View Full Version : Telemarketers!
Christopha
5th May 2005, 05:51 PM
(Inspired by Iains' 'hates')
Ok, these telemarketing mongrels are forever ringing at the most inconvenient times, I really HATES the barstewards and nowadays I mostly just hit the hangup button without evn speaking. Sometimes this leaves me feeling inadequately "raged" (?) so I thought I would like my fellow forumites to share their strategies for dealing with these revolting prats!
HELP ME SHARE THE RAGE!!!!
Driver
5th May 2005, 05:58 PM
My two tactics:-
1. Say, loudly: "Quick, give me your number, I'll call you right back! Quick, what is it? Give me your number - I'll call you right back!"
Make sure you say all this in a very urgent tone of voice. This usually makes them hang up.
2. Say - again, loudly: "How did you get this number? This is a silent number! How did you get it? I want to know so I can complain to your organisation and to Telstra!"
This tends to make them hang up, too.
Try both of them - they work.
journeyman Mick
5th May 2005, 06:18 PM
I tell them that it costs $40 per half hour or part thereof for them to talk to me. They can send me a cheque and then call to arrrange an appointment, this usually gets rid of them. :p
Mick
Daddles
5th May 2005, 06:29 PM
A little old lady on the radio one day advised that you tell them you want to find a pen, put the phone down ... and come back half an hour later. Apparently not many are still on the line then. She sounded like someone's Gran too.
Cheers
Richard
flea1607
5th May 2005, 07:05 PM
I like your idea Mick might have to try it. :D
echnidna
5th May 2005, 07:05 PM
I used to tell them that it has to go to a board meeting so will they please email all the details to me. They all say yes but no-one has ever asked for the email address.
But after reading Richards post I'm going to look for a pen in the future.
ptc
5th May 2005, 08:02 PM
do not say any thing just start dialing a number. it plays hell with their
computer.
gnu52
5th May 2005, 08:33 PM
The only thing worse than getting a telemarketing call would be making the thing. So lets call the whole idea off and everybody can be happy.
Failing that I think the woman in the TV ad has it down pat, tell them you are a recording and hit the microwave timer button.
Babytoolman
5th May 2005, 08:35 PM
A whistle blown reasonably gently usually gets you put on the do not call this number list.....
I dont seem to get them anymore.
Gingermick
5th May 2005, 08:48 PM
Ask them if they can supply you with some illegal drugs or firearms. Or if they know of a good, cheap hitman.
John Saxton
5th May 2005, 09:34 PM
I tell 'em to to get digitally compromised.
or
get stuffed :D :eek:
Wayne Davy
5th May 2005, 09:45 PM
I have tended to go with Driver's No. 2 response and it has seemed to slowed down the flow. They do hang up quickly as well.
I really hate it that most of them ring during Dinner.
Harry72
6th May 2005, 12:50 AM
He he he...
"Hello Fat pizza their big and their cheezy"(in Bobos voice)
What ****** size do you want...
Works every time!
brucen
6th May 2005, 01:05 AM
I am inclined to get one of those air horn things - one blast should do it. We are currently getting hassled by some gits in India and all bloody hours. In general though, I just don't answer the phone if the calling number comes up with Private...
Cheers
Bruce
Iain
6th May 2005, 09:07 AM
A while ago someone posted this link:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~egbg/counterscript.html
vsquizz
6th May 2005, 09:43 AM
I try and be a civil as possible but repeated calls cause me to vote with my feet. Quite simply Optus have blown it totally. I'll never ever use their product. If everyone of the 92% of the population who feels telemarketing is an invaision of privacy voted with their feet (and told them so) we might be able to erradicate this form of marketing.
Its the companies not the person on the end of the phone. Can someone get the GM of Optus home phone number so I can ring him at dinner time four nights in a row!.
Cheers
Christopha
6th May 2005, 10:43 AM
Can someone get the GM of Optus home phone number so I can ring him at dinner time four nights in a row!.
