Responding to telemarketers (1 Viewer)

[kow_dude]

I've recently started to receive numerous calls from telemarketers telling me that i have an opportunity to win a holiday and then asking me personal questions such as where i live and whether or not i am married. I usually do my best to reject their offer and politely tell them that i am not interested, but they never seem to accept 'no' as an answer. But now i just hang them up instantly when i receive such calls from telemarketers. What is a nice way of telling them to f*** off?

Thanks

 

[volition]

They'd appreciate it more if you just hung up straight away.

But if you want to have more fun (and you've got time), take them for a ride, give them false answers and just generally be difficult at every stage of the process.

 

[^CoSMic DoRiS^^]

i did that once until i got bored, the poor lady must have been a bit confused that i apparently really really wanted her fantastic offer and then just suddenly went 'k, whatever, bye' *clunk*

 

[ur_inner_child]

Annoying. I'm renting and stuff, and telemarketers will ask me about changing phone plans etc, after a few "no I'm not interested", I finally say "I'm don't get to decide on whether I want to change phone plans, I only rent here, and the owner isn't here, sorry" and they still try to sell me shit.

They'd appreciate it more if you just hung up straight away.

I use to be a telemarketer and this is true.

EDIT: (I didn't call households. I called big name companies )

 

[Optophobia]

They'd appreciate it more if you just hung up straight away.

Oh really?

Well then that means i'm just going to have to not hang up in the future, doesn't it?

Every single telemarketer, (i don't care who they are, where they are from or what they are selling or promoting) can die as far as I’m concerned.

Lately I’ve been getting this Indian guy ringing up saying "congratulation! you have won a DE VE DEE Player".. so i go "great!! send it to my address!" and hang up. But strangely it never arrives.

There should be a law against all telemarketing. And to cover the transnational aspect of evading any Australian laws, it should be made mandatory for any person who receives a telemarketing call to be as rude as possible to the telemarketer. It should also be a crime to buy anything from telemarketers. That should take the incentive out of it for the marketers.

 

[dr baby beanie]

Pretend you don't speak English and start jabbering in tongues, they'll get the idea.

Or do like the add where the microwave beeps and say "this is the ___ and we're not here now, leave a msg"

But seriously, I just say thanks for calling/for your consideration, but I'm not interested. If they keep going I just say thanks again and make up something that I urgently have to do eg someone's at the door and I have to answer it.

 

[watatank]

Haha my mate's dad pretends he is interested in whatever they have to say, says "yeah yeah tell me all about it" and leaves, then he comes back (they are still talking about it) and says he has just wasted 5 minutes of their life and hangs up.

I usually say I'm not interested, or if all else fails, the owner of the house (ie my parents) arent home, are on holidays and wont be back for weeks. Even my dad says that when he answers them.

I thought that telemarketers are more inclined to call back when people hang up. Is this true? This is why I never hang up on them anyways...

 

[kate_is_me]

They'll usually ask for my parents, so I say, "just a second", and then loudly ask outloud "daaaad, are you expecting a call from so and so" and then I'll go back on the phone and say, "sorry, he's not home" and then hang up before they can respond *cackles*. Its so much fun trying to think of new ways to get rid of telemarketers.

 

[hipsta_jess]

I always just say "I'm not interested, sorry, bye" and they always take that ok. If its a lotto type thing, I say I'm under 18 and my parents aren't home, that way they're not allowed to talk to me.

 

[Scanorama]

What is a nice way of telling them to f*** off?

Thanks

Probably just be honest and open to them - Just tell them to f*** off, you will 100% sure they get the message.

 

[sophiaaah]

"sorry- that's against my religion" - and then hang up.
regardless of what the offer is. mortgage or holidays, whatever. i find it effective.

 

[absent]

I don't think there is any need to be rude, these people are just trying to make money. You don't know why they chose this field, don't judge. A simple "I'm not interested but thanks for the call" would suffice, but then again I'm sure you small minded, sadistic children would prefer to torment someone who is simply performing a job, which they are instructed to do a certain way, in order to pay rent/mortgages, put food on the table and pay to keep their electricity on.

