It probably won't do any good, but...

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by UnderseaLcpl

You probably should have told them what you think about Carthage. If nothing else, to demonstrate how serious a person you can be. I would have.

You, sir, are on a horse.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

The cleverest thing I've ever managed to say to a telemarketer is when they do the "May I speak to Mr. or Mrs. X" thing.

We have a local radio guy who once claimed that when one of these people asked for "Mr. X" he would say "Just a minute. I'll go check." Five minutes later he would pick up the phone and say "Are you still there? Good. I haven't found him yet. I'll keep looking." Five minutes later...

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Herr-Berbunch

I'm sure Frau X here doesn't partake in such activities - only cats and submerging... or could I rephrase that?

Maybe you should. I don't think she takes too kindly to inferences that she likes to submerge cats.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by UnderseaLcpl

You probably should have told them what you think about Carthage. If nothing else, to demonstrate how serious a person you can be. I would have.

Actually this would sort of be in keeping with the "pretend you're crazy and they'll go away" theory of dealing with telemarketers. My dad was really good at that. Of course for a while there he actually was crazy a good deal of the time, so that probably helped.

My favorite though was when I was home once and the phone rang and he answered it. I was sitting right there at the kitchen table near the phone so I got to overhear his end of the conversation. It went something like this:

*ring ring*
"Hello?"
"Who's calling, please?"
"I'm sorry, I can barely hear you."
"Eh? I can hardly hear you, could you speak up a little?"
"And who were you asking for again?"
"Oh. Speaking!"
"Uh huh. Uh huh. Uh huh. Wait, what was that again? I can hardly hear you, must be a bad connection."
"Well, that's very thoughtful of you. Could you speak up a little, though?"
"Uh huh. Uh huh. I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"
"Eh?"
"Eh?"
"Eh?"

By the time he got to where he was just repeating "Eh?" over and over again, I could actually hear the person on the other end, he was talking so loud, but I couldn't make out what he saying. So I'm looking at my dad like, WTF, and he finally puts the phone down and looks at me and says, "That guy just hung up me."

"Well, who was it?" I asked.

"Oh, just some guy selling hearing aids, trying to schedule me for a free screening..."

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Maybe you should. I don't think she takes too kindly to inferences that she likes to submerge cats.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

We have a local radio guy who once claimed that when one of these people asked for "Mr. X" he would say "Just a minute. I'll go check." Five minutes later he would pick up the phone and say "Are you still there? Good. I haven't found him yet. I'll keep looking." Five minutes later...

Once in a while I'll hit the "talk" button when a known telemarketer calls and I'm watching TV or listening to music, and just sit the phone down with the receiver facing the source of the audio output. After ten minutes or so I'll hang it up again.

Hey, I should do that and then change the channel to QVC or the Home Shopping Network and just go watch what I'm watching in a different room. Sort of the telemarketing version of sending one junk-mailer's junkmail to another junk-mailer using the second junk-mailer's postage-paid return envelope.

[Herr-Berbunch]

Could you not get a premium rate phone number and give that out to all and sundry. Get paid to be on the phone. Some might say the ideal job for a wo.... but not me

[Herr-Berbunch]