Cheers
I did have it but he seems to have changed to Telstrasmart
Gumby
6th May 2005, 10:49 AM
The people making the calls are only trying to earn a quid like the rest of us. I'm not rude to them However, I've got a display phone so if the incoming number shows as 'overseas', I just answer and hang up straight away. I don't want to talk to somebody in India ! If they have a silent number (which they usually do) it displays as **** on the phone so I quite often don't bother to answer it or at least I'm prepared to reject them (politely).
silentC
6th May 2005, 11:19 AM
I put the 3 year old on the phone. He loves talking to them.
Not telemarketing but I had a good 'discussion' with an Austar hinderance desk person the other night. We paid for a movie on Box Office (Austar/Foxtel digital) and sat down to watch it. Five minutes into the film, the screen goes black. We waited a few minutes and nothing happened, so I rang the help desk.
On hold for 15 minutes and this girl comes on. I said "We were watching a Box Office movie and the screen went black, so can you refund the charge and we'll watch it another night."
"Sorry, I can't do that. I'll reset it for you and you'll be able to continue watching."
"Oh, so it will start from where we left off?"
"Umm, no unfortunately it wont. It will start from where it's up to now."
"But I've been on hold for 15 minutes, we're 20 minutes into the film."
"Oh, well, you have the movie paid for up until 6:00am tomorrow. You can watch the next session."
"What, you want me to sit up until 10:30 waiting for the next session? I don't think so, can you just refund the charge."
"I can't do that. You have the movie until 6:00am so you can watch the next session."
"I'm not sitting up until after midnight to watch the movie, nor am I getting up at 4:00am so I can watch it before 6:00am. Would you agree to that if you were me?"
"I'm sorry, but I can't give you a refund."
"Well who can?"
"Umm, maybe a supervisor."
"Better go and get one then. (To SWMBO) She says she can't refund it."
"Well I can't."
"I thought you were going to get a supervisor?"
Music.
Couple of minutes later: "Hello, sorry for keeping you. My supervisor is busy on another call but she says I can refund the charge on this ocassion."
"Thank you. That's a good idea. Makes everyone happy and saves me having to yell down the phone at you."
"I've refunded it. Thank you for calling Austar. Click...."
brucen
6th May 2005, 11:23 AM
I put the 3 year old on the phone. He loves talking to them.
LOL! I like this idea - my son will love this, he's 4 1/2 and I suspect they will get to know all about Thomas the Tank Engine!
Cheers
Bruce
Iain
6th May 2005, 11:30 AM
LOL! I like this idea - my son will love this, he's 4 1/2 and I suspect they will get to know all about Thomas the Tank Engine!
Cheers
Bruce
I have some bad news for him, I just found out that the voice is Ringo Starr and Thomas can't talk at all ;)
Driver
6th May 2005, 11:42 AM
Quite a few years ago when I lived and worked in the Middle East, there was a bloke from the company's head office in England who developed a habit of calling me at home around 7.30 pm (local time) on a Friday.
After he had done this several times, I pointed out to him that Friday was my day off and 7.30 pm was tea-time. He was totally unapologetic. His reason for calling me at that time was because he was just leaving work at 4.30 pm in England and - because he knew I would be working on Saturday and Sunday - he was passing on information so that I could do something with it before Monday when he would be back at work.
No drama. I got his home number from the switchboard operator at head office and at around 7.30 pm on the following three Sundays I rang him and passed on some important information that he could take with him to work on Monday morning.
His outraged response to this intrusion into his peaceful Sunday evenings still gives me a nice warm glow - even after 20-plus years! :D
Col
silentC
6th May 2005, 01:12 PM
I was working on a project at AMP about 5 years ago. The project was a joint venture between AMP and Anderson Consulting. If anybody knows about AC (now Accenture) then they will understand that some of the AC people can be a bit enthusiastic.
I was playing a gig one Saturday afternoon at the Mortdale RSL club in Sydney. We had just finished the first number when one of the club managers comes running up the middle of the auditorium calling out my name. "There's an urgent call for you".
