Buh bye telemarketers!

[vi edit]

Just had the phone company put a privacy system on my phone line. If caller ID detects an out of area or unrecognized phone number, it says "This number does not accept solicitations. Please remove this number from your calling list and do not call back. If you are not soliciting, please press 1." If they press one, it will then ring through to my house. Talked to a couple people in my area and they said that they haven't got but maybe one or two telemarketers since they installed it.

Well worth the $3 a month I think 🙂

 

[GoingUp]

Wisconsin has the anti telemarketer list 😉 and we also have the Telezapper.... almost no calls 😀

 

[mpitts]

I am in Atlanta and I have been using Bellsouth Privacy Director. Same thing. I have had it for the past 18 months and it is awesome.

Although I do miss messing with the telemarketers at times. 😀

 

[Kaervak]

Originally posted by: Gobadgrs
Wisconsin has the anti telemarketer list 😉

Ohio really needs to get this going. I'm bloody tired of dealing with credit card companies.

 

[cjchaps]

Isn't it funny how the telephone company sells your number to companies, and then you pay them to make it so those companies can't call you?

 

[rudder]

I haven't had a sales call in nearly 2 years since I signed on for Tennessee's do not call list. Its a good thing cause sometimes when my mom calls from her cell phone, the caller ID does not display and it shows as unavailable.

 

[vi edit]

My telephone company pays me actually 🙂

We get dividends back. I'll be getting $125 back this year. The nice thing is that even before the dividends, my small co-op still charges less than what one of the Baby Bell's charge on a monthly basis.

 

[Blieb]

I like to talk to them.

I answer once in a while and just say crazy things, or tell them how great my offers already are. Waste THEIR dime 🙂 ... or I just don't answer since I'm always using my cell instead.

One time I was trying to tell this lady that I get 2.5 c long distance with MCI ... and she kept saying, well, our 10 cent plan doesn't have any hidden charges. I was like, LADY, DON'T YOU FVCKING GET IT!?!?!? 2.5 IS WAYYY LESS THAN 10. "but sir" ... I was so frumped ... even my joke didn't work!

 

[vi edit]

I hate having the phone ring in my home. I have to answer the phone all day at work. When I come home, and here the phone ring, it better damn well be important.

 

[wyvrn]

I just say "Please put me on your do not call list" and don't spend a dime. It works 99% of the time, we have significantly reduced sales calls to the house. What pisses me off are people that call my cell phone repeatedly and hang up once they know it's a working number. I would like to see some legislation banning the random dialing of numbers by computers just to see if they are active lines, that's damn annoying!

 

[gump47371]

Originally posted by: Kaervak

Originally posted by: Gobadgrs
Wisconsin has the anti telemarketer list 😉

Ohio really needs to get this going. I'm bloody tired of dealing with credit card companies.

Gobadgrs,

Say goodbye to this law that Indiana also has if the Feds get what they want. They are trying to pass a bill that will make all the state laws like this useless, and every state will follow the federal law.

*EDIT* Oh, and BTW, as you can probably figure, the Feds bill is MUCH more lenient than the state bills.

 

[Hoober]

I love Colorado's no telemarketing call list. Just put your number on there, wait a few months, and they can't call you again.

 

[Mill]

I have a telezapper but the ones who get through usually get the Roy D. Mercer from me.

 

[CurtCold]

I like messing with them too much to not have them call once in a while, even though I rarely answer calls at home, unless it's someone I know.

Last telemarketer called wanting to talk to me, I told them I was my son, and that "my dad was in prison, and would be gone for 10+ years. The other one I really like is telling them that "my dad passed away 2weeks ago, and I would really appreciate them not calling here again for him, because it hurts me soooo bad." I then start to sob, and carry on, which usually freaks them, out they say there sorry about 10 times, and I tell them not to call back. I love that one.....

 

[reitz]

I've had a similar service through Verizon for almost a year now. I pay $5/mo, and every caller who doesn't show up in caller ID gets a recorded message. If they still wish to speak to me, they leave a message, and wait on hold while my phone rings and the message is played.

It works wonders. I used to receive 5 to 10 telemarketer calls each week; in the 10 months since I ordered the service, I've had 2.

 

[Chadder007]

Originally posted by: cjchaps
Isn't it funny how the telephone company sells your number to companies, and then you pay them to make it so those companies can't call you?

!!!!.....I think im about to sue someone.... 😀

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: CurtCold
I like messing with them too much to not have them call once in a while, even though I rarely answer calls at home, unless it's someone I know.

Last telemarketer called wanting to talk to me, I told them I was my son, and that "my dad was in prison, and would be gone for 10+ years. The other one I really like is telling them that "my dad passed away 2weeks ago, and I would really appreciate them not calling here again for him, because it hurts me soooo bad." I then start to sob, and carry on, which usually freaks them, out they say there sorry about 10 times, and I tell them not to call back. I love that one.....

Heh. We had the Globe & Mail calling my house looking for one guy; wondering if he wanted to renew his subscription. I finally just got fed up:

"Look, (name) is DEAD, okay? He's (censored) DEAD! And all you arrogant (string of expletives demeaning to heritage) can think about is your (censored) NEWSPAPER? (censored) you, you (implications regarding inter-species bloodline)!"

