Telemarketers -- we get at least two calls a night! How do you handle them?

[driver8]

Most of the calls are from charities. My wife and I have donated to quite a few charities and we must be on every phone list available! I hate saying "No" to people, but I cannot afford to contribute to everyone who calls.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

1. A) Get and USE an answering machine. B) get a cell phone.

Do not pick up phone when it rings. Screen your calls.

You have no obligation to answer the phone. Or your front door, for that matter.

It got so bad when I lived in Houston and had a land line that about one in 20 calls was somebody I wanted/needed to talk to and the rest were junk calls, hangups, or wrong numbers. Drove me nuts.

Now I live in the country and have a cellfone and don't have to talk to any boiler rooms.

[hippywife]

2. I'm now getting them on my cell phone, too.

Granted they are fewer since I put all of our phones on the do not call list, but still the non-profits who are permitted to call are becoming more active.

I just simply ask them to remove our number from their call list. I either don't give an explanation or explain that I pick my own charities and they are never generated from phone calls.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. My dear driver8...

We used to have the same problem......until we de-listed our number.

Screening the calls works too.

But having your number blocked, or private, really is the best way, we have found.

Good luck!

:hi:

[GoCubsGo]

12. Caller ID helps a lot, too

If I don't recognize the number, I often let my answering machine take the call. I also did the unpublished number thing, and rarely have anyone bothering me. If one does get through, I tell them I don't contribute to organizations that solicit by telephone, and then hang up.

[driver8]

28. That's a great idea. For some reason, we don't have caller ID.

That will be my next purchase.

[Skittles]

4. I don't answer

[hobbit709]

5. Hanging up works for me.

[noamnety]

35. It's more efficient to answer and tell them not to call again.

A hangup without that specific instruction almost guarantees future calls from them - same with not answering, you get marked as "not home" and will get followup calls.

[barb162]

6. I tell them I won't commit to anything over the phone and that they

should send some literature to me first. They usually say they can't do that and then I tell them I'm sorry, but I don't contribute under any other circumstances.

[A HERETIC I AM]

7. This is the BEST way to handle a telemarketer - from the Bob & Tom show;

This YouTube vid has text along with audio and it is HILARIOUS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEhAhvq9Bbw

[MajorChode]

9. Jim Florentine has some great ideas

Write everything down:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuoGgCq3EWs

No:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ3uIQKx11M

Taking a dump:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h2yHKCVyJo

Dog died:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbmJiQVwaFc

Going postal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTLSl7yJfVM

Jailbait dating service:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSaaBNZtQYc

Vacuum:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAvOKWlHFmw

Cancer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MR0KQ37VRY

Deaf:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AXn7K-vKZA

[tigereye]

8. tell them to take you off the list- I don't give anyone money over the phone..

[Mopar151]

20. I have the spiel down....

"It is our strict policy ro never donate to any charity who solicits by phone. Good day."

[tigereye]

22. I do give the Dems money over the phone, but man, then they call me every

month!

[struggle4progress]

10. I had a friend who said the following somewhat labor intensive strategy worked for him:

He'd chit-chat with them and made a game of keeping them nonproductively on the phone as long as possible

Hey! How are you?

(pause to allow response)

Haven't heard from you for a while. Is your Mom doing OK?

(pause to allow response)

(chat about own mother some)

Where are you calling from?

(pause to allow response)

No, I mean what city are you calling from?

(pause to allow response)

How's the weather up there?

(pause to allow response)

(chat about weather here)

Hey, how about them Vikings? ...

He said they generally didn't call back

[pokerfan]

11. From Seinfeld...

Seinfeld: Hello

Telemarketer: Hi, would you be interested in switching over to TMI Long Distance Service?

Seinfeld: Oh, Gee, I can't talk right now. Why don't you give me your home number and I'll call you later?

Telemarketer: I'm sorry, we aren't allowed to do that.

Seinfeld: Oh, I guess you don't want people calling you at home?

Telemarketer: No...

Seinfeld: Well, now you know how I feel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hllDWSbuDsQ

[IDemo]

13. No land line, for one

I always wanted to launch into a sales pitch back at the offending caller: "Hi there. If you make a living through telephone sales, you can't AFFORD those hang ups now, can you? That's why you need my incredible new book: "Saying Goodbye to 'Don't Ever Call This Number Again, A$$hole!'" Stay on the line and an operator will be with you shortly."

[Monique1]

14. My cell phone rings different if the number is not on my list of numbers in my memory list

I can see where the number is coming from so I just stop the phone call. I did receive a local phone call so I thought maybe my daughter was having a problem with her baby so I answered it = yep, a telemarketing. I waited a while and called back the number, I told them to take my number off their list. They took my number and said they took it off the list. I was receiving phone calls on my cell from all states - I just my hit off button.

