Tired Of Telemarketers? So Is The FCC

[virtualban]

My simple solution to this:
Mandate that all phone calls (which should be paid by the caller, never the receiver) have an extra fee paid to the one being called, for their time and attention. Small(ish) fee, but enough to negate direct benefits of telemarketing. Since they are paying for the wages of the callers, or the technology of the robot callers and so on, they may not mind, but, if the one receiving the call is paid, it will make them smile while pretending to listen and be interested.
Let's say for every 2 minutes of phone calls endured, one gets the equivalent of 1 minute of phone call in their credit or direct payment.
And some sort of exclusion list for family and friends.

 

[cats_Paw]

Old ppl making laws about something they dont even understand, much less use (internet).
What could possibly go wrong?

 

[itmoba]

Given that I'm fluent in Spanish and know Japanese and French, I always like to start talking in another language.
Telemarketer: Hello, is Mr. **** home? "Oui? Quoi? No home."

 

[uglyduckling81]

Now I wish somebody would stop junk snail mail. The resources wasted on paper, ink, manpower and time is ridiculous. Sometime I think it might be one huge conspiracy to cut down all the forest and stash them in landfills around the world.

I just take all the postage paid envelopes and, after stripping out any personal identifying info, stuff company A's envelope with the junk from Company B, and vice versa, and mail them back. If enough people did this the postage costs to receive someone elses junk mail would certainly make companies reduce, if not eliminate these mass mailings.

Holy next-level trolling, Batman!

Most days, I feel like it would be more efficient to install a paper shredder at the bottom of my mailbox and stash a recycling bin beneath that.

I have a trash can underneath my mailbox. Junk mail doesn't even make it into the house.

My wheelie bin is between my mailbox and my front door. All trash mail goes in on the way past.

 

[eriko]

With all this 'love' for telemarketers here today... you could do worse with a spare five mins, than visit a well-known video site, and search out 'Tom Mabe'.

'Tom' feels just as we do, but goes a little further than most...

Enjoy.

 

[littleleo]

The easiest way I have found to get rid of people call for money is to tell them you have been unemployed for over a year and are in desperate need of a job or money and hit them up for how to get money from them and tell them you have telemarketing experience and would work the 1st couple days for free and 1/2 pay for your probationary period just for a chance. They will hang-up on you and remove your number from the list to protect their own job. I've done it several times and all those calls asking for money have stopped.

 

[melanfred]

I am using a VOIP service, and part of the features of this services that it allows you to block any particular phone number, and "RESTRICTED" as well. I get very few calls from telemarketers. Also my iphone allows blocking of any caller, so once someone calls, you never need to hear from them again.

 

[Deleted member 217926]

It's really gotten so bad over the last few years that I screen all my calls especially on my land line. If I don't recognize the number it goes to the answering machine and if they don't leave a message they go on the call block list. Almost all of them are using spoofers so the calls look local as well. On the few occasions I do answer a spam call I generally ask them very nicely why they didn't get a respectable job. Like selling crack or pimping underage prostitutes. I'm sure that makes them put me on the "call this guy more" list but it is very satisfying at the time to hear their reactions

 

[turkey3_scratch]

It's really gotten so bad over the last few years that I screen all my calls especially on my land line. If I don't recognize the number it goes to the answering machine and if they don't leave a message they go on the call block list. Almost all of them are using spoofers so the calls look local as well. On the few occasions I do answer a spam call I generally ask them very nicely why they didn't get a respectable job. Like selling crack or pimping underage prostitutes. I'm sure that makes them put me on the "call this guy more" list but it is very satisfying at the time to hear their reactions

Can we hear some examples of their reactions? :lol:

 

[Deleted member 217926]

Try it a few times

 

[ceh4702]

Send the telemarketers to Jail for 50 years for one violation.

 

[ceh4702]

There should be a setup on your phone that forwards all unknown incoming calls to the FBI.

 

[RedJaron]

Now I wish somebody would stop junk snail mail. The resources wasted on paper, ink, manpower and time is ridiculous. Sometime I think it might be one huge conspiracy to cut down all the forest and stash them in landfills around the world.

I just take all the postage paid envelopes and, after stripping out any personal identifying info, stuff company A's envelope with the junk from Company B, and vice versa, and mail them back. If enough people did this the postage costs to receive someone elses junk mail would certainly make companies reduce, if not eliminate these mass mailings.

Holy next-level trolling, Batman!

Most days, I feel like it would be more efficient to install a paper shredder at the bottom of my mailbox and stash a recycling bin beneath that.

Does the Post Office charge the company for those return envelopes when they're used, or is it just a bulk flat fee each month? If the former, think of doing that as a way to get the USPS back in the black!

And I agree on the waste. I'm no tree hugger, but think of all the money wasted on those things that get tossed straight to the landfill.

 

[Turb0Yoda]

I like impersonating someone important....

 

[ex_bubblehead]

Now I wish somebody would stop junk snail mail. The resources wasted on paper, ink, manpower and time is ridiculous. Sometime I think it might be one huge conspiracy to cut down all the forest and stash them in landfills around the world.

I just take all the postage paid envelopes and, after stripping out any personal identifying info, stuff company A's envelope with the junk from Company B, and vice versa, and mail them back. If enough people did this the postage costs to receive someone elses junk mail would certainly make companies reduce, if not eliminate these mass mailings.

Holy next-level trolling, Batman!

Most days, I feel like it would be more efficient to install a paper shredder at the bottom of my mailbox and stash a recycling bin beneath that.

