What do you do to avoid telemarketers?

[CBC News]

So many people are trying to register their phone numbers on the federal do-not-call list, the website has crashed and the phone lines have a constant busy tone.
Commenters to CBCNews.ca expressed frustration at not being able to get through, but not all of them were surprised at the breakdown.
"It appears the do-not-call registry site was so popular it brought down their server. I am getting … page cannot be displayed errors," wrote Alienc, of Riverview, N.B.
The popularity of the list was not unexpected. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has projected that of Canada's 27 million residential phone lines, which include cellphone numbers, 16 million would be on the do-not-call list within two years.
Read full story.
Besides registering for this list, what do you do to avoid telemarketers? Share your tips


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[Risus]

Right now I ask them to hang on a minute and I put them on hold and forget about them....

 

[Ron in Regina]

Why avoid them? Really, unless I'm cooking, I not only don't avoid them but keep
all unsolicited callers on the line as long as possible. I thought everyone with a sense of
humor did this. Just stay civil and polite and see how long you can drag out the call.

"What city are you in? What time is it there? What's the weather like there today? So...what
are you wearing? Can I get your home number so that I can call you back with an answer to
your questions once I've had a chance to think about them? Why not? You just called me at
my home number, didn't you? I'm not sure I understood what you just said so can you
rephrase your last question/statement? Seriously, what're you wearing? If this call is really
being recorded for quality control purposes, can you play it back for me? You must get tired
of trying to sell credit cards/insurance/furnace cleaning all day long to people who didn't ask
you to call them...how does that make you feel? I'm not kidding, what are you wearing?"

By this time the telemarketer can't wait to get off the phone with me (time=money) and for me
this works better than any "do not call" list ever will. This method also works for all the callers
that are exempt from the "do not call" list. After your first couple telemarketers, you almost
look forward to them calling you just to see how long you can keep them on the line with you
and to see how far you can push things before they bail out on you. So, what're you wearing?

 

[Scott Free]

I have an answering machine message that says the callers phone number is being tracked by the phone company. Originally I did this for a joke but I soon discovered it eliminated all calls by telemarketers - a happy accident!

 

[karrie]

right now I look at my caller id and don't answer if it's clearly a telemarketer. If I do answer, and it's a telemarketer, then I simply say 'please remove me from your calling list, and have a nice day'. Polite, respectful of the fact that they're just trying to make a living. But, firm that I don't want to be part of their calling.

 

[mabudon]

It depends, it's "I'm sorry there's no such person" if I really don't feel like making the effort

If not I'll just have fun of whatever (legal and relatively courteous) kind I think of- a classic is speaking in clear english saying "I'm sorry I don't speak english" then arguing about it in english and constantly stating that the phrases you've said are the only ones you know. You can select a language of your choice to supposedly speak, but try to pick real obscure ones

 

[#juan]

Usually, as soon as I identify the caller as a telemarketer, I hang up. They don't often call back.;-)

 

[lone wolf]

I'm on the list ... and there's one telemarketer glad of it....

I had the cops show up about that call too. I put my best crazy voice on and just went on and on about how tough things were and I just couldn't take it any more and what's the use and what a waste of time ... then popped a balloon and made some splattering sounds. It didn't take long before I heard dial tone so I knew he'd hung up. About five minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and the friendly Nipper (West Nipissing Regional Police) asked me if there had been anything unusual happen in my apartment. I never heard from Kelly or Kellson or whatever swimming pools ever again....

 

[unclepercy]

Some years ago when I was younger, I kept getting calls from different people trying to sell me a burial plot - during supper:-?. This went on and on. My mother laughed and said they should be calling her. Her advice was to tell them I had a burial plot (I did). That did not work. Now we have the do not call list online and on the phone. I did that, and it screens out most of the calls.

Uncle

 

[MissAnnika]

*hangs up*

telemarketer: "what? she hung up on me......*cries*

 

[FUBAR]

Ask for their company address and say you charge for answering unsolicited business calls, they usually hang up for some reason then. I do tend to egg them on sometimes but it annoys the wife.

 

[faithlessforeve]

I use Oprah's advice: Just say no thank you and hang up

 

[Avro]

I usually answer the phone and when they get into their spiel about whatever they are trying to sell I put the phone down and walk away and let them waste their time.

I registered my numbers the first day so hopefully after a month we won't get as many, you should hear how many I get on the answering service at my cottage....it's ridiculous.

 

[Nuggler]

..............Usually, I breathe loudly into the phone and ask them if they'd like to go for coffee. Speaking in a broken Italian accent it sounds like;........."HEY, you wanna go fu coff??"

Some hang up, some say sure.

8O

 

[scratch]

If I have the time I lead them on and on, mock them, ask for a supervisor.
Besides I thought this was being curbed by the Feds-----oh, I forgot----too much of an imposition for them to work on our behalves.