I fly into a panic, thinking that it must be something bad with the baby because the only person who knew I was there was SWMBO and she wouldn't be ringing to ask what I wanted for tea tomorrow night. I get to the phone and it's this guy from AC. They're testing one of our components and they're getting an error, can I help them out? After I finish telling him what I think of him I go back to the stage to a round of applause. Most embarassing.
When I got home I asked SWMBO why she gave them the number. He had told her that it was a critical problem in the software and it had to be resolved immediately, he wouldn't take no for an answer and implied that I would be in the ***** if I didn't fix it today. I gave him a royal serve on Monday and told them never to ring me at home again. I also refused to go to any of his meetings from that point on.
brucen
6th May 2005, 02:14 PM
I put the 3 year old on the phone. He loves talking to them.
It worked! Just received a call from Overseas and put my son on. He chatted about Thomas and they hung up - ha ha bloody ha!! I am using this one every time!
fxst
6th May 2005, 02:50 PM
Failing that I think the woman in the TV ad has it down pat, tell them you are a recording and hit the microwave timer button.
but she answers first and when the telemarketer starts she says shes a recording......even telemaketer operators are not that stupid................are they?? :D :D
Pete
Christopha
28th May 2005, 07:58 PM
==============
Andy Rooney's tips for telemarketers
Three Little Words That Work !!
(1) The three little words are: "Hold On, Please..."
Saying this, while putting down your phone and walking off (instead of
hanging-up immediately) would make each telemarketing call so much more
time-consuming that boiler room sales would grind to a halt.
Then when you eventually hear the phone company's "beep-beep-beep" tone, you
know it's time to go back and hang up your handset, which has efficiently
completed its task.
These three little words will help eliminate telephone soliciting.
(2) Do you ever get those annoying phone calls with no one on the other end?
This is a telemarketing technique where a machine makes phone calls and
records the time of day when a person answers the phone.
This technique is used to determine the best time of day for a "real" sales
person to call back and get someone at home.
What you can do after answering, if you notice there is no one there, is to
immediately start hitting your # button on the phone, 6 or 7 times, as
quickly as possible. This confuses the machine that dialed the call and it
kicks your number out of their system. Gosh, what a shame not to have your
name in their system any longer !!!
(3) Junk Mail Help:
When you get "ads" enclosed with your phone or utility bill, return these
"ads" with your payment. Let the sending companies throw their own junk mail
away.
When you get those "pre-approved" letters in the mail for everything from
credit cards to 2nd mortgages and similar type junk, do not throw away the
return envelope.
Most of these come with postage-paid return envelopes, right? It costs them
more than the regular 37 cents postage "IF" and when they receive them back.
It costs them nothing if you throw them away! The postage was around 50
cents before the last increase and it is according to the weight. In that
case, why not get rid of some of your other junk mail and put it in these
cool little, postage-paid return envelopes.
One of Andy Rooney's (60 minutes) ideas.
Send an ad for your local chimney cleaner to American Express. Send a pizza
coupon to Citibank. If you didn't get anything else that day, then just send
them their blank application back!
If you want to remain anonymous, just make sure your name isn't on anything
you send them.
You can even send the envelope back empty if you want to just to keep them
guessing! It still costs them 37 cents! The banks and credit card companies
are currently getting a lot of their own junk back in the mail, but folks,
we need to OVERWHELM them. Let's let them know what it's like to get lots of
junk mail, and best of all they're paying for it...Twice!
Let's help keep our postal service busy since they are saying that e-mail is
cutting into their business profits, and that's why they need to increase
postage costs again. You get the idea!
If enough people follow these tips, it will work----
I have been doing this for years, and I get very little junk mail anymore.
=============
ozwinner
28th May 2005, 08:16 PM
I love it, we get these calls at the shop. 6 to 10 times per day......:mad:
Very,very annoying.
The last one we got I waited before I said anything, there was this little Indian voice on the other end........"hello"............
"I want to speak to your supervisor" says me, patched through, "I dont want to receive any more of the crep calls, take me off your data base"....
"Why is that?"
"because these calls are annoying the crep out of me"
"Ill tell you what Ill do sir, Ill take you off our database"
"what a good idea".............................
