Telemarketing!

[Excalibur Bane]

I get a call about 8:30 am this morning. Groggily lift my head, look at the caller display. "Unknown caller". Hmm, I think to myself. I better answer it, it could be someone important. Answer the phone. "Hello?"

"Good morning! Mr. blah blah?"

"Yes."

"How are doing this morning?"

"I was having a good morning. Then this phone call woke me up."

Silence for a few seconds.

"Well, sorry about that, I'm calling this morning to inform you of this great deal we're offering on yadda yadda yadda..."

On and on. Okay. Now I'm really pissed off. This lady has some set of balls to be distubing me at 8:30 in the morning for this stupidity. Well, it's not a total loss I suppose. I can still have some fun.

So, she's offering to switch from my cable provider to ASDL from Bell. I act really interested.

"Really! Can you tell me more about X feature?"

"What's the advantage of switching?"

"That's incredible! This deal sounds very promising!"

"Is there any way I can combine this with my phone service to get a discount? Really? Incredible!"

So she's go on for about 15 mins describing all the stuff to me, answering all these questions I come up with.

"Wow, this all sounds really incredible! Your really offering a great deal."

"So would you like to sign up for Bell Hi-Speed Express?"

"No."

*click*



Ah, the moral of the story? Any situation can be turned around to your advantage.

"An ambuscade, when discovered and promptly surrounded, will repay the intended mischief with interest." -- Socrates, I believe.

Turn that frown, upside down!

[Kapitan]

untill recently i got them calls but i had my phone provider block them and turns out it made my international calls cheaper too

last quater i spent only £477.83 before that it was £725.04

mind you i have cut down alot so could explain it all

[Excalibur Bane]

Hmm. Do you pay for local calls there? We don't pay for local calls, just long distance. That's getting cheaper as well, since much of Bell Canada's business is being syphoned away by people with simple internet voice software. Not to mention the companies that are offering dedicated net phone service.

I usually don't answer them, but then they are usually identified by caller id.

[Type941]

You can try the Seinfeld line and tell them "can I call you at home" or what's actually a smart thing is you got to tell them "Can you put this number on your don't call list"? The key is to register your number into one of those Do-Not-Call lists, and since most telemarketing calls are either monitored or recorded, you having asked for that or already registered, could make the Telemarketing company liable under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. You can get like 1000 bucks for compensation. I bet that morning would be quite better than. If you live in the land where everyone sues everyone (USA) - than by all means, use that to YOUR advantage. Don't let the buggers get to you...

The Boiler Room newspaper subsription was funny one as well if your remember. But yeah, tell them to add your number on their don't call list, and you'll be fine. AFAIK, only works in US. Good luck.

[Kapitan]

no works in the UK to and you can sue for harrasment

[XabbaRus]

Well here they usually as "Can I speak to the home owner?" and always answer "Sorry we are the tenants." and they leave you alone.
I learnt that when renting.

OR,

I say "hold on" and put my 3 and a half year old daughter on the phone.

[Pigfish]

What I do is say my parents are not home. I swear it works.

[gdogghenrikson]

I hang up once I know it is a telemarketer.

[snowsub]

Another get em back:

"Yeah sure I'm interested, can you hang on for just one moment please"....
.
.
.
.
then go watch some TV, or peruse the Subsim forums
They'll get the message

[jumpy]

lol telemarketing....
we keep getting calls from what sounds like indian or pakistani callcenters, always asking for my other half (damn her she gave her name and address/phone number to someone...).

"hello? can I speak to mr or mrs J******?"

aaarrgh!
If I answer I normally just say
"hello? hello? is there anyone there? hello....? heeelo? hello? ...hellooo?"

Either that or I just say
"No, sorry not today" then cut them off

The one's that really piss me off are when they call you and when you answer, all you can hear is ppl talking in the background 'cause they've forgotten about phoning you.

Damn Timeburglars.

I like Xabbas' idea of putting the three and a half yearold on the line to talk to them

[Kiwi Zero Six]

I generally just **** around with the surveys.

"How much do you earn?"

"Well, after I discovered the oil my combined revenue is about 450 mil...that the IRD knows about. Ha HA! Actually, you're not the IRD in disguise are you?"

"No, sir. Are you single, married or in a de facto relationship?"

"I have a harem, if that's what you're asking..."

*Silence*

"Thank you, sir, I appreciate your replies." *click*



I flabergasted the woman doing the political survey, because I had actually been waiting for it.

"You ARE? Thank God, I've been waiting bloody AGES for you guys to call!"

[Damo1977]

Originally Posted by Kapitain

untill recently i got them calls but i had my phone provider block them and turns out it made my international calls cheaper too

last quater i spent only £477.83 before that it was £725.04

mind you i have cut down alot so could explain it all

WHAT!!!!!!!!!! thats like AU$1500 down to AU$1000, my last phone bill was AU$350 a quarter. What you got friends on Pluto? :P

[Bellman]

Kap - if you are paying that much (3000 pounds a year) then some organisation is picking up your bills.

You say you are a student - a student SPY ? :rotfl: Now if your dads picikng up a family bill - thats another matter.