They haven't called back since. 😀

- M4H

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: Gobadgrs
Wisconsin has the anti telemarketer list 😉 and we also have the Telezapper.... almost no calls 😀

PSA for everyone who doesn't have the telezapper:

You can home-brew one of these by downloading the three-tone "this number not in service" signal, editing out all but the first "beeep" and playing that beep at the beginning of your outgoing message before whatever it is you chose to say. This tone tells autodialers that your number's not in service and will remove that number from the list. Should eventually cut down on your telemarketing calls.

sit.wav is the three-tone beep you'll need.

Use MS sound recorder (should be in your start>accessories>entertainment folder) to edit out the last two tones.

 

[kherman]

Originally posted by: vi_edit
Just had the phone company put a privacy system on my phone line. If caller ID detects an out of area or unrecognized phone number, it says "This number does not accept solicitations. Please remove this number from your calling list and do not call back. If you are not soliciting, please press 1." If they press one, it will then ring through to my house. Talked to a couple people in my area and they said that they haven't got but maybe one or two telemarketers since they installed it.

Well worth the $3 a month I think 🙂

You do realize that you can get your phone number put on a no call list, right?? And if you do so and still receive calls, you can get $500 from the calling telemarketer. I put my name/number on the list and havn't gotten a call i, welll atleast 6 months.

 

[vash]

These telemarketers and phone companies are in bed with each other. Seriously, they sell us the anti blocking and then the telco will sell the anti-anti-blocking ability. Telco's are making mucho bucks on the both of us.

I now answer the phone in Japanese (I'm not great at speaking it). Once they hear me speak it for a few seconds, then I hang up, they don't call back.

vash

 

[vi edit]

The only reason I have a phone line is because I get my DSL through it. It's a lesser of two evils really. I'd rather pay my local co-op for service than a cable company.

And what I really dislike is having to pay to NOT have my name published in the phone book.

 

[Mani]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: CurtCold
I like messing with them too much to not have them call once in a while, even though I rarely answer calls at home, unless it's someone I know.

Last telemarketer called wanting to talk to me, I told them I was my son, and that "my dad was in prison, and would be gone for 10+ years. The other one I really like is telling them that "my dad passed away 2weeks ago, and I would really appreciate them not calling here again for him, because it hurts me soooo bad." I then start to sob, and carry on, which usually freaks them, out they say there sorry about 10 times, and I tell them not to call back. I love that one.....

Heh. We had the Globe & Mail calling my house looking for one guy; wondering if he wanted to renew his subscription. I finally just got fed up:

"Look, (name) is DEAD, okay? He's (censored) DEAD! And all you arrogant (string of expletives demeaning to heritage) can think about is your (censored) NEWSPAPER? (censored) you, you (implications regarding inter-species bloodline)!"

They haven't called back since. 😀

- M4H

lol

 

[Platypus]

Originally posted by: Gobadgrs
Wisconsin has the anti telemarketer list 😉 and we also have the Telezapper.... almost no calls 😀

The Special Information Tone (SIT) that the device emits is basically like a phreak box from the old days of phone phreaking. It just emits the SIT tone (when you dial a wrong number that sound that plays) before the phone actually rings. This is good and bad, because when autodialers hear that sound, they place your number in the unused number list, but if someone calls you collect, or from a payphone, or even long distance, the noise could detract the calls from even getting to you. The best policy is to record the sound onto the very intro of your voice mail or answering machine, this way you still get calls you want, but block those autodialers.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: CorporateRecreation

Originally posted by: Gobadgrs
Wisconsin has the anti telemarketer list 😉 and we also have the Telezapper.... almost no calls 😀

The Special Information Tone (SIT) that the device emits is basically like a phreak box from the old days of phone phreaking. It just emits the SIT tone (when you dial a wrong number that sound that plays) before the phone actually rings. This is good and bad, because when autodialers hear that sound, they place your number in the unused number list, but if someone calls you collect, or from a payphone, or even long distance, the noise could detract the calls from even getting to you. The best policy is to record the sound onto the very intro of your voice mail or answering machine, this way you still get calls you want, but block those autodialers.

Details on how to do this in my earlier post for those of you too lazy to read the whole thread. 😉

 

[BatmanNate]

Originally posted by: Fausto1

Originally posted by: CorporateRecreation

Originally posted by: Gobadgrs
Wisconsin has the anti telemarketer list 😉 and we also have the Telezapper.... almost no calls 😀

The Special Information Tone (SIT) that the device emits is basically like a phreak box from the old days of phone phreaking. It just emits the SIT tone (when you dial a wrong number that sound that plays) before the phone actually rings. This is good and bad, because when autodialers hear that sound, they place your number in the unused number list, but if someone calls you collect, or from a payphone, or even long distance, the noise could detract the calls from even getting to you. The best policy is to record the sound onto the very intro of your voice mail or answering machine, this way you still get calls you want, but block those autodialers.

Details on how to do this in my earlier post for those of you too lazy to read the whole thread. 😉

But won't this only work if you don't answer the phone before that machine picks up? Is there any way to implement this before the phone rings?