Telemarketers!@#%^&!!

[jevb]

****WARNING = RANT MODE ON*****

What good does it do to be on the national "Do Not Call" list when I still get calls from banks and lending institutions wanting me to get one of their mortgages??? I just got done talking to a guy from some lending company, offering me a 1.5% mortgage. I asked him why he was calling me, since I was on the Do Not Call list. I don't know what list he had, but I did register on the national list. He said that probably the reason I *was* on the list he had was because I qualified for a low interest rate. How nice of them to "qualify" me. I don't care about their mortgages, I'm just furious because I still get these annoying calls, about a half dozen a week. Has anybody else experienced this? What else can I do to stop these calls?

**Rant Mode Off***

Thank you, I feel much better now.

jevb

[CRFSaver]

I think the out with the DNC list is if they already do business with you or have in the last year the list doesnt apply...

[jmjj215]

Have fun w/ them when they call. But always tell them to remove you. They're legally obligated to do so.

[retire@50]

I'm also on the do not call list but I still get lots of charities and survey calls, which always come at dinner time and I don't even eat dinner at the same time every night.

Last week I got 3 calls from the same person within a week. I hung up everytime. Don't you think that would be enough of a clue for these people that I don't want to talk to them? Why do they call back the next day? I hate taking my time to actually talk to them and tell them don't call me again, the hangup should be sufficient.

And don't talk to me about being rude (Mom ), I think it's rude that they think just because they bought my phone number they have a right to my time.

[PrincessPerky]

I cancelled my home phone and have only had 1 or two calls since then (on the cell phone) Partly due to not answering the thing to often, and partly due to having caller ID on the cell.

And when you ask them to remove you stick around and ask their name too, otherwise they tend to forget and lose the call.

[jevb]

Originally Posted by retire@50

I'm also on the do not call list but I still get lots of charities and survey calls, which always come at dinner time and I don't even eat dinner at the same time every night.

<snip>

And don't talk to me about being rude (Mom ), I think it's rude that they think just because they bought my phone number they have a right to my time.

Yea, don't they realize that it's an invasion of my privacy to call my phone? I pay for that service for my own convenience, and so that those whom I choose to give the number to can call me. It's an abuse of my time, my privacy, and of the service that I am paying for. Yes, it's very, very rude, inconsiderate, and downright unethical in my opinion.

[Fern]

The next time a telemarketer calls, politely ask them if they could hold on "for just a minute." Put the phone down and go about whatever you were doing. They will wait and wait, and you will never come back to the phone, plus you're tying up their phone lines when they would otherwise be harrassing other people.

[cicy33]

In Illinois once you have requested they remove and they call again, you can actually sue them. There was a guy in this state that did this and made a fair amount of money. You have to remember to write down the name of the organization and the name of the person calling. Tell them to take you off their list. If they call back take their name too and the date and time and then you have a record that you can use to take them to court. I had one that called and told them I had already told them to stop calling me and if they called again I would be sueing as Illinois has that law and they don't call anymore! I don't have a lot of info on the law or how it works but I know that it does.

[Bluezy]

More states should have that law.

[CRFSaver]

Ughh last thing we need is more lawsuits!

[jevb]

Originally Posted by Fern

The next time a telemarketer calls, politely ask them if they could hold on "for just a minute." Put the phone down and go about whatever you were doing. They will wait and wait, and you will never come back to the phone, plus you're tying up their phone lines when they would otherwise be harrassing other people.

Cool, I think I'll do that.

[cicy33]

Originally Posted by CRFSaver

Ughh last thing we need is more lawsuits!

I agree actually and I have never pursued the option of sueing any of the telemarketers but telling them that has helped my situation a lot! I just know that it can be done. The reasoning behind the law is a harrassment issue I believe. Maybe they should have stricter rules for telemarketing. I don't think that this is what was in mind when the phone was invented!

[CRFSaver]

I think there are so many better ways to get customers then cold calling. The local Veterans charity, instead of asking for donations and calling you, leave a little envelope with a yellow plastic bag and they tell you what day they are coming bye. Easy for me and easy for them. And no need to bother me during dinner.

[jmjj215]

When I was 15 I worked for a telemarketing company collecting for charities. I was digging around in the computer a bit and found out that 15% of a donor's donation actually goes to the charity. The rest went to overhead ($5.50 an hour for me). I quit that day.

[marjorie]

I start singing out a single note, did you know even one note can be offkey? And sustain it until I run out of breath or they hang up. Seems to cut down on calls

[jevb]

Originally Posted by marjorie

I start singing out a single note, did you know even one note can be offkey? And sustain it until I run out of breath or they hang up. Seems to cut down on calls

LOL, LOL, that's funny! You go girl!

[jevb]

Originally Posted by jmjj215

When I was 15 I worked for a telemarketing company collecting for charities. I was digging around in the computer a bit and found out that 15% of a donor's donation actually goes to the charity. The rest went to overhead ($5.50 an hour for me). I quit that day.

That's a real shame. I do believe in charities, and give to them. It's too bad that things like that happen, it brings disgrace on all charities. I used to give to one ministry in Florida, until they took to calling me on the phone to get more. That ended my relationship with them.

[CRFSaver]

One way to ensure everything you are giving is going to everything but overhead is give goods and services. United way can't pay people with clothes and cans of beans. What really bugs me is how much the "directors" of these charities make. Given the number of retired executives or their wives that have a ton of time on their hands, are you telling me you can't find a competant executive to run it pro-bono? Pro-bono? A charity? You mean free? What a novel concept...

[jhd815]

The Direct Marketing Association also has a service that you can use to "opt out" of telemarketing offers. Here's their link that explains their "Telephone Preference Service":

http://www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offtelephone

You can also opt out with the credit bureaus (who share your information for promotional purposes). Call 1-888-5OPTOUT

[claricem75]

Same!! The survey calls drive me crazy. I've gotten to the point where I also give up telling them 'no thank you' and just hang up. If you say no, they try to talk you into it. And I'm on both the DNC call list AND the state DNC list.

Clarice

Originally Posted by retire@50

I'm also on the do not call list but I still get lots of charities and survey calls, which always come at dinner time and I don't even eat dinner at the same time every night.

Last week I got 3 calls from the same person within a week. I hung up everytime. Don't you think that would be enough of a clue for these people that I don't want to talk to them? Why do they call back the next day? I hate taking my time to actually talk to them and tell them don't call me again, the hangup should be sufficient.

And don't talk to me about being rude (Mom ), I think it's rude that they think just because they bought my phone number they have a right to my time.