Ever play along with phoe scammer?

[Bob NC]

Actually, it does.

In fact, quite a bit.

I don't understand how.

I have only told what I do. I haven't told others their opinion is wrong.

I've been told my opinion is wrong, others opinions are right, and that I should do things that I don't want to do, such as turn off my ringer on my phone. Or turn my phone off.

Look, some folks don't mind their phone ringing all the time with people they don't want to talk to, that's fine. I don't feel the same way.

The one thing I am NOT doing, however, is telling people what they should do or think.

 

[msjprincess]

I'm curious what a poster who apparently makes her living as a social worker would suggest they do instead of that minimum wage telemarketing job? People who takes those jobs don't normally do it because it's their first choice. They do it to feed their families.

They should just quit their jobs and sit home and collect welfare. That's a much better option.

 

[SaraJayne]

Actually, it does.

In fact, quite a bit.

 

[WDSearcher]

By the way.....All I did was give my opinion of what I think about telemarketers.

It's obvious who the people are that don't believe there should be ANY other opinions except theirs.

Hey ... all I did was offer an opinion of your opinion.

Hello, Kettle. I'm Pot. We're both wearing black today. Who'd have guessed?

 

[WDSearcher]

There is only one little thing that makes me curious.

If so many people don't mind telemarketers, if there are so many simple solutions for dealing with telemarketers, I wonder why the public overwhelmingly demanded the Do Not Call Registry.

Where does it say that people don't mind telemarketers? No one here is jumping up and down and saying telemarketers are swell! Send me more! I imagine that the public overwhelmingly demanded a Do Not Call Registry because they didn't like getting telemarketing calls and, like some here, didn't want to use one of the many simple solutions that were available.

However ... what I (and others) are taking issue with is how some folks treat the people whose job it is to make the telemarketing calls. If you don't like or don't want the calls -- and you don't want to simply turn off your phone or let it go to VM -- complain to the right people. Make sure your info is up to date on the registry. Get an unlisted number. Whatever. But don't curse out or blow whistles at or play tricks on the person who is just trying to make a living. Just because you don't like the job they do doesn't mean the person is worthy of contempt.

I'm not a fan of stores that have people standing on street corners spinning cardboard arrows around, and I hope I'm never in a position where that's the only job I can get. But I hold no ill will against the people doing the actual spinning (unless they hit me with their arrow).

 

[WDSearcher]

I am on the federal do not call list and the state do not call list. I am well aware of the exemptions to the do not call list (Political calls, legit surveys etc.) Any telemarketer that calls me and does not qualify under one of the law's exemptions - is breaking the law and intruding upon my time.

As such I will do as I please if they call me. I did not ask to be called. In fact by placing my number on two different do not call lists - I have explicitly instructed them not to call me. If they call me anyway - watch out! If they are working for a dishonest organization that ignores the do not call list - they need to get a new job - or suffer through the abuse. There are legit telemarketing jobs - get one of those - and stop working for crooks.

The most effective response that I have found is to feign interest in what they are offering (new windows, sell my timeshare etc.) and then just when they think they've got a sale I go "But - I am on the do not call list and by calling me you have shown yourself to be a dishonest businessman and because of that I will not do business with you"

So ... you don't like these kinds of calls because they intrude on your time. Yet you take the time to listen to the pitch and feign interest, just so that you can give them your little quote at the end. Why waste your time listening to the pitch, if time intrusion is the reason you hate the callers? And why berate them for being dishonest, when you're doing the same thing by feigning interest?

I know you think you're teaching them some sort of lesson, but all you're really doing is stooping to their level.

 

[soccerdad72]

This thread got weird -- and that's saying a lot these days.

 

[SheilaHeartsDisney]

I want more stories!!!! Not whatever is currently going on here.

Whenever a telemarketer calls we ussualy have the celebrity sound boards ready to go. The best is probabaly when Samuel L. Jackson answers the phone. He's got a line for everything that could possibly come up. Mr. Rogers is another good one.

 

[CPT Tripss]

I am sorry, but if you are a telemarketer calling people who are on a Do Not Call List, I will treat you like you deserve to be treated. If you are a telemarketer calling MY home when I did NOT invite you to call me or personally give you my number, I will treat you like you deserve to be treated. If you are a telemarketer who calls me at 8:30am after I just worked all night, I will treat you deserve to be treated.

Earn a living in an honest job. I dont think calling MY house and disrupting MY schedule to sell YOUR garbage is an honest living.

As far as not answering they phone, they just keep calling back again and again. A Do Not Call list is just that. I will not treat you nicely if you call my home to scam me or sell me things.

Amen!

Then react like a mature adult. You're on the Do Not Call list? See the post at the top of the page on which you posted for how to deal with that. First, familiarize yourself with what is and isn't covered. If you have a business relationship with a company, they're exempt until/unless you specifically notify them to remove you from their call list.

