How To Stop Telemarketers From Calling You
Do you get Telemarketers calling you most nights trying to sell you a produce or saying that you have one a free holiday if you signup to their product? Are you sick of these people because they always interrupt you while watching TV or cooking dinner? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, read on to find out how get them to stop calling you.
I was reading a blog post from List and Notes and their solution was for you to tell the telemarketer that they have to speak to “Fred” (or some other fictional name), but say Fred is away for a few weeks, and they can only speak to Fred about this matter.
Although this solution may work, they are still going to call you back when they think Fred is back. So here’s another alternative so they will not call you back.
If this method didn’t work, I won’t be telling you it, but it does. I used to get at least 3 calls a week, now I don’t get any and I have tried this on 2 phone numbers that did get a lot of telemarketing calls.
So what is the trick?
The trick is pretty simple. All you have to do is follow a simple rule: “Don’t hang-up on them, make them hang-up on you”
How you get them to hang-up is up to you, but don’t be disrespectful and blow a whistle into the phone – they are human beings just doing their job.
Below are a couple of ways to get telemarketers to hang-up on you. For this to work and to get the best results, you need to be bored or have a lot of free time. So here we go:
- Say you can’t hear them so they have to repeat themselves
- Keep saying hello when you answer and say you can’t hear them, anyone there?
- Act as you are dumb and have no idea what they are talking about
- Have a huge delay when you respond to them
- Transfer your call to different people in your house and get the telemarketer to repeat what they are saying to everyone – like what your phone company does when you have a problem. Keep going around in circles until the caller gives up
- Make them feel that they have a sale and that you are interested in what they are offering and drag the conversation on for a while, then just turn around and say I already have that and make them hang-up because they wasted so much time
- When they sell you a phone deal (or some other sort of deal), say that your with one of their competitors on a really great (but realist deal) that they cannot beat. Always ask “Can you beat XX plan?”
- If they say you have won a holiday, say your already on holiday and your phone’s diverted, or even say that you own your own holiday resort better then what they are offering
- If they say you have won something and they are about to say “but… you have to do this first”, interrupt them, scream and cheer to your family that you have won a holiday and how it will change your life because you are really poor – make them feel bad
- Say you’ll get someone who can help you, do something for a minute and come back to them saying that person isn’t there. Depending on their response, try and find someone else
- Say you’ll get someone else who to take their call because you think like they will enjoy what the telemarketer is offering, and pretend to have a really loud (maybe abusive) argument about something and make sure the telemarketer can hear you
- Play a pre-reordered message to them selling a product of your own
- Do some self-promotion of your own website, products, blogs etc
- Ask them a lot of questions about what they are offering, hard ones if you know the topic in detail and try to make them think
- Ask them stupid questions that are plain ridiculous
- Ask them how their day was, have they made any sales, how you can become a telemarketer just like them because their job is so cool
- Every couple of seconds, press a button on your telephone to make a beeping sound
- Ask for their contact details
- Get them to take up the offer and say you will only take it up if they take it up first. If they are selling you a cruise and they say they will take it, tell them to get off the phone and pack their bags right away
- Speak a different language of gibberish
- Keep sneezing (faking it of course) and get them to repeat themselves
- Change your voice pitch all the time from high to low
- Ask them “Do you know who I am” and pretend that you are a really famous person
- Tell the telemarketer you are interested and that you are going to get a pen and then just leave the phone off the hook for a while – By Joachim
- Tell them they are in violation of Department of Defense regulation 16A or some random number and that this constitutes a federal offense and that they will be contacted shortly by the FBI for having a secure number – Ken
- Answer the phone pretending you are from some telephone chat line where the caller gets charged $2 per minute – Deanna
- Act as you are a hostage negotiator and aim to get the telemarketer to release the hostages – Deanna
Update: Since I got mentioned on LifeHacker, here are a few of LifeHackers readers suggestions
- If they ask you a question and they expect your answer to be yes, say no or the opposite. If for example they ask “Do you want to go on a free holiday”, say “I hate holidays, I just want to be worked to death” or “I wish we could eat Panda bears to extinction – they look tasty”. It makes them confused and adds to your enjoyment – By Teaman
- A trick I learned from a mate was to let them rant on so you seem interested. Then at the end you say in your creepiest seduction voice “before we proceed further with the deal, I have one question…. what are you wearing?” – By Xavier
- Try the Seinfeld approach – When you first answer tell them you are busy but interested and how long will they be at work for. Then say you wont be available to talk to untill they finish work. Ask them for their home number and say you will give them a call (when they will be having dinner). Of course they don’t like to do that which means you can say in your sincerest voice ‘oh i understand, you dont want people calling you at home’ to which they always say ‘yes’ and you can say ‘well now you know how i feel’ and hang up – By Mark
- Ask for their ABN, or other business contact information. They freak out and hang up on you – By Jake D
- My favourite technique is to pretend they’ve called to buy something off me. I go into a sales pitch and start blabbing on about how I can help them and ask them to clarify exactly what it is their company is looking for. It totally bamboozles the poor telemarketer. The start arguing, trying to explain they are the ones selling and it’s all I can do to keep from dying in fits of laughter – By Travis Y
- Ask where they got your contact information from and make it sound like they broke a federal law and will be personally liable for contacting you – By B8two
The whole aim with the above is to get the telemarketer frustrated so they hang-up on you. If you do this a couple of times to them, in a couple of months they will get frustrated from calling you and will give up. If they suspect another time they may make a sale off you, they’ll keep calling you back.
