I picked up the phone and found out if you stay on the line the whole time they think you're interested and have a live person get on the line to close the sale. I laughed in the guys ear and told him that I always put the phone down like that to tie up the telemarketers resources and cost them money.

 

[mayerling]

Anybody know the number for the UK? We get a call like this at least once a day

Hi Mayerling. Search for TPS (telephone preference service) and call or register on line to stop these calls. You can also register with Silent Call Guard but you have to reregister every 12 months with that one.
Any UK based companies have to abide by it and can face hefty fines from OFCOM if they continue BUT I'm afraid any calls originating from overseas will not be stopped - pain in the bum I know, but it will stop a lot of them.

Hope this helps

Thanks, GK2! Will check it out.

 

[chemgirl]

Not sure if its the same in the US, but in Canada companies that have "professional relationships" with you do not have to honor the list. So that means your phone company calling you about signing up for their nifty new internet/tv/mobile service. Also, if you've ever had an account with a company they are able to continue calling you to get you to sign up again. Ugh

Political calls are also exempt.

I used to telemarket back in highschool and one way to deal with calls is to blankly ask "what call center are you calling from?" Chances are, the company calling you is outsourcing their calls to a larger call center. Then you can tell them to take you off of the calling company's list. In that case, you should be taken off of the list for all of the companies that they have contracts with. When I worked there we had to disposition calls after the client hung up. We could disposition the call as "do not call *insert call center's name here*" and supposedly they'd be off the list for all of our contracts.

Hanging up on a telemarketer is the worst thing you can do because we were able to disposition the call as "disconnected" without hurting our sales percentage. If there was a hangup, you bet most of the employees marked it as a disconnect and the number was thrown back in to the rotation.

ETA: The call center I worked for was in Canada, but we called the US so the rules should apply.

 

[marcy]

I get telemarketing calls on my cell phone. I hang up on them and then never answer that number again.

On our land line - caller ID shows up on our TV so unless it's someone I know they can talk to the answering machine.

 

[loriken214]

I'm home on a disability retirement and I have to hear the phone ring all day long. My deal is, I answer and tell them that I'm dying and they usually hang up on me. Well, I AM going to go at some point in the future!

Lori

 

[Dancing Fire]

I'm home on a disability retirement and I have to hear the phone ring all day long. My deal is, I answer and tell them that I'm dying and they usually hang up on me. Well, I AM going to go at some point in the future!

Lori

then they'll try to sell you a plot and casket...

 

[luv2sparkle]

I hate them too, but I don't think the whole list thing works. I have done it several times and I still get calls. Even worse than
that is some guy is giving out my cell number to insurance companies and colleges and whoever he is trying to get information
from. I had to change the message to "if you are calling for Richard Whatever, this is not his number. If you are able to get in touch
with him at another way please tell him to quit giving out MY cell phone number". So annoying