4 ms·

Someone made a similar comment and was severely down-voted -- be an adult, say no thanks, and hang up the phone. If you're being called extremely consistently

Someone made a similar comment and was severely down-voted -- be an adult, say no thanks, and hang up the phone. If you're being called extremely consistently at the same inconvenient time, then your case is extraordinary, take some measures to make sure the company doesn't call you again (no call list, whatever else) -- don't take your frustration out on the person who's turn it is to call you. I stated this before, but if you think about it, telemarketers are just sales people who work over the phone. Even when they're being overbearing, no one treats sales people this shitty in person.

hoodoof 11y ago
Telemarketers started off with blocked phone numbers, which I don't pick up anymore. Now that they reveal their numbers I immediately block that number on my phone after I hang up the call.
- dllthomas 11y ago
  I find they call from a new number every time.
slantyyz 11y ago
>> no one treats sales people this shitty in person. We have "door knockers" where I live (Ontario, Canada) who present themselves as representatives of gas and energy companies (and some have even gone so far as to say they work for the government) who try and get you to show them your energy bill and/or try to get into your basement to give you a "free inspection" and then get you to sign up for something you don't want. In my experience, saying "no thanks, not interested" (in person) just makes them more aggressive in their claims with the same scripted retorts- i.e. they're there in an official capacity (they're not), all the other neighbors let them sign up (probably not), they have a photo id (that anyone with computer skills can reproduce) and that they're there to save you money (doubtful). They show up in my neighborhood every couple of months, and after a while, you sorta get worn out by the routine and find that being rude/abrupt is the easiest (and sometimes only) way to get rid of them.
- hardwaresofton 11y ago
  I didn't want to make the point that it was NEVER warranted -- just that it was very rare for it to happen. Obviously, people do get into disagreements that may even turn violent in person. My point is that if someone isn't in your scenario (which I suspect most are not, they're just piling on with the "down with all telemarketers" bandwagon), they should look to other options, before making someone else's life very difficult through technology.
  - pavel_lishin 11y ago
    "very difficult"? I'm not casting a nam-shub on them; I'm just giving them the option of talking on the phone, which is literally what they get paid to do. Like I said in my comment above, it's not cruelty.
    - hardwaresofton 11y ago
      You basically picked up on two words out of the entire comment, then misquoted me (I did not call it cruel)... My point is simple, you're choosing to be rude, and that is fine, completely your choice (especially given what you've stated about what it's like where you live). But that reaction is not necessarily warranted for the person that gets 1 call every few months from a telemarketer.
      - pavel_lishin 11y ago
        > (I did not call it cruel)... Sorry, I was quoting myself. And I'd argue that what warrants the reaction is how many calls the telemarketer is making, not how many the receiver is picking up.
      - tamana 11y ago
        Bravo, you have done an incredible long troll job, posting in the forum like a telemarketer talks on the phone, pushing BS motte&bailey logic to trick or wear down people.
dave2000 11y ago
> If you're being called extremely consistently at the same > inconvenient time, then your case is extraordinary, take > some measures to make sure the company doesn't call you > again (no call list, whatever else) -- don't take your > frustration out on the person who's turn it is to call > you. There is a large group of people for whom there is literally no way of stopping them calling. That's the point you don't seem to understand. You're saying essentially "it's not their fault that they're illegally harassing you having taken steps to hide their identity so you can't report them". It's a moronic argument! You're conflating "being an adult" with "meekly accepting that some people are going to phone you in the evening when you're relaxing with your family and try and bullshit you into giving them money without giving them a piece of your mind". All of the phone calls are inconvenient because they all waste my time; when are they ever not inconvenient? You might just as well describe crack dealers as "businessmen, just after an honest buck".
- hardwaresofton 11y ago
  You're telling me, that you, as a grown functioning adult, can't think of a solution to the problem of someone calling your phone number illegally repeatedly? Change your number? Threaten to sue? Actually sue? Call the parent company? Call whatever company that is hiring them (whose products they're trying to sell you), and complain? How "large" is this group of people? Are you sure the loud complainers on the internet aren't causing overestimation on your part? If you're not trying to be interrupted, unplug your phone/silence the ringer. Then you definitely won't get interrupted. They may not be inconvenient if they are selling something you actually want. While this is unlikely, it is possible, this is the same rationale for other forms of advertising/marketing. BTW, the same derogatory tone with which you mention "crack dealers", people also used (and still use) for people who sell pot (which is now legal in a few areas). Pot and crack are not the same, but the tone with which you're criticizing people who sell crack cocaine the substance is the same tone that people used while weed was illegal (and still use today).
  - pavel_lishin 11y ago
    > Change your number? Expecting someone to change their number to protect themselves from telemarketers is asinine. > Threaten to sue? Actually sue? Call the parent company? Threaten whom? The telemarketer? Instant hang-up. Their boss? Good luck getting them on the phone. Their actual company? Good luck getting a telemarketer to tell you that information; that's an instant-hang-up. > Call whatever company that is hiring them (whose products they're trying to sell you), and complain? Assuming there's even a legitimate item being sold, that's an interesting idea. The next time I get an offer to get an estimate for having siding put on my residence, I'll take them up on it. I'm afraid, though, that the person who shows up to the apartment complex I'm renting from will just be a local contractor, who's actually completely innocent party who was duped by a "marketing company" into paying money for leads. Then I'll have wasted their time. I'd feel bad about that; not about a telemarketer.
ashark 11y ago
> I stated this before, but if you think about it, telemarketers are just sales people who work over the phone. Even when they're being overbearing, no one treats sales people this shitty in person. Sure they do, in similar situations like door-to-door sales. They're pushy, annoying, and coming to you, not the other way around. Often their whole business relies on screwing over old people. Anything that can be done to ensure they bug fewer people in a day is a public service.
- slantyyz 11y ago
  >> Often their whole business relies on screwing over old people. My retired parents live on the same block as me, and I'm always telling them to never let in or hand over personal information to a "door knocker" (someone hawking energy savings or a free inspection). Those guys definitely take a different tack with older people-- one guy who I turned down moved on to my dad and told him he was from the government, which was an outright lie. Of all the people who knock on my door, the energy salespeople are by far the worst, because they're incredibly aggressive and use shady tactics. There are tons of horror stories about them in Ontario, Canada [1][2][3]. I would love to see an outright ban on door-to-door energy sales here. [1] http://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/spending_saving/2012/05/25/door_to_door_energy_sellers_can_mislead_you.html http://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/spending_sa... [2] http://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/2013/11/15/door_knockers_switch_to_furnace_rentals_roseman.html http://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/2013/11/15/... [3] http://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/2015/06/16/report-calls-for-ban-on-energy-sales-at-home-roseman.html http://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/2015/06/16/...
dllthomas 11y ago
I find myself called inconsistently at different times (often inconvenient, sometimes not), from different numbers, with the same pitch ("Free install of a home security system!"). I have told them I am ineligible (I don't own a home), that I am uninterested (satisfied with my current security situation), that I believe them to be a scam in the first place, and that I would prefer that they stop calling. I have asked to be removed from their list. I have asked to be put on their "do not call" list. I have submitted the numbers on the FCC web page. I still receive about 1-2 calls a month from them. Their EV from calling me is zero (or negative, if I manage to track them down). If they are really interested in wasting their time, they can do it without wasting mine as well.
tomjen3 11y ago
I smell astro-turfing from a telemarketing firm here.