Al :mad:
Sturdee
28th May 2005, 08:20 PM
==============
Most of these come with postage-paid return envelopes, right? It costs them
more than the regular 37 cents postage "IF" and when they receive them back.
It costs them nothing if you throw them away! The postage was around 50
cents before the last increase and it is according to the weight. In that
case, why not get rid of some of your other junk mail and put it in these
cool little, postage-paid return envelopes.
I have once returned the Readers Digest reply paid envelope back to them with a brick, duly wrapped up in a cardboard box, attached. I started my letter with the phrase " Apparently you lot are as thick as this brick ......"
Funny thing is I never got a reply or any further mail from them. :D
Peter.
ozwinner
28th May 2005, 08:28 PM
Peter I love it.....:D
No spare brick will be safe ever again......I can gaurantee it..
I once sent a slice of pizza to one of them, " please send envelope back" people.
I often wonder if they got it??
Al :D
Grunt
28th May 2005, 08:39 PM
Thanks Christopha, just brilliant. I'd give you a greenie if I could. How about I let Al give you a kiss?
kiwigeo
28th May 2005, 10:50 PM
I have once returned the Readers Digest reply paid envelope back to them with a brick, duly wrapped up in a cardboard box, attached. I started my letter with the phrase " Apparently you lot are as thick as this brick ......"
Funny thing is I never got a reply or any further mail from them. :D
Peter.
ROFL......the postage must have cost you a swag. You must have also got some weird looks from the counter staff at your local post office.
kiwigeo
28th May 2005, 10:56 PM
SWMBO used to be fairly tolerant towards telemarketers untill the day she was sitting outside in the sun waiting for an important phonecall. The phone eventually rang...she rushed inside to answer it.....ran straight into the fly screen shed forgotten was closed....finally got to the phone..and found a telemarketer on the other end of the line. Its the only time Ive actually felt sorry for a telemarketer.
Nowadays I have to put the boss on a leash around dinner time and on saturday mornings when the JW's are out.
Sturdee
28th May 2005, 10:58 PM
ROFL......the postage must have cost you a swag. You must have also got some weird looks from the counter staff at your local post office.
Cost me nothing as I used their reply paid envelope. :p Don't know what it cost them but can't have been cheap.
Told the post office guy that they sent me the wrong goods and I marked the package " Care fragile goods", no problems with it at all. :D
Peter.
kiwigeo
28th May 2005, 10:59 PM
LOL! I like this idea - my son will love this, he's 4 1/2 and I suspect they will get to know all about Thomas the Tank Engine!
Cheers
Bruce
And youll start wondering why youre suddenly getting s**t loads of stuff you never ordered
:D
kiwigeo
28th May 2005, 11:02 PM
......even telemaketer operators are not that stupid................are they?? :D :D
Pete
Anyone who cant understand the word "no" has a problem with basic english.
kiwigeo
28th May 2005, 11:05 PM
My weapon of choice for the really persistant telemarketers is my Dads old hockey referees whistle.
johnc
28th May 2005, 11:09 PM
Somebody put me on to the brick trick thirty years ago, so the fact that readers digest (yep same place) was getting bricks that far back shows there is not enough people doing it.
As for Optus and all others with cheap calls, I tell them that I am soooo happy with Telstra I'd gladly pay them three times the price. For goodness sake don't tell Telstra.
Putting them on hold forever works, but these days my secretary just asks them to mail in the info so it can be considered at our next meeting, which we might if anyone ever sends anything.
I think calls are dropping off, which may not be our tactics working. The message that as a country we have overdosed and no longer listen or change providers often enough to justify the call centres could be starting to bite.
JohnC
kiwigeo
28th May 2005, 11:12 PM
A while ago someone posted this link:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~egbg/counterscript.html
Think Ill try the Dutch version....should get them really confused.
journeyman Mick
29th May 2005, 12:23 AM
Just got a couple of new ones, to me anyway, you lucky people in the big smoke may have been getting them already :rolleyes: .
Picked up the phone earlier this week and got an electronic message:
"I'm sorry, this message was meant to be recieved by your answering machine"
? :eek: A computer wants to talk to my answering machine? :confused:
Today the phone rang while I was in the middle of spraying lacquer. I had to unplug the gun, remove my mask and then step around all the piles of stuff in the shed to get to the phone. I got a recording this time:
"congratulations, your name has been drawn as a potential winner of a (vehicle - can't remember brand), call now on 1902............., call cost of $4.00 applies"
So how do you combat a computer generated voice or an automated recording? I don't have a kid to put on the phone to babble about Thomas the Tank Engine and even if I did, I rather doubt this or leaving the phone off the hook will make an impact. Ideas anyone?
Mick
RETIRED
29th May 2005, 12:33 AM
"I'm sorry, this message was meant to be recieved by your answering machine"
? :eek: A computer wants to talk to my answering machine? :confused:
Mick
Had the same thing and was flabbergasted. Machines ARE taking over.
rodm
29th May 2005, 12:33 AM
Use an answering machine with the volume up so you can hear the message. Record a message along the lines of "Hi, I am here and listening and will answer your call if you aren't telemarketing"
Hopefully your clients won't be put off and you can decide if it is worth the dash to the phone.
Make sure you get an answering machine that you can hear while it records.
journeyman Mick
29th May 2005, 12:41 AM
Rod,
don't have an answering machine and don't intend to get one. My mobile is on 24/7 (fire brigade contact) and I only give my mobile number out to clients, just wondering why on earth a computer wants to talk to my (non-existent) answering machine? :confused:
Mick
rodm
29th May 2005, 12:59 AM
Ooops forgot about mobile phones - I store mine in a bucket of water. :D
Not far from the truth actually as once I bent over to fill the dogs water and it did a two and half backfilp out of my shirt pocket. :(
I have no idea why a computer would call except that it is cheaper to buy a computer than employ somebody.
By the way I tried the "can I have you billing address" suggestion the other night and it worked. The phone went silent for about a minute and then they hung up. First time I have had a telemarketer hang up on me. :D
Iain
29th May 2005, 09:46 AM
My answering machine is antisocial :rolleyes:
ozwinner
29th May 2005, 09:58 AM
My answering machine is antisocial :rolleyes:
Give me yer number, I want to hear it...
Al :rolleyes: :D
Coldamus
29th May 2005, 10:56 AM
just wondering why on earth a computer wants to talk to my (non-existent) answering machine? :confused:
Mick
Maybe it wants a date! Better be careful or the microwave will get jealous and burn your pancakes.
regards
Coldamus
CarpeNoctem
15th October 2005, 05:06 AM
For years I have been plagued with TM callers. I've tried screening calls, only to have family members call with 'blocked' numbers etc, I've tried being civil, I've tried being nasty, and it seems nasty is the only way to get resolution.
For the past couple of years I have tried a couple tactics that gets me chuckling.
1. Press the issue of getting payment for your time and equipment. As we are all aware of telephones are neither free nor cheap. In addition, you must pay fees to use them. And of course there is our God given gift of time, which is limited to an unknown frame. If you want to get creative, think of your building expenses, mortgage, utilities, etc. All this together in the business world is called overhead. The expense to perform day-to-day operations. Don't worry about offending anyone, this is normal proceedure in the business world. Once you figure out the expenses, you have a dollar amount. To demand everytime they call. So when they call, immediately and cheerfully ask for the accounts payable department. When you are given the 'Huh???' or 'We don't give that out' or 'I don't know' immediately ask for the manager. And then repeat with them. Explaining that you value your time, efforts, equipment etc, and you have placed a monetary value on it. And you are just performing normal business practices in obtaining your due compensation for your services. And don't think questionaires are harmless, businesses pay top dollar for your information that never gets to you. Therefore, your information has worth. If you think about it, you could theoretically file a law suit against information brokers for never compensating you on selling your information. Think of that class action, everyone in the US against a single broker, then another... LOLOL
You usually won't get anywhere with the above tactic, but neither will they if you keep pressing YOUR agenda with them (not vice versa)
2. This one is classic in the sense that you won't loose any more time with them other than to answer and listen a few seconds, but they will loose tons of time. And this one is where it's at, because time is money and no one likes wasting time; so this one hits em where it hurst. When they call, listen carefully and give the kudos in the form on ooo's ahhh's grunts and wow's. Make sure they think they have you. Right before they require something from you, kindly ask them to hold on while you get your signifigant other, because they have the checkbook, credit card, decision making authority, whatever. As they hold, just set the phone down on the table BUT do NOT hang up. You want them to hold on as long as possible. Just check the phone, in say 15 minutes. Usually they are gone, but if you played a good part in the oo's and ahh's you may have a whopper at the end of the line still. LOL in such a case, make an excuse and see if they'll hold longer. LOL
The above two items won't cut back on the calls, but it may make them fun for you.
3. Call your local, state and federal representatives and complain. I mean really complain. Don't think you are bothering anyone, or your are asking something extraordinary. It's their duty to listen to you. Don't worry about exageration either. Tell them you are sick and tired of the harasment you receive and tell them it should be against the law for anyone to cold call people anywhere. A person/company should only be permitted to call a person if they have immediate and direct business (personal or not) with them. Such as a doctor calling you with the results of a test, or a friendly reminder of an upcoming appointment. Or a local store calling you to notify you that your order has arrived. A company could call you to answer a direct request for information from you (I.e. you call an internet lumber firm and want to discuss a possible order). But after that conversation has concluded they have no right to call you under that pretense. and they shouldn't be able to call you about that topic if they fail to do so after a time frame, say three weeks.
-Rick
Eugowra
15th October 2005, 07:17 AM
I usually tell them that I only give to one charity.......My Own ! Goodbye.
Wassa
normell
15th October 2005, 08:06 AM
I usually answer the phone with
"City morge, you killem, we chillem"
or
"Fuller's woodyard, how many ton do you want"
Most times they hang up
Normell
Waldo
15th October 2005, 10:27 AM
G'day,
I've given up being nice and saying, "no thanks", now if I hear a few seconds of silence followed by an Indian voice I just hang up. The latest ploy I've had is that they're not trying to sell me anything, yeah right! :mad:
Sturdee
15th October 2005, 06:37 PM
I had one last week and before he could get into his spiel I asked him why he thought I was interested in talking to him or buying from him. Every time he started to say something I interrupted him and repeated my question.
After 10 minutes of this he finally hung up. He may not have liked it but I had fun. :D
Peter.
BigPop
15th October 2005, 08:09 PM
After I have answered and get the usual spiel - I switch my phone onto speaker phone and don't answer them and just let them waffle on and then they start saying 'Hello' Hello' etc and then hang up. You can get a good laugh from them when no-one is answering their questions etc.
savage
15th October 2005, 08:47 PM
G'Day All,
Sienfeld had a good one, he let them prattle on right to the end of the sales pitch and when they asked if he would be interested he replied yes he was very interested and hung up immediately after saying so!.. Probably doesn't work but to see him do it, I nearly cacked my pants laughing!...:D
savage(Eric):)
knucklehead
16th October 2005, 10:28 AM
I've tried it all.
Now I just start pushing the buttons on the phone while they are giving there spiel. They always hang up after 5 or 6 button pushes.
Markw
17th October 2005, 02:15 PM
I just don't get any TM calls!!!
I have a silent number and have had one for the last 20 years.
I don't give out my home number to anyone commercially or for raffles or any other instance - not ever. In fact even the company I work for doesn't have my home number - my manager has it in case of an emergency only but not the corporate office. That's what the corporate mobile is for. Have you noticed that TM don't use mobile numbers yet? Possibly too expensive.
TM call number gathering is very sly in their activities and can include product registration to local hotel raffles to purchasing goods from some large multinational corporations. They all want your home number. Next time ask them for their privacy policy before handing over your number. This only works when you can't get the number from the white pages.