Does the Post Office charge the company for those return envelopes when they're used, or is it just a bulk flat fee each month? If the former, think of doing that as a way to get the USPS back in the black!

And I agree on the waste. I'm no tree hugger, but think of all the money wasted on those things that get tossed straight to the landfill.

The company is charged postage when the return envelope is used. If simply thrown away there is no cost to the company, other than the cost of printing.

 

[RedJaron]

The company is charged postage when the return envelope is used. If simply thrown away there is no cost to the company, other than the cost of printing.

Sweet, we've got a plan to get the USPS solvent again!

 

[Quixit]

I'm actually already using an app on my phone that sends telemarketers directly to voicemail, without even ringing (True Caller for Android). It works using a blacklist and you can block numbers manually as well. It works well enough most of the time and the behaviour is good enough to get most robocallers to give up phoning you. Most are programmed that if it goes directly to a recording to give up after 5 tries.

 

[synphul]

I have to agree, dnc lists seem to be making matters worse. It's almost as if they're using the do not call status as verification of a functional number. The local news in my area has been covering interest stories regarding this very thing the past week or so (likely with the holidays coming up). How even though people have submitted their number to the dnc list the amount of calls/telemarketing seems to be growing worse rather than improving.

Apparently these robocallers and others are fairly sophisticated and difficult to track down to assign blame.

I recall one clever device though a slight pain to use, it worked similar to an answering machine. Someone who had your number also had to have a pin code to get the call through to the phone. You could set the pin or change it as needed (though would have to update all your friends/family with the new pin code). Random callers who only had your number and no pin code would be dismissed by the machine before the call ever went through like having a secretary screening your calls. Not really useful for cell phones these days though unless someone developed a similar app or something.

Another option I suppose when an unwanted telemarketer calls, answer the phone and when they jump into their spiel simply ask them to 'please hold' and place the phone next to the stereo. I see it as an opportunity to have fun with them.

 

[h0llow]

I keep getting Spanish telemarketers, and twice I actually got someone in English. I asked politely to remove me off their list and I'm on the do not call registry. They didn't do so. They called me everyday at least 2-3 times. I pretty much used a voice changer and had it say "yo soy satan" on repeat. They slipped their main number to me and every time they call me, I play it. They hang up, then I call them at least 5 times and have that playing. After about a week of this going on, they finally stopped.

 

[fixxxer113]

I get calls every so often in the evening and it is really annoying. I'll pick-up and tell them not to call me I'm on the national do not call list, and they will tell me they are just dialing numbers randomly (BS). So I tell them well now you know, so note my number and don't call it again or I will file a notice against your company and request damages for harassment. That seems to end them calling again but it is still annoying having to do that, so now I just screen and it it isn't someone I want to talk to they get VM and are deleted right away.

I don't know where you live, but in Europe it's like this:

If you are registered in the world wide "do not call" list, the company is required to update it's own lists accordingly and not call you. Even if they call you by mistake and you mention it to them, they are again required to update their list.

Calling random numbers is equivalent to spamming and is illegal. If they indeed do that you should file a complaint.

 

[Urzu1000]

This is extremely unnecessary.

If you don't want to be called, add your number to the National Do Not Call list. If any calls slip through to you after 30 days, tell them to add you to their do not call list.

Saying "I'm on the national do not call list" is not the same as "put me on your do not call list". The wording is important.

It's also worth mentioning that the NDNCL is not a one time thing. You have to re-add your number after X amount of time, which I believe is yearly now.

 

[ex_bubblehead]

This is extremely unnecessary.

If you don't want to be called, add your number to the National Do Not Call list. If any calls slip through to you after 30 days, tell them to add you to their do not call list.

Saying "I'm on the national do not call list" is not the same as "put me on your do not call list". The wording is important.

It's also worth mentioning that the NDNCL is not a one time thing. You have to re-add your number after X amount of time, which I believe is yearly now.

1. There are many that pay no attention to DNC, those are the ones being discussed here.
2. Since they don't pay attention to the National/State DNC what makes you think that they even maintain an internal list?
3. Once you add your number/s to the DNC (at least in the US) it's permanent. The requirement to renew, which was once every 5 years, no longer exists. The numbers stay on the list until you remove them.

 

[itmoba]

One way to handle them is to record the call. In the state of New Jersey, it's illegal to do so without telling them first. Just to be on the safe-side, I'd tell that to them upfront. Then, you can tell them to remove you from their list. Make sure you get them to say that they'll do so. The next time they call (i.e., the company you have evidence against), you'll be allowed to sue their pants off because of the evidence. On account of the doctrine of "respondeat superior", their employer will be the ones who absorb the guilt and lawsuit. No judge or jury will give them mercy -- it's a fine way to both make money and cackle at their loss.

Also, if they call and say that, "this conversation may be monitored and/or recorded," you should explicitly ask them to do so and receive confirmation of their compliance. This way there's evidence on their side and your side. If they later go on to say that they didn't record something, then, that's lying and perjury (a felony, mind you). If they decide to tamper their evidence, then, that too is a felony. Poor them -- NOT!

 

[thx1138v2]

I always wanted to pick up the phone and try to sell the salesman something.

Just for grins on occasion I throw my Jehovah witness spiel at them.

 

[gangrel]

To the people talking about using apps and block lists...

Of course these work...AFTER you've gotten the call. But I've gotten the *exact* same "your computer has told us it's infected" call...same spiel, same *voice*...from multiple numbers. They do help *reduce* the calls, but they don't eliminate them.

On things like using a foreign language, or impersonating someone famous...might make you feel a tad better, but it's pointless. I've done that, but these days...it's a waste of my time.