hoodoof 11y ago

Telemarketers started off with blocked phone numbers, which I don't pick up anymore. Now that they reveal their numbers I immediately block that number on my phone after I hang up the call.

dllthomas 11y ago
I find they call from a new number every time.

slantyyz 11y ago

>> no one treats sales people this shitty in person. We have "door knockers" where I live (Ontario, Canada) who present themselves as representatives of gas and energy companies (and some have even gone so far as to say they work for the government) who try and get you to show them your energy bill and/or try to get into your basement to give you a "free inspection" and then get you to sign up for something you don't want. In my experience, saying "no thanks, not interested" (in person) just makes them more aggressive in their claims with the same scripted retorts- i.e. they're there in an official capacity (they're not), all the other neighbors let them sign up (probably not), they have a photo id (that anyone with computer skills can reproduce) and that they're there to save you money (doubtful). They show up in my neighborhood every couple of months, and after a while, you sorta get worn out by the routine and find that being rude/abrupt is the easiest (and sometimes only) way to get rid of them.

hardwaresofton 11y ago
I didn't want to make the point that it was NEVER warranted -- just that it was very rare for it to happen. Obviously, people do get into disagreements that may even turn violent in person. My point is that if someone isn't in your scenario (which I suspect most are not, they're just piling on with the "down with all telemarketers" bandwagon), they should look to other options, before making someone else's life very difficult through technology.
- pavel_lishin 11y ago
  "very difficult"? I'm not casting a nam-shub on them; I'm just giving them the option of talking on the phone, which is literally what they get paid to do. Like I said in my comment above, it's not cruelty.
  - hardwaresofton 11y ago
    You basically picked up on two words out of the entire comment, then misquoted me (I did not call it cruel)... My point is simple, you're choosing to be rude, and that is fine, completely your choice (especially given what you've stated about what it's like where you live). But that reaction is not necessarily warranted for the person that gets 1 call every few months from a telemarketer.
    - pavel_lishin 11y ago
      > (I did not call it cruel)... Sorry, I was quoting myself. And I'd argue that what warrants the reaction is how many calls the telemarketer is making, not how many the receiver is picking up.
    - tamana 11y ago
      Bravo, you have done an incredible long troll job, posting in the forum like a telemarketer talks on the phone, pushing BS motte&bailey logic to trick or wear down people.