In fact, familiarize yourself with the Do Not Call list restrictions. There are instances where you may have been removed.

Someone calling you at 8:30 AM after you just got home from work is identical to them calling someone with a nine to five job just after that person got home from work. Your shift schedule doesn't make you unique or exempt.

Honest job? It's great that you have an "honest" job. I do, too (one that likely meets your criteria). Have you met the economy lately? My friends who work in telephone sales have honest jobs. They're not on unemployment or welfare.

If you have an issue, deal with the company. The employee doesn't make the rules or set the working conditions.

Scams are illegal. Treat potential scammers any way you want. Telemarketers are trying to earn an honest living. Again, a simple "no" and hanging up is effective.

Face facts. The DNC list is worthless. There are too many loopholes for legitimate organizatiions, and the crooks just do their own thing.

The outfits that use the robocallers with a human in the backround simply flaunt it and do what they want. AGs in several state have gone on record that they simply can't stop this abhorant practice.

The people who work for these outfits are lawbreakers oure and simple. Why should we treat them with respect.

 

[Planogirl]

It's so easy to say "no thank you" and hang up. It's easy and kinder and a lot less stressful than trying to make a stranger miserable.

What a thread.

 

[SaraJayne]

It's so easy to say "no thank you" and hang up. It's easy and kinder and a lot less stressful than trying to make a stranger miserable.

What a thread.

Or just use Caller ID and not answer the phone at all.

 

[ckay87]

If someone takes a job as a telemarketer, then they know that they are signing up to do something that is rude and annoys people, and I have little respect for people that choose to do that. I won't physically hurt them by blasting something in their ear, but I will hang up on them.

You probably have little respect for people on welfare as well. People gotta do what they gotta do sometimes. I always always feel bad for telemarketers. I think you have to be pretty desperate to take that kind of work. These are people working an honest job, not "living off the government" ya know?

 

[daughtersrus]

Tonight I got a call from microsoft windows about a software problem that causes ads to pop up. The nice man with Indian accent offered to fix it. He wanted me to go to ammy.com and he would remotely control my pc. Of ourse he never said that was his goal. I made up an ID number which of course ddn't work. He tried a few times and had me try another site. I "downloaded" the next thing and he asked if a pop up came up. I said yes and it said the person on the phone is trying to remotely control your PC. He hung up very quickly!

I got the same phone call a few weeks ago. I knew it was a scam but played along briefly.

I googled the phone number and came up with the "who's calling you websites". Many people reported scams but the scammers are posting comments about how helpful the people from that number were.


The best one that I played along with was when the caller ID said "Phone Scam"!

 

[Ceila]

You probably have little respect for people on welfare as well. People gotta do what they gotta do sometimes. I always always feel bad for telemarketers. I think you have to be pretty desperate to take that kind of work. These are people working an honest job, not "living off the government" ya know?

Again, just because it's legal, doesn't make it right.

 

[wvjules]

There are some cranky people on this thread.

BTW, I do not for one second believe Sue is a Social Worker. There's no way anyone with that attitude can be work in that profession.

 

[WDSearcher]

Again, just because it's legal, doesn't make it right.

So ... you would prefer that people collect welfare or unemployment rather than take a legal telemarketing job, simply because you don't think that type of work is "right"?

 

[SaraJayne]

So ... you would prefer that people collect welfare or unemployment rather than take a legal telemarketing job, simply because you don't think that type of work is "right"?

Hey, at least it keeps the "social workers" employed.

 

[Janepod]

It's so easy to say "no thank you" and hang up. It's easy and kinder and a lot less stressful than trying to make a stranger miserable.

What a thread.

Agreed.

The same tactic can be used with the hair people at the mall. Say no and keep walking. We do it every day in NYC with the comedy club people.

 

[Luv2Scrap]

There are some cranky people on this thread.

BTW, I do not for one second believe Sue is a Social Worker. There's no way anyone with that attitude can be work in that profession.

I hate to say it, but this is not necessarily the case. It's nice to think social workers are always nice, friendy people that care about helping others... and for the most part, this is probably true. But coming from someone who works in a building full of them, I can say without a doubt that it is absolutely positively *not* always true.

 

[Kennywife]

So ... you would prefer that people collect welfare or unemployment rather than take a legal telemarketing job, simply because you don't think that type of work is "right"?

I've been on the other side of the phone and been called every name in the book. That was commonplace where I worked and many people quit because they couldn't handle being screamed at and treated like garbage. This kind of abuse became so routine, I finally couldn't handle it anymore and had a near mental breakdown.

Needless to say, I don't do this work anymore and I try to be nice when they call me today. I remember what it was like to have the shoe on the other foot. I wouldn't wish that treatment on my worst enemy.