Have you tried this before? Has it worked for you? Do you have any other methods that have worked? Share your stories.
Unfortunately for all us technology has enabled telemarketers to make more calls in a day. I get so many calls from automated dialers and some aren’t even from humans. I’ve done a few things on your list but you gave some new info, so thanks. I think next time a get a call I’m gonna whisper and say “I can’t talk right not, the police are here”
I am glade you have found some new idea’s.
Hi everyone.. I recently started working as a “phone operator” for a charity. Yes, despite my illusive job title I am one of those telemarketers you all dread. However I am grateful for this job. It’s close to where I live, it’s close to my uni and I am trying to help people who are seriously disadvantaged. I understand the frustration, believe me, I was a receptionist before this job, so I will give you this piece of advice.. JUST SAY YOU’RE NOT INTERESTED AND HANG UP..We won’t call you back again and you don’t have to play any of these silly little tricks on us because I already know them all and I’ve been only working there for three weeks. The main reason why I write this though, is because some nasty piece of work blew a whistle in my ear. My ear is still sore and ringing. I am just another person trying to get by. I am a tax payer.. I also know where you live, what your phone number is and am very tempted to press charges against you. Don’t make a fool out of yourself by listening to the above advise and especially please don’t blow a whistle. It really does do damage and is an assault. I do understand that there are millions of these companies and that they are all trying to call you but unless we establish a fair, moneyless, global resourse based economy, you will not be able to stop these people from doing their jobs.
Hi Sally,
Unfortunately, there are few telemarketers, that when you say “I am not interested” they will keep hassling you and in some occasions, will call you back. Just like everything in the Australia, the minority wrecks it for the majority.
As with the person who did blow the whistle, did you take it up further with your manager or anyway? The things on this list is just harmless fun, but whistle blowing can leave physical damage and is just not on.
Look, I just have to reply to this. Darling, get down off your high horse. I too was a telemarketer once. Most people aren’t bothered by legit telemarketers, and the ones that are, do not give a fuck, dear, that you have their address. They are not frightened by you. Strike the number off the list, fix your butthurt behind, and realise it goes with the job. Believe me, it will get worse. Most people aren’t bothered by you, but by the scams. I get six calls a day, six. And I’m home all day with a broken elbow. Mind you, the above don’t work on this couple. They’re Indian and run scams about computers, insurance, phones, you name it. They’ll ring you more than once and act like they haven’t. I have played with them so hard they slam the phone down in frustration, but it doesn’t stop them ringing. They’ve been ringing for years now. What’s more, I have not given them an inch of information. You dear, are in with a bad crowd, and you make yourself look like a total dick for threatening someone online. Not only because it’s not going to do anything, but because we ALL KNOW about telemarketers. Put yourself in their shoes, stop thinking only about yourself. Also, just a warning, even though you work for a charity do not ignore the Do Not Call registry. If that person that blew a whistle at you (hell, it might not even be the name you got, it might be someone else in their house), can press charges. I am being very blunt and harsh cause you need to learn what you face working as a telemarketer, no matter you’re doing it for charity. I know you will never see this. It’s over a year since you posted. But I just want people to know that people who work for call centers aren’t like the idiot above.