Farm boy
17th October 2005, 03:32 PM
i was at a bucks night on saturday and one crafty freind was saying more than 3 calls a fortnight from these marketers is classed as harrasment and if you contact the telecomunication ombudsman and complain you will never get a call again.my mate has now gone for 9 months without a call from telemarketers after his talk with the ombudsman
cheers
greg
Bodgy
17th October 2005, 03:54 PM
Sad thing is fellas, that Telemarketing actually works, as does junk mail. If it didn't work, they wouldn't do it.
At a couple of cents a call (these are all VOIP calls) and a bowl of rice a week wages for the poor buggers on the other end, you can make an awful lot of calls for that one mug punter who buys.
Say you allow a sales/marketing budget of 15% of revenue, then a Telco who makes, say, $1500 gross on a 2 yr pay TV contract, can allow, say, $150 to get that one punter. Say 60 calls a day per telemarketer (and thats the Australian benchmark, God knows what the Mumbai guys need to do) @ $0.10 per, $50 a week wages. That gives 2 weeks of calls or 600 calls. This is acceptable to get that one sale! (figures pretty rough off top of my head, but you get the idea!)
The only thing that will stop these calls is when people stop buying.
kiwigeo
22nd October 2005, 01:30 AM
G'day,
I've given up being nice and saying, "no thanks", now if I hear a few seconds of silence followed by an Indian voice I just hang up. The latest ploy I've had is that they're not trying to sell me anything, yeah right! :mad:
Waldo, Ive had that spiel from the TMs of late.
They tell me theyre not selling anything. I then point out that if theyre ringing up total strangers and theyre not selling anything then they're effectively making a nuisance phone call which is illegal in this country......thats usually when they hang up.
kiwigeo
22nd October 2005, 01:33 AM
I just don't get any TM calls!!!
I have a silent number and have had one for the last 20 years.
Mark I have a number of friends with silent numbers who receive TM calls. Alot of the TMs obviously use dialers that generate and dial numbers whether theyre in the phone book or not.
Cheers Martin
namtrak
24th October 2005, 05:47 PM
Further to Telemarketers, my Brother in law has just sent me a recording of him talking to a telemarketer trying to sell him a new phone deal. He seriously takes the **** out of them for nearly 5 minutes!! Makes them press the hash key every couple of minutes because he likes listening to the sound it makes!!
If you want a copy, happy to forward it on but it is nearly 7 MB!!
Cheers
Daddles
24th October 2005, 10:01 PM
I had one of these gits try to sell me another phone deal about a month back. "I can get your land line and mobile for under $50" he kept saying, and refused to accept that my latest bill had been $39. I hung up on him in the end.
Richard
namtrak
24th October 2005, 10:25 PM
Further to my BIL's mocking he told the telemarketer that he made calls to the South African country of 'Zamimbinia' and they cost a lot of money. He was told that the company would only charge him $2 per month to ring Zamimbinia!!
Markw
25th October 2005, 04:36 PM
Mark I have a number of friends with silent numbers who receive TM calls. Alot of the TMs obviously use dialers that generate and dial numbers whether theyre in the phone book or not.
Silent numbers had to come from some where, usually its the end user asking that the number no longer be listed (silent) but all the marketing data bases still have the number listed therfore they still get the call. If they ask for a "new" number they probably get an old commercial number, again this was previously listed and on the data bases.
I suppose anyone wanting the number to be silent will just have to wait a suffient length of time for all the current databases to become invalid (worn out?). This may take some time.
BTW the use of automated dialling systems is probably the dumbest thing a TM could do as its use precludes any area demographics as part of the sales plan. Like selling freezers to eskimos and lawn seed in Redfern.
know1nose
13th August 2008, 07:25 PM
It is funny that this topic was the one that helped a wood worker find this site!
I have had my numbers (including my mobile) listed on the government registry for DO NOT CALL and now I have the ability to create a real problem for the clowns that do call.
have a look at https://www.donotcall.gov.au/
It is well worth the three minutes it takes.
Now I am off to learn about what this forum has to do with wood work.
Remember :-
Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.