How to stop telemarketing phone calls?

**LBD** · 6th April 2009, 22:10

"Calls to this number cost $3.75 per minute. If you wish to continue please press the # key after the tone and have your credit card details ready for the receptionist...."

I doubt they would be on the line after they hear the "If you wish to continue..."

**mynameis** · 7th April 2009, 00:28

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xyr-QJ-9CLs[/youtube]

**mynameis** · 7th April 2009, 00:42

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syPSHe0kzMs[/youtube]

**Ms Piggy** · 7th April 2009, 06:47

Originally Posted by Molly

Anybody know how I might go about stopping these f'kin' nuisance calls? You'd think by now I could buy a digital phone that'd filter out this shite.

Hey Molly - I used to work for a telephone survey company (Gawd I'd hate to be a Telemarketer!), the company I worked for had some system where they were given the 1st 3 digits of phone numbers and then the last 4 digits were randomly computer generated, so occasionally we would phone restricted numbers and get an earful (rightly so).

At the end of the day as annoying as they are, they're just doing a shitty job to try and earn some $$. Just say "No thanks' and hang up.

**Swoop** · 7th April 2009, 08:43

I used to get a few calls. That has all stopped.

Inform the caller that you are not interested in whatever it is they called about and then add "I am also FORMALLY requiring you to remove my name and details from any list or database you have".

That has done the trick.

I have also used the "My hourly consultancy rate is $160-, do you have an authorisation to allow this consultation process to continue, or a physical address to send the invoice to?"
All I received after that was silence while the telemarketer was thinking about it all.

**vifferman** · 7th April 2009, 08:52

Tell them you're busy, and ask for their home phone number so you can ring back.

Get all enthusiastic about whatever they're selling, then stop and say, "oh - hang on a minute; I'm actually criminally insane and not allowed to sign contracts, but that doesn't matter - does it?"

Say, "One moment - please hold, I'm transferring you now...", push some random buttons, then hang up.

Ask them what they're wearing, or other personal details (height, age, hair colour, etc.)

I got rid of some door knockers (JWs?) one day. A builder friend of mine was working with me on my house, and they came wandering around the corner. We had a hurried discussion about who should talk to them: "I'm paying you - you can talk to them"
"It's your house - your responsibility!"
My mate ended the discussion by starting up his chainsaw. The doorknockers ran away.

**RC1** · 7th April 2009, 08:54

tell them you will charge them for your time, they go away pretty quickly

**3umph** · 7th April 2009, 08:55

Originally Posted by Swoop

I have also used the "My hourly consultancy rate is $160-, do you have an authorisation to allow this consultation process to continue, or a physical address to send the invoice to?"
All I received after that was silence while the telemarketer was thinking about it all.

Haha I do this all the time at work and home....

I ask for them for there Full name, an order number and a address to send an invoice to and when asked why I tell them I am a business and my time is money... and if you want me to listen to you selling something or to do a survey then you can pay for my time.... minimum charge out 1 hour.

At home I also have a go at them sometimes as we have a private number so would not be on any list....

**FJRider** · 7th April 2009, 09:07

I tell them I would love to talk, and ask them to call back on my "other" line... and give them the number of the non-urgent local police station....

**Tank** · 7th April 2009, 09:36

Originally Posted by FJRider

I tell them I would love to talk, and ask them to call back on my "other" line... and give them the number of the non-urgent local police station....

Love it !!!!

**Usarka** · 7th April 2009, 09:55

While all are hilarious (and often used in my household

) only the "remove me from your database" type answers are guaranteed to stop repeat calls - legally anyway.

Haven't used the "script" before, awaits next call

**Paulo** · 7th April 2009, 09:59

If you tell them you work in advertising and as such am not allowed to partake in phone surveys they leave you alone.
I did this and never got bothered again. Worth a crack.

**Brownbikerbabe** · 7th April 2009, 10:03

Originally Posted by Ms Piggy

At the end of the day as annoying as they are, they're just doing a shitty job to try and earn some $$. Just say "No thanks' and hang up.

Or don't hang up...I used to do that same crappy telemarketing job way back when I was younger and I ended up with a few phone numbers and blind dates, not because of the survey either....just met some nice guys over the phone

...heehee!

Now we get people selling windows and doors...I just tell them we don't have any windows or doors and hang up.

**Tank** · 7th April 2009, 10:07

Originally Posted by Usarka

While all are hilarious (and often used in my household

) only the "remove me from your database" type answers are guaranteed to stop repeat calls - legally anyway.

Haven't used the "script" before, awaits next call

As is the KB way - the answer often gets lost.

Most telemarketing in NZ gets their do-not call list from the one location

Originally Posted by Tank

http://www.nzma.simplicitycrm.com/ed...=NRR_DoNotCall

we used this and I cannot remember the last time we had a call.

Takes a while for it to trickle thru - but it does work

Sign up to this and you are slowly - but surely removed form all the main companies that run call centers. Otherwise you have to get removed from one database after another manually.

Seriously - sign up it makes a HUGE difference.