The annoyance of aggressive telemarketers

Discussion in 'Political Science' started by pjohns, Jan 10, 2018.

  1. pjohns

    pjohns Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2009
    Messages:
    6,916
    Likes Received:
    658
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Why are telemarketers (which is just a fancy term for phone solicitors) even allowed to do business in this country? I do not know of anyone who receives these calls who considers them beneficial to society.

    Just since yesterday--a period of about 24 hours--I have received three--three!--"courtesy calls" as regarding healthcare insurance. (Even if I truly needed such insurance--which I do not, as I am fully covered--I would certainly not buy from someone hawking his--or her--goods over the phone.)

    I suppose that defenders of this annoying practice might cite First Amendment protections. But even these are not absolute. The Supreme Court, for instance, has ruled that there is no right to shout "Fire!" in a crowded theater.

    Can others here relate to my severe irritation at this?
     
    JakeJ likes this.
  2. Merwen

    Merwen Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 10, 2014
    Messages:
    11,574
    Likes Received:
    1,731
    Trophy Points:
    113

    We only let our phone ring a few times and screen our calls with "caller id". It's still annoying despite that.
     
    pjohns likes this.
  3. ThelmaMay

    ThelmaMay Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2017
    Messages:
    4,102
    Likes Received:
    5,750
    Trophy Points:
    113
    No. Never had a problem. Have an unlisted number.
     
  4. JakeJ

    JakeJ Well-Known Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    May 5, 2015
    Messages:
    27,360
    Likes Received:
    8,062
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Unsolicited phone calls - live or automated - should be outlawed. They used to be illegal in Florida.
     
    pjohns likes this.
  5. Llewellyn Moss

    Llewellyn Moss Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2016
    Messages:
    1,572
    Likes Received:
    681
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Go to the National Do Not Call Registry to stop the calls. For real.

    https://www.donotcall.gov/
     
    Blaster3 likes this.
  6. Llewellyn Moss

    Llewellyn Moss Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2016
    Messages:
    1,572
    Likes Received:
    681
    Trophy Points:
    113
    I used to find "unlisted numbers" easily with a cross reference directory.
     
  7. jay runner

    jay runner Banned

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2017
    Messages:
    16,319
    Likes Received:
    10,027
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Well, nothing good ever comes in over the phone unless you already know the person on the other end.

    One of the latest scams is a call that a relative is in the emergency room and call the doctor at such and such a number.

    If you call the number the inmate can piggyback your number to make all his long distance calls for free, or worse.

    Nothing good comes in over the phone from folks you don't know.
     
    pjohns and Merwen like this.
  8. ThelmaMay

    ThelmaMay Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2017
    Messages:
    4,102
    Likes Received:
    5,750
    Trophy Points:
    113
    I have never had a problem. I have always had an unlisted number. Guess no one wants to find me. :)
     
  9. cerberus

    cerberus Well-Known Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2015
    Messages:
    25,530
    Likes Received:
    5,363
    Trophy Points:
    113
    OP

    I know the feeling, sort of! Almost daily I was getting a call from International (in other words, I could only block a numeric, so couldn't put it on call-blocker?). The artificial voice said at the end every time 'Press 1 for more information, or 9 to stop any more calls.' I was a-thinking it was some kind of clever scam, and that if I pressed 9 they'd have some way of ripping me off, so I didn't - until I got so fed up with it about 3 weeks ago that I did press 9, and I haven't heard from them since!! :rolleyes: :roflol:
     
  10. pjohns

    pjohns Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2009
    Messages:
    6,916
    Likes Received:
    658
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Thanks.

    But I have tried that--and I still get unwanted calls--almost every day.

    And since most are robocalls, I cannot ask a person--a real, live person--to remove me from the calling list.
     
  11. fmw

    fmw Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2009
    Messages:
    37,751
    Likes Received:
    14,562
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Of course. I give them about 3 seconds to convince me they aren't telemarketers and, if they fail, I hang up. At least the misery doesn't last long.
     
    pjohns likes this.
  12. perdidochas

    perdidochas Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2008
    Messages:
    27,293
    Likes Received:
    4,346
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    I don't mind the legitimate solicitors too much. It's the scams that bother me. My mother is 81 years old. She has gotten several calls from young men pretending to be her grandson. She didn't fall for it, but some of her senior friends have. Same with my 84 year old father-in-law.

    I've been threatened by the "IRS" as well as claims that "local officials" had four warrants out for my arrest. I could clear my record if I just called these numbers.....
     
    Last edited: May 15, 2018
  13. Curious Always

    Curious Always Well-Known Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Dec 6, 2016
    Messages:
    16,924
    Likes Received:
    13,462
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Female
    I have 30-ish numbers in my contact called SPAM. SPAM calls me a few times a week, but their ringtone is mute. I only add about one a month, now. Easy. Add yourself to "do not call" registry, and it drops dramatically, but not completely.
     
