BobD Posted November 19, 2010 Report Share Posted November 19, 2010 I've filled out the FCC complaint form for the "do not call" list a few times. Especially for Kirby Cleaners. All they do is shut down one subcontract call center, and open another. I had been getting survey calls from Northland Exteriors, and had asked a couple of times to be removed from their list. So when they called again last week for a phony survey, I took it. I was entered into a grand prize draw for my trouble, and I was assured this was not a sales call. A few days latter, they called to say that unfortunately I had not won the grand prize, but I had won the daily drawing for two nights in a hotel. In the background I could hear someone saying the same thing to another home owner. In order to collect the prize a representative would have to call round to hand it me, and by the way, would like to talk about our windows. I set up the appointment for seven, this evening. The salesman was not amused when I told him that the only reason he was here, is so I can be sure they get the message that "I am on the do not call list, now go away". Now I know that the poor guy was on commission, and that he might have wasted a lot of time getting here, but he knows that his company flouts the law with the do not call list. Hopefully they won't be calling again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trent Posted November 19, 2010 Report Share Posted November 19, 2010 :lol: :lol: did you make him do his whole speech before you sent him packing? and were you making him feel like you were going to buy too? good work bobd! i too can't stand all the phone calls that still get through, despite the do not call list. i love all the ones that caller id has as 000-000-0000... yeah, i'm really answering that call! -trent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobD Posted November 19, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2010 :lol: :lol: did you make him do his whole speech before you sent him packing? and were you making him feel like you were going to buy too? good work bobd! i too can't stand all the phone calls that still get through, despite the do not call list. i love all the ones that caller id has as 000-000-0000... yeah, i'm really answering that call!-trent Now if he had some lift tickets for Giants ridge to give away, I might have sat through the spiel. In the event, I didn't let him through the door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skatha Posted November 19, 2010 Report Share Posted November 19, 2010 The "Do Not Call List" law expired a few years ago... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobD Posted November 19, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2010 The "Do Not Call List" law expired a few years ago... It was improved in 2008, I thought. https://www.donotcall.gov/ Our phones would be ringing off the hook these days, if it had expired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
110/220V Posted November 19, 2010 Report Share Posted November 19, 2010 ha. I think you make the salesmen visit your house and waste his time... we all will go to hell someday for laughs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terryw Posted November 20, 2010 Report Share Posted November 20, 2010 BobD has done a public service. Because the 'salesman' was busy with his appointment, he was unable to use that time to abuse any other innocent victims. I'm a firm believer in putting those companies on hold on the phone for as long as I can keep them on the line, same reasoning. Just our public duty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titan Posted November 20, 2010 Report Share Posted November 20, 2010 I remember an east-Indian telemarketer interrupting my old boss at Dinnertime. He said" listen-I'm eating...gimme your # and I'll call you back when I'm done." The telemarketer says" I'm sorry sir,we don't give out our phone #"...... and my boss replies" yeah,I didn't give you MY fawking # either!"....Click. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobD Posted October 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 It's that time of year again. Same thing, same company. The guy who came to the door this time told me I was being disrespectful I let rip about how disrespectful is to keep ignoring my request for them not to call me. This could be an annual event. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
en93nsx Posted October 31, 2011 Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 I just tried this on my Dad when he called the other day and there was long pause before his laughter. I think I will try to get to the phone for telemarketers just to have a little fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davekempmeister Posted November 1, 2011 Report Share Posted November 1, 2011 I string them along as well. The best way to get them to stay on hold indefinitely involves leading them to believe that you are ready to buy (whatever). When they think that you are earnest, they belong to you. Rummaging noises in an effort to find the credit card, good cop/bad cop with your spouse (who's opposed to the "purchase"). That stuff is great. 2nd only to pranking a radio talk show that doesn't run a delay. when reciting a credit card "number", always leave the already fictitious number one number short - the frustration on the other end of the line is off the scale. continue to insist it only has 15 numbers on it and they will usually be reduced to profanity. btw, nicely done bobd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted November 1, 2011 Report Share Posted November 1, 2011 I'll always remember three college friends of mine who were room-mates. We'd get a call like that while playing cards, and the guy receiving it would be sure to "listen" to the whole schpiel, all the way just playing cards and drinking beer. When he felt the guy winding up, he'd say "well, I'm not all that interested, but maybe my room-mate might be", pass the phone over, rinse lather repeat with the next guy. We'd see how many times we could pass the phone around the table and keep him going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skatha Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 When my son was 3, I'd used to hand him the phone. He'd walk around the house babbling into the phone:biggthump Now my fax machine is hooked up to the phone line:eplus2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjl Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 Solution is easy these days: unplug your landline. Probably everybody you know calls your cel anyway, so therefore 100% of calls on the landline are telemarketers. Then you can give that home phone # to any random business that "needs" it for whatever deal (safeway club card, etc.). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 Solution is easy these days: unplug your landline. Yeah, but what landline? I haven't had one for 5+ years. Safeway has the last landline phone # I ever used; a shared phone in a house I rented with 4 friends. Can't think of any reason I'd ever want to talk to them anyway, so it works out well. (Hopefully there will never be a major food recall that I don't hear about because they don't have a valid number...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjl Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 Yeah, but what landline? I haven't had one for 5+ years. Safeway has the last landline phone # I ever used; a shared phone in a house I rented with 4 friends. Can't think of any reason I'd ever want to talk to them anyway, so it works out well. (Hopefully there will never be a major food recall that I don't hear about because they don't have a valid number...) I have a landline that comes with DSL which is the only reason why I still have one. Although even if I switch to cable or something, I would consider paying a nominal fee for a landline anyway, just in case (for emergencies in case power goes out and I can't charge my cel phone, etc.), and continue giving that number to stuff like Safeway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobD Posted November 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 If the power goes out with a cable phone, you lose it. The cable companies recommend that a small ups is used with their phone lines. Hard to get a good deal on just phone/internet with the cable companies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.oldsnowboards.com Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 When my son was 3, I'd used to hand him the phone. He'd walk around the house babbling into the phone:biggthumpNow my fax machine is hooked up to the phone line:eplus2: Years ago when I had a land line. I was getting "Faxed" numerous times a day. Turns out that a Title company was one digit off from mine. The fax token would basically freeze up my "Record-a-phone" messaging machine and jamb it "On". I tried a number of things, finally just bought a fax machine and a switcher. Started getting all these faxes from real estate companies with LOTS of personal info. Loan apps, credit reports, etc. I would mark them with a big black felt pen and send them back to the sender. The issue being that the senders had the phone number programmed in to the fax machine and it was set to re-dial FIVE times. Even that barely slowed the flow. Now I am getting a bit annoyed. :D So. I collect a good dozen of the faxes. Got on the phone and started calling the clients. One of the first I called was an attorney. Explained that I know what her income was, bank balances etc. Explained the entire story to her. BAM . Never got another call. NOT ONE!! I even got a number of letters of apology. Who says our legal system doesn't work!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 Got on the phone and started calling the clients. One of the first I called was an attorney. Explained that I know what her income was, bank balances etc. Explained the entire story to her. BAM . Never got another call. NOT ONE!! Awesome! A bike shop I worked at kept getting calls for a local waterslide place. Replace a 6 in our number with a 9 and it was theirs. We got so many calls that it got annoying really fast! One of the guys answers the phone: -Employee: "Woodcock cycle!" -Phoner: "Is this Wet 'n' Wild?" -Employee: "It's Woodcock cycle!" -Phoner: "Wet 'n' Wild?" It degraded quickly from there, ending with our guy saying that it was 'clothing optional' day, and kids got in free. The guy ranted about how that was terrible to have both those events in the same day. We watched the news for reports of streakers at the waterslides, but never heard anything... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 I have a landline that comes with DSL which is the only reason why I still have one. How about, cell phones suck for having a conversation? At least around here on our CDMA network I will always go for the land line if I have the option rather than use my cell. And if it's cell to cell - forget it, it's just an exercise in "huh? repeat that!"They keep adding feature after feature to these phones but they forget to fix the basic thing they are supposed to do - make voice calls! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skatha Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 (Hopefully there will never be a major food recall that I don't hear about because they don't have a valid number...) Nobody calls you about bad food, they just wait for a call from the lawyer your next of kin hired Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
queequeg Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 :lol: :lol: did you make him do his whole speech before you sent him packing? and were you making him feel like you were going to buy too? good work bobd! i too can't stand all the phone calls that still get through, despite the do not call list. i love all the ones that caller id has as 000-000-0000... yeah, i'm really answering that call!-trent I seldom get these sort of calls (no landline) but when I do I like to mess with them like this. I will listen to whatever they are pushing, for a short while, ask a question or two, and then just launch into a description of the old ten-speed I have for sale in the basement. Eventually the telemarketer will interrupt me with "Sir, I'm trying to sell you _________" and I reply with "yes, I know — and I'm trying to sell you my bike!" Then I hang up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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