But most of you wouldn't understand that, seeing as you still live at home with mum and dad, and your only concern is where you are going to get your next mobile phone credit from. Or do they pay for that too?

 

[mr_brightside]

private number is the win.

 

[aussiechica7]

you can't wait for them to draw breath b/c they won't. just say "sorry not interested, thank u" in a calm polite voice as you hang up the phone without giving them the chance 2 respond

 

[iamsickofyear12]

There is always a delay from when I answer the phone to when they speak so I know when they call and hang up before they get a chance to say anything. The only problem with that is if someone else calls my house and doesn't talk quick enough I hang up on them. It's happened a couple times before but usually they just call back.

I get more calls from telemarketers and people hanging up than calls from people I actually want to hear from. If it was up to me I'd get rid of the phone all together.

 

[volition]

I don't think there is any need to be rude, these people are just trying to make money. You don't know why they chose this field, don't judge. A simple "I'm not interested but thanks for the call" would suffice, but then again I'm sure you small minded, sadistic children would prefer to torment someone who is simply performing a job, which they are instructed to do a certain way, in order to pay rent/mortgages, put food on the table and pay to keep their electricity on.

But most of you wouldn't understand that, seeing as you still live at home with mum and dad, and your only concern is where you are going to get your next mobile phone credit from. Or do they pay for that too?

I don't agree, the fact that they do it for a living does not mean it is an acceptable practice, in much the same way that being a hitman does not justify murdering people.

I think it's wrong to go around cold-calling people and bothering them (mainly because telemarketers invade people's privacy in a very intrusive manner), and that you shouldn't support this kind of business/industry by working for them.

You're letting them hide behind this frame we have of "they're just doing what they're being told to do", but if somebody told you to steal, would you?

 

[absent]

I don't really think you can rationally draw comparisons between hit men and telemarketers, or those who steal. For example TELEMARKETING IS NOT ILLEGAL. And here's a thought for you- how many of you (or your parents/partners, etc) have entered free guessing competitions at shopping centres, the royal easter show and other similar situations? Because if you have, you have invited these calls as this is how most companies now gather their leads, and if you bothered to ask before entering, you would have been told this.

 

[volition]

I don't really think you can rationally draw comparisons between hit men and telemarketers, or those who steal. For example TELEMARKETING IS NOT ILLEGAL. And here's a thought for you- how many of you (or your parents/partners, etc) have entered free guessing competitions at shopping centres, the royal easter show and other similar situations? Because if you have, you have invited these calls as this is how most companies now gather their leads, and if you bothered to ask before entering, you would have been told this.

First of all, legality does not line up perfectly with morality. The point I was trying to make by drawing the comparison between the hitman and the telemarketer is the way that both are doing the wrong thing as their occupation.

Anyway, to use your reasoning, if we were all completely justified in doing something because "it isn't illegal", why can't you annoy telemarketers over the phone?

 

[Optophobia]

You can go to this URL to unsubscribe:
http://www.adma.com.au/asp/index.asp?pgid=1999

I did it a few weeks ago, and it has cut out all telemarketers except the indian ones, but even they aren't calling as much any more.

And if people try the home number thing I say "Oh [yet] another genius that's seen seinfeld [and hates fucking telemarketers with all their heart and soul, but being a stupid telemarketer im too stupid to realise this so i continue making calls that are ultimately a waste of time], wow, you're so witty!"

 

[Libbster]

one time we had this indian fucktard ring our house back about 5 times cos dad kept hanging up on him. first call he was like "good evening sir i have very special deal just for you...." dad says we're not interested and hangs up. 2 secs later the phone rings "but please sir, very special just for you"....... "sorry mate, we're not interested." 5 secs later "sir, this package is very great deal" so dad just hung up. the phone started ringing but we didn't answer it. it stopped and then about 1 min later it rang again, so i got out my trusty basketball whistle. he didn't ring again after that hehe :rofl: