Annoying Unsolicited Callers is FUN

Mark E Smith

Member
Messages
190
Location
Arkansas
LOL...I get so tired of these endless calls on my phone, today I took some action. Usually I just hang up or let the message machine answer, but today I thought lets talk to one of these idiots. Of course it was some blocked caller id number and some guy telling me he was doing a survey and if I had a few minutes...lol...here is what followed...sure I'm retired I got all the time in the world, but before we start, how much are you paying me....well sir this is a voluntary survey...really, well I assume your going to make some money off this survey selling it to somebody, or if it's internal to your company you plan to make more money, because of better service, so if my answers to your question provide that information, then I should get paid...so I ask you again how much do I get paid to answer these question...

I am guessing I get nothing, because he hung up on me...jeez...was it some thing I said...lmao...think I'll do this all the time now, much more fun then just hanging up or letting the machine get it, and if I can waste their time, maybe it makes up for the time I have to waste...my new hobby now
 
I don't answer to a number I don't recognize.

Every so often, and trust me it is not often at all, I will answer a call. Usually the call lasts 2 to 5 seconds - CLICK. If the caller is REALLY lucky, the call might last 10-15 seconds - CLICK.

I used to play the games, but I really do not enjoy it.

I kinda feel bad for the caller. They are usually people in a hard time and not experienced at anything, so they get stuck in the call center trying to make a commission on the calls. They generally don't even make minimum wage and they earn on commission. It's a HORRIBLE job, and they are really in a bad way. Can you imagine trying to make a commission and then get a hookup with someone who just wants to have fun and really make then feel bad.

I think my 5 second CLICK, doesn't waste their time, and doesn't make anybody feel bad.

I don't think the phone person is bad - not at all. It's the company they work for, and they have absolutely NO control with that company at all.

My recommendation is that you do not hassle those poor callers. It's not their fault.

Just politely say, Sorry I am not interested, thank you, goodbye - CLICK.

That does not bring tears to anyone's eyes. My daughter, when she was 16, fell into that trap. I had to pick her up after 4 hours on her first day. I will never forget that day, neither will she. Her friend was a bit stronger in her personality and stayed longer. I think she lasted 2 weeks, but it was to much for her too. She did make some commission, but the earnings were meager.

So to how much money they make - NOTHING, in comparison with what they have to put up with.

They are not idiots, they are people - people that are in dire straits for the most part, people trying to get by in a VERY difficult world.

Mark - I truly hope you do not make that a hobby. It's not very honorable.

I am really sorry if this is offensive to you, but I really feel bad for the callers that connect with you - they cannot defend themselves and will likely get in trouble if they hang up on you.
 
Mark, first of all I agree totally with Leo. Second I don't care if that is offensive to you. Also I am amazed at some of the language you have used on this family based forum. And, that a moderator has not said anything. I used what were termed "hieroglyphics" once and got a private message from a moderator to change the post or I would probably be asked to leave the forum. I guess you have some kind of immunity. No one else seems to that I have noticed. That's all I have to say about this subject. I don't mind saying I'm disgusted.
 
I don't answer to a number I don't recognize.

Every so often, and trust me it is not often at all, I will answer a call. Usually the call lasts 2 to 5 seconds - CLICK. If the caller is REALLY lucky, the call might last 10-15 seconds - CLICK.

I used to play the games, but I really do not enjoy it.

I kinda feel bad for the caller. They are usually people in a hard time and not experienced at anything, so they get stuck in the call center trying to make a commission on the calls. They generally don't even make minimum wage and they earn on commission. It's a HORRIBLE job, and they are really in a bad way. Can you imagine trying to make a commission and then get a hookup with someone who just wants to have fun and really make then feel bad.

I think my 5 second CLICK, doesn't waste their time, and doesn't make anybody feel bad.

I don't think the phone person is bad - not at all. It's the company they work for, and they have absolutely NO control with that company at all.

My recommendation is that you do not hassle those poor callers. It's not their fault.

Just politely say, Sorry I am not interested, thank you, goodbye - CLICK.

That does not bring tears to anyone's eyes. My daughter, when she was 16, fell into that trap. I had to pick her up after 4 hours on her first day. I will never forget that day, neither will she. Her friend was a bit stronger in her personality and stayed longer. I think she lasted 2 weeks, but it was to much for her too. She did make some commission, but the earnings were meager.

So to how much money they make - NOTHING, in comparison with what they have to put up with.

They are not idiots, they are people - people that are in dire straits for the most part, people trying to get by in a VERY difficult world.

Mark - I truly hope you do not make that a hobby. It's not very honorable.

I am really sorry if this is offensive to you, but I really feel bad for the callers that connect with you - they cannot defend themselves and will likely get in trouble if they hang up on you.
Never really thought of these callers in this light! I will from now on, and will just respond with "Not interested" Click!
Thanks for the enlightenment!
 
More often than not, the initial caller is a robot and no one is actually on the other end, until they reach the end of their spiel and you "push any key", so i don't think anyone is getting their feelings hurt. I answer the phone and say "hello" and if no one talks in the next 2-3 seconds I hang up.