  14. pjohns

    pjohns Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2009
    Messages:
    6,916
    Likes Received:
    658
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    About a month or two ago, I added myself to the Do Not Call registry.

    Unfortunately, however, I have noticed very little difference--if any at all--in the number of spam calls I receive every day.

    I am wondering if there is some way to block certain telephone numbers. (Even if I had to pay extra for it, it would certainly be worth it, to me.)
     
  15. tecoyah

    tecoyah Well-Known Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    May 15, 2008
    Messages:
    28,370
    Likes Received:
    9,297
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    My solution is terribly simple and enormously effective.

    when the phone rings just answer "Hola", this activates robo calls so you can immediately hang up or confuses the telemarketer so THEy hang up. Only once did the caller know Spanish and I simply said "No Habla Espanol"...then hung up.
     
    Sallyally likes this.
  16. 61falcon

    61falcon Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2018
    Messages:
    21,436
    Likes Received:
    12,227
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Being on the Federal and State no call lists is pointless, no one pays any attention to them.
     
    pjohns likes this.
  17. mamooth

    mamooth Well-Known Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2012
    Messages:
    6,415
    Likes Received:
    2,182
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Saying the words "La Migra" ("immigration") will cause most Spanish-speakers to never call back.

    I had to do that when I first got my current phone number, as the number looked to have previously belonged to a Spanish-speaking person. It only took about a week of saying "La Migra" to end all of the Spanish calls. Word got around.

    After that, I had various collection agencies calling that number. I made sure to never speak to them, to not give them any info that could link my name to the collection account. They gave up calling eventually ... after about 7 years.

    My new cell number was interesting as well. It apparently previously belonged to a truck stop hooker, being that truckers were sending me dick pics.
     
    pjohns and tecoyah like this.
  18. BULGARICA

    BULGARICA Banned

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2018
    Messages:
    1,145
    Likes Received:
    394
    Trophy Points:
    83
    Gender:
    Male
    In Bulgaria, there's not a SINGLE law to stop them telemarketer-spammers and protect people. They pull your numbers from random directories, small ads, even forums, and start buzzing ya.

    I block 10 numbers - they come with another 20 new. It's endless...the journey.
     
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2018
  19. perdidochas

    perdidochas Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2008
    Messages:
    27,293
    Likes Received:
    4,346
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    I don't have much of a problem with the telemarketers. My problem is with scammers. Last week, one scammer called me three times and left voice mails saying that I had 4 serious charges against me from the local police.......
     
    pjohns likes this.
  20. pjohns

    pjohns Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2009
    Messages:
    6,916
    Likes Received:
    658
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    I think I would likely reply:

    "Oh, really? It does seem rather odd that you are aware of this, yet the police have not yet informed me of it.

    "And may I assume that you can make these charges go away, if only I will send you some money?"
     
  21. reallybigjohnson

    reallybigjohnson Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2012
    Messages:
    8,849
    Likes Received:
    1,415
    Trophy Points:
    113
    That's actually brilliant. LOL
     
    pjohns likes this.
  22. Blaster3

    Blaster3 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 7, 2018
    Messages:
    6,008
    Likes Received:
    5,302
    Trophy Points:
    113
    i've registered many years ago, back then it also offered to register the address to stop junk mail, worked great for many years, still does sort of, the new laws allow for 'affiliates' of places you do business with, to call you... that means, say you do business with citibank, so every single affiliate of citibank/citicorp/citigroup and their affiliates, and the affiliates of those affiliates (ad infinitum) are legally allowed to contact you via all contact points that you gave to citibank... in otherwords every sob on the planet can contact you, if they acquire your contact info from anyone of those affiliates, which you agreed to when you signed up for that citibank account...

    sickening... in this day and age, the smart thing to do is place a 'freeze' with all 4 credit reporting agencies... it is now free to do so...

    my smart aleck phone (android) has a built in app that allows me to report any incoming call that isn't a contact and then block the number... i haven't had a landline phone in over 21 years...
     
  23. pjohns

    pjohns Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2009
    Messages:
    6,916
    Likes Received:
    658
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    This is a most interesting (and informative) post.

    As concerning telephone types, I do have a cellphone--a 1990s-style flip phone--but I use it only to place calls when I am away from home. For other matters, I use my landline phone.

    I guess I am just old school (or a dinosaur, depending upon one's perspective).
     
  24. tecoyah

    tecoyah Well-Known Member Past Donor

    Joined:
    May 15, 2008
    Messages:
    28,370
    Likes Received:
    9,297
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    The telemarketer/recording solution:

    Telephone rings.
    Answer with "Hola".
    Automation is activated...hang up.
    Live person will hang up unless Spanish speaking.
    If they speak Spanish say "No habla espanol."
    Hang up.
     
  25. FivepointFive

    FivepointFive Banned

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2017
    Messages:
    2,754
    Likes Received:
    684
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Can I get an AyaTrollYah???


     

Share This Page