Even though we are on the do-not-call list we still get calls throughout the day. Always the same, you pick up and there is a pause while the call connects to a live body. I've given up answering them as they always hang up when I tell them we are on the do-not-call list. The other day I was home at the same time my 18YO daughter was. The phone rang and she picked it up but did not hang up right away. About 30 seconds after she picked it up I hear giving the caller the Bronx cheer at alternating speeds & tones, staccato, continuous, high, & low, a real fartopalooza. I started laughing and asked her what she was doing? She told me she always does that when those calls come in. She said she used to yell at them but they hang up as soon as you raise your voice. For some reason with this technique they stay on and try to talk and when they do, she does that. Sometimes they get really mad and yell at her and then, she hangs up on them. I approve of this method.
Dealing with cold calls at your home (timeshares, equity loans, fundraising, etc.
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That seems awfully high effort. I just hang up. Oddly, I don't get a lot of calls.
A lot of companies are exempt from the Do-Not-Call list, which is why you are getting these calls. You could alternatively report them to the FTC.
I would get rid of your landline if you can. I haven't had a cold call in 12 years, and it's great.
I agree. With cell service the way it is nowadays, land-lines are totally superfluous!
A British man actually looks forward to cold calls, because he makes money off them.
Here's how he does it:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23895684
Here's how he does it:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23895684
That's funny. I simply do not answer. and cell phones are not entirely exempt from cold calls surprisingly.
when I had a landline I had caller ID, any number that began with 800 or 877 never got answered and any number i did not 110% know who it was. There was even a few years when I had a landline AND a cellphone, when the landline rang I never moved a muscle, just ignored it altogether.
Now that I have only my cell phone If I don't have the number in my contacts (so it shows the persons name who's calling) I ignore the call. that's what voice mail is for and 9/10 they never leave one.
when I had a landline I had caller ID, any number that began with 800 or 877 never got answered and any number i did not 110% know who it was. There was even a few years when I had a landline AND a cellphone, when the landline rang I never moved a muscle, just ignored it altogether.
Now that I have only my cell phone If I don't have the number in my contacts (so it shows the persons name who's calling) I ignore the call. that's what voice mail is for and 9/10 they never leave one.
Frustrating to say the least...I just hang up on 'em. Cold calls, robo calls...I lump them all together. 
"Utility is when you have one telephone, luxury is when you have two, opulence is when you have three - and paradise is when you have none". Doug Lawson
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I'd like to but the factorial on changing the landline number across all the bill accounts, etc. would be more effort than either my wife or I want to do.
As an aside, I get cold calls on my cell phone. It used to be seldom, then infrequent, now a 4-6x a month.
They are not supposed to call you if you are on the DNC list, they can however call you if you gave them permission to, previous customer, filled out a form to win something, etc... If they call ask to be removed from their list they are not supposed to call you again.
Tell them you are a lawyer and charge $200/hour. As soon as they send you some money, you'll gladly listen to them for as long as they pay you for.
Pick a higher hourly rate if you are feeling frisky.
Pick a higher hourly rate if you are feeling frisky.
I try to make them hang up on me and have had a pretty good time with it.
The last one that called, as soon as I said "hello" she started in on her speech....I can't even remember what it was while I kept on surfing the internet.
She got to the end of the thing she was reading and then was waiting for me to say something. I let a long, dramatic pause pass and then....in the same voice (tone, inflection...everything).....repeated the word.
"hello"
Without missing a beat, she repeats her speech. Again, at the end, I uttered.....a bit softer this time.....
"hello".
Silence. She asks "Can you hear me okay?"
I pause, clear my throat audibly, and say
"hello".
At this point, she is getting irate and demands that I answer if I can hear her or not.
"hello".
This exchange repeated a time or two and she finally said "Oooooookay"
Long pause.....much longer......I expected her to hang up but she just stayed on the line.
I said, in the same monotone, soft voice
"hello? "
Click!
lol
The last one that called, as soon as I said "hello" she started in on her speech....I can't even remember what it was while I kept on surfing the internet.
She got to the end of the thing she was reading and then was waiting for me to say something. I let a long, dramatic pause pass and then....in the same voice (tone, inflection...everything).....repeated the word.
"hello"
Without missing a beat, she repeats her speech. Again, at the end, I uttered.....a bit softer this time.....
"hello".
Silence. She asks "Can you hear me okay?"
I pause, clear my throat audibly, and say
"hello".
At this point, she is getting irate and demands that I answer if I can hear her or not.
"hello".
This exchange repeated a time or two and she finally said "Oooooookay"
Long pause.....much longer......I expected her to hang up but she just stayed on the line.
I said, in the same monotone, soft voice
"hello? "
Click!
lol
I have to admit but I stole a Seinfeld ploy. Phone rang at home during family dinner, telemarketer. I answered and let them start their pitch. I then interrupted him and asked if he could hold. He said yes and I continued eating. a few minutes later I picked up the phone and they continued as if nothing happened. I again asked them to hold and left the phone on the table for over ten minutes (yes the family timed it). We could hear the caller saying to his coworker "I can still hear them, I'm going to wait". Again I picked up the phone and did the same thing a couple more times. My family was laughing so hard I had to end the conversation and asked him to put me on his no call list. Brutal I know, but we had a great family laugh at dinner that night. I am not exaggerating, that's what made it so unbelievably funny. Thanks Jerry for the inspiration.
If I don't recognize the caller ID, I hit "answer" on the fax.
Let them eat carrier.
Let them eat carrier.
Before I moved I would get a lot of these calls, and at the time I lived on an island that could only be accessed by boat. If its a company selling something they have to come and install, like windows or carpet or whatever, I always agree to the most expensive of everything and when they ask for an address I always told them I live on an island. They never know what to say so they usually mumble and hang up.
I only get them from my bank or internet provider. Usually for some fancy new deal, years ago I got a deal with my bank for $5 I have unlimited interactions if I go over 20 interactions or some such... so they are trying to get rid of that. The internet provider is always trying to get me to bundle on home phone and cable. I tell both that I am happy with their over priced service as it is.
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We ditched our landline years ago in favor of cell phones only and the marketing calls dropped to nil. Best thing my wife and I ever did.
That's exactly what I did. The cell phone drops most of the callers, probably due to technical difficulties.
Before that I had the following message on my answering machine:
"This is John Ayers. I'm sorry to screen your call but the solicitation has gotten out of hand lately. If you are calling for any reason other than for a solicitation or request for a donation please leave your name and number and I'll get back to you right away. Thank you, and I'm sorry for the inconvenience."
That would chase most of them away.
This tells you something about charities that are exempt from "Do Not Call" lists:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhZNtFwHfMM
The fun of living in another country.
i used to use these calls to practice my Korean, I would usually get 3-5 minutes of practice then them for the Korean lesson and tell them I wasn't interested. These days I just tell them in Korean I'm a foreigner and don't speak Korean. Almost always they just accept this and hang up. Just one time the person said what do you mean you are speaking Korean? So in Korean we went on like this for several minutes finally she laughed and told me to have a nice day.
i used to use these calls to practice my Korean, I would usually get 3-5 minutes of practice then them for the Korean lesson and tell them I wasn't interested. These days I just tell them in Korean I'm a foreigner and don't speak Korean. Almost always they just accept this and hang up. Just one time the person said what do you mean you are speaking Korean? So in Korean we went on like this for several minutes finally she laughed and told me to have a nice day.
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