When telemarketers took the job they should have known the dangers, just like a police or fireman or alligator removal person.
A valid point.
Im just going to keep blowing the whistle in their ear.
Only if it’s the same person though..
if you get a call from you know who just say something really dumb in a really retarted voice you want fried rice or i love you. lol
Simple things like this do work. However, on recent phone call with Telstra, they’ve changed their marketing tactics.
Been a telemarketer, most people in the call centre are lovely people and it’s the only job they can get so can you please not be horrible to them, it’s sad, and dont waste their time. To get them not to call you, pretend you dont understand, tell them you are on the disability pension, or that your hearing is not good. It’s the quickest way. Any other response, like you being nasty or wasting their time, means they have to disposition you in not interested, and you will always be called back at some stage, it’s not the telemarketer’s fault, it’s just them doing their job.
This may be true, but when you say “I am not interested” and they still try to sell you something, you have no choice other to waste their time.
Your not wasting their time lol they are getting paid pennies for it.
Listen here kevin, joe s and robert stanton..I am fed up to the back teeth of slimy little gits like you pestering me at all times of the day. You’re not fooling anyone…this list of suggestions has cheered me right up..Thanks to all, especially liked the whistle blowing one!
I hang up on telemarketers without comment, I look straight ahead and do not engage street sellers, and say, “No thanks.” to signature gathers.
The article which has been posted is simply amazing and very well written. Thanks for sharing the post.
Thanks for your comment
A lot of the comments talk about these telemarketers as “just people doing thier job.” BULL!
These are people who know what they are doing is usually illegal because their calling people in the Do Not Call List, and they don’t care! And they don’t care that their bothering or wasting the time of most of the people they call. It’s a numbers game for them. They have to bother and piss off a lot of people in order to occassionaly get that one sell. They know that and they don’t give a damn about the people they bother.
While I don’t support the idea of blowing a whistle in the phone, because you could literaly blow thier ear drum, I don’t have a problem with people being rude and/or wasting the telemarketers time. FOLKS THAT’S WHAT THEY’RE DOING TO YOU AND THEY DON’T CARE IF IT BOTHERS YOU. So do what ever you can to make thier life misserable.
And, write or call your congress person. Demand that the FCC get off thier dead ass and start going after these people. When the owners of these companies start going to jail, the whole thing will end.
And most of these telemarketers that call don’t even live in the your country. You can tell if a telemarketer lives and works overseas.
i have them call i pick it up and just leave it , and no answer or talking and leave them on the hook for an hour then hang it up , i heard that ties up their line is that true? thank you, these are great ideas !!
Usually, the dialer controls the actual “hangup”, especially with the old PSTN lines (traditional landlines). For example, if someone calls you, and you hangup, pick up the phone 30 seconds later, and the other person hasn’t ended the call yet, you won’t be able to make a call until they hang up.
However, this was a few years ago, so I am am not sure if this still occurs.
How rude. As a “veteran” telemarketer, all we want is to tell you what we’re offering. Hell, you might even like it! I’m a single mom paying my way through college with no help from my ex husband for his daughter. Why waste people’s time? I get paid by commission and if you were a car salesman paid only on commission I wouldn’t test drive 4 cars just to tell you I didn’t want to buy one. Congrats on being a dick, I hope Karma makes your asshole fall off.
Thank you for your comment. Do you mind telling me what you are trying to sell for me?
I agree, some telecommunication calls are good. In fact, I first signed up for Broadband Internet through a telecommunication call with Telstra.
However, I am more referring to those scam telemarketing calls where you can get a free cook book if you come sit through a 3 hour long sales speech investigative in bottle tops.
If you don’t want us to waste your time, don’t waste our time. Tell your company to call people who have showed a slight interest in the product you are selling, not just dialing A-Z in the White Papers.
By the way if you keep putting your phone number on stuff online (surveys, preferred customer sign-ups, Facebook, twitter, rewards websites, newsletters, etc…) people will keep calling you and it’s not their fault. Be smarter than the machine or I will sell my product to you! Have a beautiful day!!
Ah, so you’re not a bad person, you’re just a pervy creep.
I use a callblocker and then check badnumbers.com for new calls.
