Yet more telemarketers...

[johngalt]

So ever since the start of the ACA enrollment period, I have been getting swamped with calls to my cell phone. This is new - up until now it has been relatively free of theses types of calls.

Once the enrollment period closed, I thought they would stop. They haven't. I probably get 5 or 6 every day. Sometimes minutes apart.

The Do Not Call list doesn't help. I've gotten suggestions to block the numbers. That doesn't help either - it is different every time. The most common area codes seem to be in PA, TN, TX, OK.

Just curious what others do to address this. Maybe there is a bored soldier of fortune out their looking for a mission...

 

[Ματθιας]

When they ask for me, personally, and I'm sure it's not anyone important, I refer to myself in the third person and tell them that Ματθιας died two months ago and ask them to delete Ματθιας. from their list so as "not to waste their time and resources." I hardly get calls anymore.

 

[df06]

I never ever answer the phone, cell or home, unless I know who is calling and I want to talk to them. Let them leave a voice mail. If they don't, you know it was a tele marketer. If they do leave a message, your call as to whether to call back.
It's not that complicated.

 

[johngross]

I never ever answer the phone, cell or home, unless I know who is calling and I want to talk to them. Let them leave a voice mail. If they don't, you know it was a tele marketer. If they do leave a message, your call as to whether to call back.
It's not that complicated.

Totally agree. We are approaching the third decade of the 21st century. Such things as caller id and voice mail are available on every phone.

Do as df06 says. Simple.

 

[rwsmith]

I can't not....

Ii can't not answer the phone. I get a good many legitimate calls that I don't recognize. A lot of them are doctor calls or business.

 

[johngross]

Ii can't not answer the phone. I get a good many legitimate calls that I don't recognize. A lot of them are doctor calls or business.

20+ years ago a co-worker of mine had a phone system where the person calling would first get a brief recording, such as "Please state your name." When they gave their name it said "One moment please." Then my co-workers phone would ring and he would listen to the name. If he wanted to talk to them he would hit a key on his phone and accept the call. If he didn't want to talk he just ignored it and the call was not accepted. And if they didn't state their name my friends phone wouldn't even ring.

If such technology existed in the 1990s I'm sure such options are available now.

 

[gman51]

Hello ..........
We are calling about your credit card to give you a better interest rate.
Click
I only have an impact card so interest charge doesn't even apply. Obviously they are not from my bank or who handles my impact account. I am guessing it could be a scam of some kind. Perhaps next thing they would ask for is my account info.

From what I understand insurance companies are not affected by do not call listings. Before the election I got a text from Erica about getting out to vote. Now that's over I get calls from Erica about Medicare benefits. Now that deadline is over I wonder what next Erica will be texting me about.

 

[Doogie85]

I get it from them times two, my personal cell phone as well as my work phone. My personal phone I just don't answer if I don't recognize the number. The company cell phone I am pretty much obligated to answer but once they start their nonsense I just hang up.
Doesn't help that these scammers put whatever number they want to show up on caller ID. I get a ton of them that appear to be local calls but are not.

 

[Targets Guy]

I have an answering machine. If a name shows up I don't recognize or no name shows up I don't answer the phone. It doesn't stop the calls but I don't pick up for them. One thing I notice they are doing now is having a local telephone number show up on caller ID; I don't know how they do that but I don't answer so don't have to deal with them.

 

[vytoland]

i DO NOT engage with crazies.....my answering machine is employed for that position.....

 

[Ματθιας]

I never ever answer the phone, cell or home, unless I know who is calling and I want to talk to them. Let them leave a voice mail. If they don't, you know it was a tele marketer. If they do leave a message, your call as to whether to call back.
It's not that complicated.

I can't not answer the phone. I make a living dealing with people, and they need to get ahold of me. I'm a care giver to my elderly mom, too. I also have to deal with her calls and appointments. I don't want to be playing phone tag if I don't have to.

So, yes, it is complicated.

 

[SC_Mike]

I have an iPhone 8 which has a "Do Not Disturb" feature with a timer that I employ from 8 am until 6 pm. If you're on my contact list you ring through. If not it doesn't ring and they get the option of leaving a message or not.

 

[Redbert31]

When they ask for me, personally, and I'm sure it's not anyone important, I refer to myself in the third person and tell them that Ματθιας died two months ago and ask them to delete Ματθιας. from their list so as "not to waste their time and resources." I hardly get calls anymore.

This is what my husband does and without missing a beat, the telemarketers go on to try to sell it to him. My guy should be on stand-up comedy shows with his phone routine. I laugh so hard that the tears flow sometimes!

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[df06]

Phone

Ii can't not answer the phone. I get a good many legitimate calls that I don't recognize. A lot of them are doctor calls or business.

No. You do not have to answer. Let them leave a voice mail and call them right back.

 

[kraynky]

Anytime you "Register Now to Win this GUN!" your number & email is sold to marketing companies worldwide. It's hell getting your name & number off those lists. One weak moment, and BAM! They gotcha!

I follow the same protocol as in post #3. I then add those unwanted numbers to my "Spam" list and "Block Sender" list. There is no such thing as privacy these days, and those "Do not Call" lists are a joke.

It's the world we live in, just be glad you don't have their job, and move on.

 

[scatter shot]

I enjoy talking to telemarketers, especially when I'm drinking.
The guys from the middle east flip their wigs with some of the stuff I lay on them, most of them are pretty homophobic. I get real personal with them.

 

[03hemi]

I tell em' "the jobs been done, but there's blood everywhere."

 

[LVSteve]

I tell em' "the jobs been done, but there's blood everywhere."

You've just given me an idea for a whole routine.

 

[NYlakesider]

We get a lot of idiot calls, being on the do not call list is just" feel good" nonsense.

We live rural and there is no cell service for at least 5 miles in any direction from out house so we have a LL phone. We now leave the answering machine on 24-7 and if its a legitimate call we will pick up the phone. Unknown calls go to storage in the machine. In the last couple years we are getting many more hang ups when the machine answers which tells me the pests get off the line fast. We are also getting less idiot calls in general so things are doing sort of OK.

My wife does have a cell phone for traveling, but its only on when she needs it to call out. As soon as she is done she shuts phone off. No pest calls sneak it using that method. When and if I ever get a cell phone I will use the same M.O.

 

[prairieviper]

Our answering machine handles everything. If it's a legitimate call, they can leave a message.

 

[johngalt]

As I suspected, there is no solution for those of us who may receive important calls from numbers we can't know in advance and don't want our call log and voice mail filled with junk. Yes, they do leave messages now. Just ignoring it is a poor solution, playing along with witty answers is an even worse one.

 

[df06]

As I suspected, there is no solution for those of us who may receive important calls from numbers we can't know in advance and don't want our call log and voice mail filled with junk. Yes, they do leave messages now. Just ignoring it is a poor solution, playing along with witty answers is an even worse one.

I'm only 68 yo, so I may be missing something. If you ignore an important call, they will leave a message, and you can call them back immediately. I don't understand why that's not a reasonable solution. I get important calls all the time. They leave a VM and I call them back.
If they don't leave a message, how important was the call.

 

[DWalt]

I have found that virtually all of the unwanted calls I get on my cel phone (usually at least two per day) are shown as coming from (210)452-xxxx. And xxxx can be anything between 0000 and 9999. Obviously they are spoofed numbers. I just don't answer any incoming calls from (210)452-xxxx. I would think that the various phone and carrier companies could do something to prevent number spoofing.

 

[Malvado]

I just lay my phone down and let them talk to themselves.

 

[johngalt]

I'm only 68 yo, so I may be missing something. If you ignore an important call, they will leave a message, and you can call them back immediately. I don't understand why that's not a reasonable solution. I get important calls all the time. They leave a VM and I call them back.
If they don't leave a message, how important was the call.

It isn't a reasonable solution because I don't want to be constantly bothered by my phone. So just turn it off, you might say.

My call log is limited to the last 100 calls, I don't want it to be flooded with spam, so that it pushes important calls off the list. They have been leaving voice mail, which I then have to go in and delete to avoid it filling up.

I don't want to turn my phone on, only to see if full of junk that I have to clean out the next time I use it. Since they leave voice mail, I would have to check them all to see if any are important.

I pay for a phone for my use, not theirs.

 

[Gaffer]

With today's computer telephone switching all the spam and spoofing calls could be stopped but as long as it creates money for the telephone companies it will go on. IF you stop and think about it all these calls would not exist if they were not making money. It would seem that there are people gullible enough that do answer and participate that foster the problem. Part of this game is on their shoulders.

 

[Stevens]

I find it easier to answer quick and hang up than to listen to the phone ring on and on till the answering machine goes on, and once in a while the call is legit.
Steve W

 

[sophie]

The OP is correct in the fact the calls have not stopped even though the deadline has came and gone. I get them also. Anything on my home phone (and I still have a land line) that caller ID doesn't show to be in directory or unknown is not answered and goes to recorder. Pure telemarketer garbage. If the calls come to my cell phone and they are not in the contacts the call is not answered and if a legitimate message is not left on voicemail the caller is blocked. I too am on the state and national do not call lists and nothing seems to help. The telemarketers have learned all sorts of tricks and scams and are most difficult to deal with.

 

[armadillo]

I pick up the call but don't say anything. If it is a computer call, it will make a few beeps and clicks and hangup -then I block the number.

 

[johngalt]

I pick up the call but don't say anything. If it is a computer call, it will make a few beeps and clicks and hangup -then I block the number.

Doesn't help. It's different every time.