This week I just received one telemarketing call. The last several weeks it was 4 and 5 a day before my recent actions.

[IDemo]

15. I didn't realize until recently you can put cellphone numbers on the 'Do Not Call' list

It's made a difference already. Of course, charities and politicians can still call, if they have your number.

[driver8]

27. Most of the telemarketing calls we get are from charities.

I made the mistake of giving one of them money over the phone and now I am on every charities' phone list.

[applegrove]

16. I look at the number when I pick up the phone. If they ask for my sister and have

an 800 number area code I know they are selling something (my sister lives somewhere else but manages my parents finances and charity giving). So I usually just say "she doesn't live here" and hang up quickly. My parents & sister have it all planned out how much and to whom they donate to.

[Curmudgeoness]

17. I used to get every charity on earth calling. I started a list of every one

that called me, and let them know with the first call that I was not interested and that I wanted taken off their call list and would give to no one who bothered me on the phone. If there was ever a second call, that charity would never get another penny from me, no matter how worthy. Many did take me off the call list. Some did not, but they rarely call anymore because I am not on the sucker list now. I only get about one every six months after doing this for about ten years. (Always the American Heart Association and March of Dimes---neither get it.)

If you choose to continue with donations to any organizations, money orders are great since they do not know where to find you and you can donate when you choose and can afford it.

[Roon]

18. Whenever I get a call that I don't like, I just hit the red "end" button

[carlyhippy]

19. caller I.D....I just don't answer the phone if I don't know the number

and if I do answer the call, I just tell them immediately I am not interested, in a nice tone. I am not rude to telemarketers, they are just doing their job, no reason to be rude.

[Lasher]

21. Once when a telemarketer asked to speak to me I told them I had just died.

I pretended to be my son and said we were really torn up about it. They must have taken me off their list because they never called back.

[Curmudgeoness]

30. My mother died 9 years ago, I have told some charities calling for her

every six months or so that she is dead, and not to call again. That hasn't helped with a few of them. Go figure.

[Wolf Frankula]

23. I sometimes do.

The phone rings, it announces their number.

"Hello: 9625: Operations."

They begin their spiel.

In a heavy tropical British Accent. "This is Operations. Please hold for Security". They usually hang up right then. If not. I put the phone down, pick it up and say in a thick South African accent, (Sometimes I use a Scots border accent to vary.) Not to worry. We've a fix on your loc. We have a team out bound. You should be hearing their helos in 10 minutes. Please keep your head down. They'll be coming in shooting."

If they don't hang up, I repeat what I said. If they're still on line, I tell them, "You've reached the Terran Ministry of Defence, Extraterrestrial Warfare Department: Operations Office." That get's them to hang up.

Or I ask in a smarmy voice. "Friend, Is your soul right with Elvis?"

Wolf

[azmouse]

24. The Do Not Call list stopped them cold.

[MajorChode]

33. It doesn't work on charities

It works great on most telemarketers, but there's an exclusion for people you have done business with and charities.

[annabanana]

25. I short-circuit their schpiel with questions....It bamboozles 'em

and throws them off their game. I interrupt, repeat the name of the company they say they're calling from and say "I don't believe we have an account with your outfit". .

[foxfeet]

26. Ask them if they know anyone who can clean up lots of blood

and who can come over RIGHT NOW.

[begin_within]

29. "I have no money" always works.

[Taitertots]

31. Say, "while I have you on the line" and start trying to sell them something

Also, profanity usually stops them from calling back.

[Kali]

32. land line: the ONLY good thiong about dial-up - the computer is always hooked up

and no calls get through. On the cell, I don't answer unless I know who it is - hell, half the time the phone is lost somewhere anyway.

[noamnety]

34. Getting off the purple heart list

Those people were the worst offenders. At least with other charities if you tell them to take you off the list, they will. And my god they were persistent, they called ALL the time even though I've never donated to them (or anyone else that uses telemarketers).

Purple Heart telemarketers won't take you off the list. For anyone else having a problem with that, you can email this woman and get taken off the list: Christina Edlin - [e-mail]

[driver8]

37. Thanks for the info -- I will definitely do that! n/t

[kayakjohnny]

36. I just insist that they write my name down and I make sure to spell it very very s-l-o-w-l-y....

It's Mac McCoolioolioolio.

"That's M.............c...........C........o........o........l........i...........o............o.........l........i.........o..........o.............l...........i........o......"


"Got that? Let me spell it one more time. No, I said I'm spelling it one more time. Are you getting this down?"

[MilesColtrane]

38. .