Thank you for the advice
I make appointments with telemarketers and then meet them with a few of my close friends —-they bleed a little BUT THEY NEVER CALL BACK..SCREW THOSE LOSERS–I BEAT THEM SENSELESS and enjoy it !! We had one who actually pissed herself, funny– another couldn’t remember how to drive home so we helped him RIGHT INTO A DITCH,made him drink beers and then called 911 for him!!!! eat telemarketers jerks!! come on to my house
I always act interested and about 4 minutes into it i get my mobile ringtone to sound and i tell them i have to take this call but can they hold. I usually just keep doing my own stuff for about 5 minutes until they hang up or tell them sorry this call will take a while and is important or sorry have to go, either way every minute they are waiting they aren’t calling someone else wasting their time, id rather turn the tide and make them waste their time they are definitely the lowest form of salespeople.
Haha! You know, I used to do that to people simply by accident when I was a receptionist. Sometimes more important things pop up.
When I worked for a tech support company, people would call us for help and put me on hold because they thought they would be waiting 10 or so minutes for someone to pick up, not in the first 10 seconds.
A couple years ago, I was a receptionist for a local manufacturing company. Many of the employees had a habit of putting the company phone number on credit card applications so the creditors wouldn’t be able to call them at home. One day, I received a call from a debt collector asking to speak to someone who worked out on the manufacturing floor (an hourly–hourly employees, by the way, are not allowed to take personal calls if they’re not on their breaks, unless it’s an emergency or there are other extenuating circumstances). When I told him he was unavailable, the collector asked me for his home number. Obviously, it’s illegal for me to give personal information to someone without the employee’s written permission, so I denied him. He then asked to speak to my HR Manager. I asked him what the call was regarding (my HR manager had me screen [i]all[/i] calls that went to him). He told me it was none of my business and I told him I couldn’t transfer him to anyone in management until I knew what he wanted. He then started screaming at me for denying him “HR services” (which, by the way, only exist for [i]employees[/i]). I told him he was denying [i]himself[[/i] services by refusing to cooperate. He apparently thought I was a moron, because he threatened to sue, so I told him I would be happy to provide him with the contact information of our company’s attorney. He hung up and never called back.
Hello Chelsey,
I am sure he would have had other information, such as his home address. He should have turned up there. Or the person he was after paid him. Thanks for adding your story.
And the telemarketers who get paid simply if you[i] pick up the phone[/i] infuriate me because there is no way to tell them to put my number on the Do Not Call list.
Hello Chelsey,
If you are on the Do Not Call Register, get the company name and report them https://www.donotcall.gov.au/enquiries.cfm
I work in a teleresearch job doing business to business calls. I was just skimming thru here and found something very disturbing. Blow a whistle into the phone. How ignorant are you? That happened here very recently and it actually damaged the persons hearing because it was so loud. Can you not just hang up? Maybe listen to the caller and they can provide you a number so yours can be removed. Why do people have to be so amazingly stupid.
Hello, yes blowing a whistle is taking it too far. Someone made a comment here, so I had to add it to the main post for people NOT to do it.
I get 3-5 phone calls per day when I’m trying to sleep after 13 hr overnight shift- I have politely asked to be removed, have registered on do not call list, explained that it’s like waking somone up every hour at night- nothing works…..sooo I say- I WILL BLOW A WHISTLE!!! noone cares about my requests and the fact that they are depriving me of my lousy 5 hrs of sleep per day…Also- they can sue me all they want- they are calling MY HOUSE on the number that is PROHIBITED from calling- I’ll be shocked if they won!
Sorry to hear about this. Have they stopped calling after you are now on the list?
If they keep calling, you may want to make a complain. You can do so here: https://www.donotcall.gov.au/enquiries.cfm
best way to rid these sub human assh–ls give them your senator or reps phone number to call back or this one works pick up and hang up
I’m surprised no one has mentioned the very successful crime scene technique. First of all, when they call, ask them how they got this number and what relationship they have to this person (create a fictional name). Then seem to call over your shoulder “Hey Lieutenant, can you listen in on this call”. Then ask if and when they last were at this location and exactly where they’re calling from. Again, call over your shoulder for the CSI person to get a photo of the body from another angle, etc., etc., etc.
I just grab some vasoline and use them for phone sex.