Telemarketers

[KingofCamelot]

Ok, so this event that I'm about to rant on actually happened a month ago, but another phone call renewed my anger, and its still a good story.

Anyways, about a month ago the phone rings. I look at the caller id, Unkown Name, Uknown Number. Meh, whenever my friend calls it does that, so I always answer these calls.

So, I pick up the phone and say "Hello". A few seconds of silence and then I hear a heavy Indian accent say "Hello, is Mary there?". Mary is my mother, and she has told me about these people before, they are from some internet pharmacy and keep calling even when asked to stop. I try not to be a total ass to telemarketers(everyone has to make a living), so I politely answer "Shes not here at the moment." The lady on the other end then says something that I couldn't hear, so I ask her to repeat it. "And what is your good name?" I respond "Uh....David." She dives right in "Well, I am calling from BlahBlahBlah, we are an internet pharmacy..." Right at this point my phone beeps telling me someone else is trying to call. All I can think is, yes, now I don't have to listen to this women drone on and on.

So, I quickly say I have to go(I doubt she heard me, my phone cuts out a lot when someone else is calling) and hit the flash button to get the other line. I quickly say "Hello" and then I hear a heavy Indian accent say "Hello, is Mary there?" No, not deja vu, its someone from the same fvcking company calling. Two people from the same telemarketing company call within a minute of each other, one of them actually interrupting the other one. At this point all I can think is "W.T.F. don't they have any other numbers in their database?" Fed up at this point, and not wanting to go through the same conversation I had 30 seconds ago, I just hang up on the guy. I didn't even want to deal with it.

Yeah I know, $hitty rant, but I find the story funny.

Cliff Notes:
1. Get a call from internet pharmacy, politely don't hang up right away.
2. Another call starts to beep in, quickly say good bye and flash to other call, glad to get out of an awkward telemarketer call.
3. Switch to other call and I am quickly greeted with the same opening I heard just 30 seconds ago. Its another telemarketer calling from the same company, cutting in on his co-worker.
4. My patience is worn out and I hang up on telemarketer.

Before anyone says it, yes, we are on the National Do Not Call Registry, and my family has asked the company to stop calling, to no avail. They call atleast once a week, and I quickly hang up on them now when I hear that familiar Indian accent, asking the same line every time "Hello, is Mary there?"

 

[OulOat]

Ask for their contact information and them turn them in to the feds.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

tell them curry and cricket suck

 

[Contagious]

Next time they call you, stick the phone into a bucket of water. You'll electrocute the telemarketer.

I swear.

 

[PTCvette]

I you have asked them to stop, and they do not, that's harassment. Document everything. When they call, who you talk to, etc... I have no idea who you go to, but you can complain about that garbage.

 

[kwjake]

Fart on the phone.

 

[intogamer]

I just tell them to remove me from the calling list... problem solved

hello, we are conducting a suvery and your phone has been randomly selected
BS!!!

 

[Zee]

you should have made it a 3 way call, and then tell them whoever makes the best pitch will get the sale!

 

[DrPizza]

try this: "hang on a second... (make some random clicking noises)... Okay, I'm back. I have to inform you that I'm recording the rest of this conversation, okay? (don't wait for an answer). I just want evidence that I've told your company to never call me again. "

I haven't tried it in that situation, but it's worked successfully when I was being given a hard time about returning a product, and several times when cancelling services I didn't want any more.

 

[Insomniac]

Are you on the do not call list? I am and have been getting lots of calls from Indians trying to sell me long distance or satellite TV service lately. I have no idea how this all started but it's very annoying.

 

[LOFBenson]

Filing a Do-Not-Call Complaint

In addition to complaints alleging violations of the national do-not-call list, you may also file a complaint against a telemarketer who is calling for a commercial purpose (e.g., not charitable organizations) IF:

• The telemarketer calls before 8 AM or after 9 PM; OR
  The telemarketer leaves a message, but fails to leave a phone number that you can call to sign up for their company specific do-not-call list; OR
  You receive a telemarketing call from a company that you have previously requested not call you; OR
  The telemarketing firm fails to identify itself; OR
  You receive a pre-recorded commercial message from someone with whom you do not have an established business relationship and to whom you have not given permission to call you.

How to File a Complaint
You can file a complaint by e-mail donotcall@fcc.govtelephone 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice or 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) TTY, or mail. Your complaint should include:

name, address, and telephone number where you can be reached during the business day;
the telephone number involved with the complaint; and
as much specific information as possible, including the identity of the telemarketer or company contacting you, the date on which you placed your number on the national Do-Not-Call registry or made a company-specific do-not-call request, and the date(s) of any subsequent telemarketing call(s) from that telemarketer or company.

from: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/donotcall/

 

[Saga]

The last time I had a telemarketer call me, ironically, it was for my cell phone service. Not entirely sure what he was trying to sell me though because I just flatly said, "Hi. I'm sorry, I thought you were my boss. I'm having sex right now so this is a pretty bad time, call me back tomorrow". Needless to say he laughed, said, "Oh! I'm sorry sir, you enjoy yourself", and hung up.

They never called back.

 

[DVad3r]

That's common, I used to work for a telemarketting firm. We had a limited database of numbers that we would call throughout the day, usually all in a similar zip code. We would call, if no one answered, the # would be thrown back into the database. At the end of the day, when the quota was almost met, 20 ppl were calling the same 5-10 #'s that were left in the database...at this point in time those ppl were getting massacared by calls. You can't do sh!t about it either cause we called ppl all over the states from Toronto.

 

[habib89]

last time a telemarketer called me, we talked for about an hour, and i got her number... i called back a couple days later, she was busy, i didn't call back again

 

[marvdmartian]

You should have put them on 3 way calling with you and each other. Then ask them why you're getting a call from two of them, when you've told them you don't want calls from any of them?? I'm sure the silence would've been deafening!

What's fun is, even if you haven't gotten a call from them in the past, act all indignant, and tell them you're getting really fed up with their calls, since you told them to take you off their call list. Mention the FCC a couple times, and a "do not call" list. Believe me, you'll get taken off their list so fast, their heads will spin!! :laugh:

 

[Boxxcar]

Andy Rooney from 60 Minutes discussed this once. He suggests telling the telemarketer to hold on for one second. Don't hang up, just put the phone down on the table and walk away. Leave the caller sitting and waiting for you to come back on. They will soon become frustrated and hang up on you. When they do, you'll eventually hear the familiar beep beep beep tone, in which you can then hang up your phone. This seems pretty boring, but telemarketers have quotas and when they sit on hold waiting for you to return, digs into their quota. Low quotas and the boss jumps on their case.

 

[quakefiend420]

Originally posted by: Boxxcar
Andy Rooney from 60 Minutes discussed this once. He suggests telling the telemarketer to hold on for one second. Don't hang up, just put the phone down on the table and walk away. Leave the caller sitting and waiting for you to come back on. They will soon become frustrated and hang up on you. When they do, you'll eventually hear the familiar beep beep beep tone, in which you can then hang up your phone. This seems pretty boring, but telemarketers have quotas and when they sit on hold waiting for you to return, digs into their quota. Low quotas and the boss jumps on their case.

the problem isn't with the telemarketers, they're just trying to make a living

it's the company they work for...good job jackass, you just got someone in trouble who is trying to feed their kids :roll:

 

[DVad3r]

Yup, telemarketters don't care about their jobs, 90 % of them don't anyways. I couldnt care less about meeting my quota, I was just there to relax, talk to people beside me, and chop some HS girls It's the supervisors and stuff that do the real damage, those are the guys you need to give sh!t to. I was soo lazy and unproductive when I worked at my firm I once averaged 32 phone calls in a 6 hour shift, and zero surveys. I got fired from the firm because I was talking to a friend on the phone when I was supposed to be doing surveys and the supervisors was listening in on me, I guess he did not like the part about me saying how much this job suxorzzz lol.

 

[Boxxcar]

Originally posted by: quakefiend420

Originally posted by: Boxxcar
Andy Rooney from 60 Minutes discussed this once. He suggests telling the telemarketer to hold on for one second. Don't hang up, just put the phone down on the table and walk away. Leave the caller sitting and waiting for you to come back on. They will soon become frustrated and hang up on you. When they do, you'll eventually hear the familiar beep beep beep tone, in which you can then hang up your phone. This seems pretty boring, but telemarketers have quotas and when they sit on hold waiting for you to return, digs into their quota. Low quotas and the boss jumps on their case.

the problem isn't with the telemarketers, they're just trying to make a living

it's the company they work for...good job jackass, you just got someone in trouble who is trying to feed their kids :roll:

 

[Boxxcar]

Originally posted by: Boxxcar

Originally posted by: quakefiend420

Originally posted by: Boxxcar
Andy Rooney from 60 Minutes discussed this once. He suggests telling the telemarketer to hold on for one second. Don't hang up, just put the phone down on the table and walk away. Leave the caller sitting and waiting for you to come back on. They will soon become frustrated and hang up on you. When they do, you'll eventually hear the familiar beep beep beep tone, in which you can then hang up your phone. This seems pretty boring, but telemarketers have quotas and when they sit on hold waiting for you to return, digs into their quota. Low quotas and the boss jumps on their case.

the problem isn't with the telemarketers, they're just trying to make a living

it's the company they work for...good job jackass, you just got someone in trouble who is trying to feed their kids :roll:

You know, you're absolutely right. It is the company that they work for. But I cannot imagine anyone waking up in the morning and shouting outloud that they want to be a telemarketer! No one twisted their arm to take such a lousey job. Face it, telemarketers are the only people who will always receive the bulk of crap from people who unsuspectingly answer the phone. If you knew a telemarketer was calling you before you answer the phone, would you still answer it? Hell no! Why do you think the powers that be created the opt-out list so we are not inundated with phone calls selling something we don't need or asking what kind of fruit we ate yesterday!

And you think I'm the jackass. Have you looked in a mirror lately? It's people like you who answer the phone and say I'll take a dozen. Get a life!