dave2000 11y ago

> If you're being called extremely consistently at the same > inconvenient time, then your case is extraordinary, take > some measures to make sure the company doesn't call you > again (no call list, whatever else) -- don't take your > frustration out on the person who's turn it is to call > you. There is a large group of people for whom there is literally no way of stopping them calling. That's the point you don't seem to understand. You're saying essentially "it's not their fault that they're illegally harassing you having taken steps to hide their identity so you can't report them". It's a moronic argument! You're conflating "being an adult" with "meekly accepting that some people are going to phone you in the evening when you're relaxing with your family and try and bullshit you into giving them money without giving them a piece of your mind". All of the phone calls are inconvenient because they all waste my time; when are they ever not inconvenient? You might just as well describe crack dealers as "businessmen, just after an honest buck".

hardwaresofton 11y ago
You're telling me, that you, as a grown functioning adult, can't think of a solution to the problem of someone calling your phone number illegally repeatedly? Change your number? Threaten to sue? Actually sue? Call the parent company? Call whatever company that is hiring them (whose products they're trying to sell you), and complain? How "large" is this group of people? Are you sure the loud complainers on the internet aren't causing overestimation on your part? If you're not trying to be interrupted, unplug your phone/silence the ringer. Then you definitely won't get interrupted. They may not be inconvenient if they are selling something you actually want. While this is unlikely, it is possible, this is the same rationale for other forms of advertising/marketing. BTW, the same derogatory tone with which you mention "crack dealers", people also used (and still use) for people who sell pot (which is now legal in a few areas). Pot and crack are not the same, but the tone with which you're criticizing people who sell crack cocaine the substance is the same tone that people used while weed was illegal (and still use today).
- pavel_lishin 11y ago
  > Change your number? Expecting someone to change their number to protect themselves from telemarketers is asinine. > Threaten to sue? Actually sue? Call the parent company? Threaten whom? The telemarketer? Instant hang-up. Their boss? Good luck getting them on the phone. Their actual company? Good luck getting a telemarketer to tell you that information; that's an instant-hang-up. > Call whatever company that is hiring them (whose products they're trying to sell you), and complain? Assuming there's even a legitimate item being sold, that's an interesting idea. The next time I get an offer to get an estimate for having siding put on my residence, I'll take them up on it. I'm afraid, though, that the person who shows up to the apartment complex I'm renting from will just be a local contractor, who's actually completely innocent party who was duped by a "marketing company" into paying money for leads. Then I'll have wasted their time. I'd feel bad about that; not about a telemarketer.

ashark 11y ago

> I stated this before, but if you think about it, telemarketers are just sales people who work over the phone. Even when they're being overbearing, no one treats sales people this shitty in person. Sure they do, in similar situations like door-to-door sales. They're pushy, annoying, and coming to you, not the other way around. Often their whole business relies on screwing over old people. Anything that can be done to ensure they bug fewer people in a day is a public service.

slantyyz 11y ago
>> Often their whole business relies on screwing over old people. My retired parents live on the same block as me, and I'm always telling them to never let in or hand over personal information to a "door knocker" (someone hawking energy savings or a free inspection). Those guys definitely take a different tack with older people-- one guy who I turned down moved on to my dad and told him he was from the government, which was an outright lie. Of all the people who knock on my door, the energy salespeople are by far the worst, because they're incredibly aggressive and use shady tactics. There are tons of horror stories about them in Ontario, Canada [1][2][3]. I would love to see an outright ban on door-to-door energy sales here. [1] http://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/spending_saving/2012/05/25/door_to_door_energy_sellers_can_mislead_you.html http://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/spending_sa... [2] http://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/2013/11/15/door_knockers_switch_to_furnace_rentals_roseman.html http://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/2013/11/15/... [3] http://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/2015/06/16/report-calls-for-ban-on-energy-sales-at-home-roseman.html http://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/2015/06/16/...

dllthomas 11y ago

I find myself called inconsistently at different times (often inconvenient, sometimes not), from different numbers, with the same pitch ("Free install of a home security system!"). I have told them I am ineligible (I don't own a home), that I am uninterested (satisfied with my current security situation), that I believe them to be a scam in the first place, and that I would prefer that they stop calling. I have asked to be removed from their list. I have asked to be put on their "do not call" list. I have submitted the numbers on the FCC web page. I still receive about 1-2 calls a month from them. Their EV from calling me is zero (or negative, if I manage to track them down). If they are really interested in wasting their time, they can do it without wasting mine as well.

tomjen3 11y ago

I smell astro-turfing from a telemarketing firm here.