Man Turns Tables on Telemarketer

[olena]

DULUTH, Minn. - An exasperated resident turned the tables on a company that hounded him with telemarketing calls, calling it more than 100 times in two days.
Marc Plaisted said he started calling Minnesota Auto Glass after the St. Peter-based company's telemarketers called him up to three times a day — even after he asked them not to.
Plaisted had figured the calls would stop when he signed on to Minnesota's "do-not-call" list months ago.
"I'm following the law and asking them to be taken off the list and they ignore me and then, on top of it, start swearing at me," he said. "That was where they flipped the switch with me and I said, 'Enough is enough. I'm going after you guys now."
Plaisted started calling the Minnesota Auto Glass's Duluth office last Thursday, and placed more than 100 calls, he said.
"I just called them every five minutes and let them know that, no, I don't have a crack in my windshield, because this seems to be something they are very concerned about," Plaisted said.
A Minnesota Auto Glass manager in Duluth said Plaisted's number had been removed from its list and that proof of the removal would be put in writing.





YEAH!

 

[nativetxn]

I like that guy!

 

[Penny2]

I got an email a few months ago with two great ideas along these lines:

1.) When a telemarketer calls...ask them to hold and put the phone down. Eventually they will hang up, but if alot of people do this, the theory went, the cost of telemarketing would be so high that companies would stop.

2.) Save your junk mail and ESPECIALLY the postage paid envelopes. Fill the envelopes with your unused junk mail (taking anything with your name on it out, of course) and it will make the cost of doing these things high enough that companies will think twice about sending out so much mass mail. Maybe saving our time and trees!

I doubt they would really work, but I sure do like the thought of getting back at the companies who perpetrate these annoyances!

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

 

[Itsanalias]

I usually hand the phone to my 4 year old....telemarketer hangs up in like 3 seconds flat after he hears "Dad, who is dis guy, he's annoying me."

 

[Beauty]

I do the same thing...LOL

I hand the phone to John-Cole (who is 11) and he says things like,

"I like chicken!"

 

[DaisyDebbie]

I had a woman call my house yesterday asking to speak with my husband. I said he wasn't home could I take a message. She says tell him to call this number, so I asked her where she was calling from and she told me "this is a personal business matter". I told her that I was his wife and if he didn't know who he was supposed to call back he wouldn't. She said that's ok too Then she told me to hold on a sec and disconnected me

 

[Grog]

Too funny. I'll have to remember some of this stuff

 

[crazyme5kids]

I got a call that made me feel like a Seinfeld episode! Some guy calls and says "I'm looking at a bank statement of yours and I see you're paying 9.5% on your mortgage!" Now I know he has no statement in front of him, so I say "I am!!!????". He says " Oh you're paying 8.5%." Again I say, I am!!!!????" He says " You're paying 8%." So I say, "Am I!!!!!????" Finally he says "Well what are you paying?????". It was classic!

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

My favorite telemarketer stump was when I was still single.

The telemarker called and asked for Mrs Smith (name changed to protect the innocent ). I said, "I'm sorry, Mrs. (emphasis on Mrs) Smith doesn't live here; she lives in Texas." At the time, I lived in Idaho and my parents lived in TX. I flustered the poor guy so badly that he actually said sorry and hung up on me!

 

[*Flower*]

We already do the "stuff the postage paid envelope full of garbage" thing.

We're so tired of getting credit card announcements "you qualify for a *insert type of card here* with a credit limit of a gazillion dollars!!! Just send this application back in the enclosed POSTAGE PAID ENVELOPE.... and we'll take your first-born male child too!!

So we fill up the envelope with refuse from our shredder, and mail it back. At least that way THEY pay the postage.....

 

[Laurajean1014]

I only get about 2 phone calls every year. The ones where a computer dials the number. I have an unlisted number, that is not on my checks, nor on any papers I fill out (even employment), etc.

We have been able to keep our phone private for over 5years now.

Just remember, if you put your phone number on a check (written or typed), it is considered public records and can be given to anyone who wants it. It is also against the law for a store in CT to ask for a phone number, but many clerks do not know this. So, instead of arguing, I give them our fax number. Hence, the reason why I never get bothered by telemarketers.

Another good thing is that I do not subscribe to the newspapers. We purchase them at the stores. They are huge wh*res when it comes to buying and selling phone numbers, etc.

Also, when receiving continueous services (such as chemically treating your lawn and stuff). I make a stipulation that I am not to receive any solicitation phone calls or otherwise. If I ever do, the remaining balance owed will be consumed by the company and any contract or commitment will become null and void by the company, due to non-compliance by that company.

Merchants listened and my phone is silent!

 

[antnee]

this reminds me of an episode of Seinfeld

 

[Serena]

love it!

 

[dtuleya]

ROFLMAO!

 

[TLinden16]

I had been getting the same telemarketing call at least a couple times a month for about a year. It was one of those ones where I would get four magazines absolutely free, but they just ask that I pay a certain amount every week to help cover the postage. The amount of postage was almost as much as the newsstand price of the four magazines.

So, I finally got fed up with the calls, so one night instead of saying, "I'm not interested, thank you" and hanging up like I normally would. I listened to the guys speil about all of the wonderful magazines I could get for free. I listened as he said that for just $2.50 a week to help with postage, I could get four magazines delivered right to my door for free. The guy went on and on for about 10 minutes, and was like, "So, what do you think?"

So I say, "I just want to make sure I understand this. For $2.50 a week, about $10 a month I can get <insert names of magazines here> delivered to me free of charge. That's about $120 a year." I went on and on. Finally, the guy hung up on me. It was a great moment.

Karen

 

[Minniespal]

What a guy!!!

 

[dianeschlicht]

Most telemarketers can't pronounce our name, so when they ask for Mr. or Mrs. Schlock or Shick or SChlight or whatever, I say "no one here by that name and hang up.

 

[powellrj]

Originally posted by DaisyDebbie
I had a woman call my house yesterday asking to speak with my husband. I said he wasn't home could I take a message. She says tell him to call this number, so I asked her where she was calling from and she told me "this is a personal business matter". I told her that I was his wife and if he didn't know who he was supposed to call back he wouldn't. She said that's ok too Then she told me to hold on a sec and disconnected me

My DH use to get those calls too and it was from the Blood Bank wanting him to donate blood!!! What, its a big secret that I'm not suppose to know that he donates blood???? I finally told them if they wanted to reach him to call him at work, and now they don't call at all. (But he still gives blood)

 

[mickey4ver]

I got one of those calls also for spouse, wouldn't leave message, "this is personal" crap, so I told them that if they couldn't state their business, then I was not forwarding any messages and my spouse did not wish to speak with any unknown person/business. That irked me for some reason, "this is personal", well my "personal" opinion is go fly a kite!