I get one every so often that says I'm getting the call because I stayed at one of their resorts.....I haven't stayed at a resort in over 40 years... long before robo calls were invented. I tried to talk to her (we get a different girl's name each call, but same voice) once and she just kept on with her spiel... so I hung up.
 
I ditched my land line over a year ago and my cell phone is smart enough to let me know if I know the person calling or if it is a likely scam. An unrecognized number does not get answered, ever. If the call is important they will leave a voice mail. If no voice mail then I go back into my recent calls and block future calls from that number. Life's too short, especialy when you get this old, to allow yourself to get aggravated over a phone call.
 
I agree with Leo - with the exception that when the call is an international one and I know that they are trying to push a criminal scam - "Microsoft Technical Services" type of call I will sometimes waste their time if I have the time myself. I do it because I know they are not going to pull their fraud on me and while they are talking to me they are not defrauding somebody more vulnerable.

At home we have a good call screening phone and nusiance calls have basically disappeared.
 
I actually have a Google voice number (free) that I use for our home phone number. You can forward the GV number to any number of actual phone numbers, only close friends and family get my real cell phone number or home phone number. I have a couple of contacts in my google contacts for Unknown or Unknown Telemarketers. I typically don't answer any calls that I dont' recognize the numbers for and let them leave a voice mail, after a number has called a couple of times without leaving a voice mail, the number gets put on one of those contacts and are automatically sent to voice mail from that point on. Anything I sign up for I put down the GV number instead of one of our real numbers.
 
I have two scripts that I sometimes use...

My next door neighbor is a hospice nurse. Each time I see her, I ask, "do you think I will last the week?" Of course, why? So that when a call comes that starts with "how are you" I can honestly reply "Well, my hospice nurse thinks I should last the week." One time I was so convincing that the caller was sobbing before he hung up.

For the Windows support desk calls, I ask, "doesn't your conscience bother you running a scam like this?" One person recently asked "Why do you say it is a scam - it is not" I replied "because Microsoft doesn't have support desks that call their customers." He replied "No, this is not related to Microsoft. This is the support desk for the Windows operating system." Gee. What a surprise.
 
We constantly get "UNAVAILABLE" or "INVALID" caller IDs. We never answer. I figure if they actually know us or have something to tell us, they'd leave a message and we can call them back. Prompted me to check our DO NOT CALL status and realized our home phone and both cells were not set up since we moved to Nevada. Check your phones out at https://www.donotcall.gov/
Hopefully in the next 30 days the unwanted calls will drop off. The most annoying thing is, legally, they are not supposed to be able to call your cell because you may be paying for the minutes you didn't ask to do. Thankfully, I don't get too many of those.
 
I have two scripts that I sometimes use...

This is what I used to do. I confronted many a caller with "how can you look in the mirror each morning" questions and accusations. Made me feel good for a few minutes, but I believe the calls became more frequent when I did this. I'm convinced that they have a way of putting a checkmark next to your number that signals the robo to call you more often from multiple numbers. Hence, why I no longer even pick up and send it right to voice mail.

As for not publishing your number, only having a cell number, or only giving your number to a select few, I don't think that does much to avoid these calls. It might keep you aff a few lists, but the robo callers just dial numbers by algorithm so no one is safe.
 
There are a few YouTube videos in which a folks have created automated systems...robo-answerers, if you will...to scam the scammers. I saw a couple where the system actually 'listened' to the scammers and provided more-or-less appropriate responses during the pauses: "Uh-huh", "Mm-hmm", "Yes", "I see", etc. Pretty funny stuff, hearing the scammers getting wound up over it.
 
We let all calls go to our answering machine unless we recognize it. A few days ago, a call that looked local rang up. I was expecting a local call, so I picked it up. My mistake! It was a credit card call.

Caller: We want to help you save interest on your credit cards.

Me: How much do you plan to pay me each month?

Caller: That's not the way it works.

Me: Well, we pay zero interest now because we pay our full credit card statement each month, so to save us money you have to pay us.

Caller: . . . click . . .
 
I don't know about what language was used, but I for one am sick and fed up with the nonsense phone solicitors. we are on do not call lists for land line and cells, and we get them constantly, and I answer some, and tell them, do not call us back, yet, the same company from a different numbers continues.

its rude, if you don't have thick skin you shouldn't go anywhere near a job like that.

they intentionally call during dinner hours, and the worst is when they call at 8:30 am, if one wants to sleep late.....they are a disruption and an annoyance to everyones quality of life, we have phones to communicate with people we know, we are all similar so when our phones ring, we gravitate to them to answer them.
for me, its an invasion of my privacy, and I don't care what or who the person is on the other end of the phone. Im sick and tired of it.
No, Im really sick and tired of it.
leave me alone, my phone is not there for some company to abuse just because they feel like wasting my time whenever they please.

Nassau county has issued for free DO NOT KNOCK stickers for anyone who is sick and tired of solicitors knocking on doors, with the we are trying to raise money for this, or we were in the area and are offering discounts....and all that jazz.
I have very unkind words for anyone who is persistent, because they know we are sitting in there, and they just ring and ring.....sometimes they are lucky I don't have a piece of lumber nearby........my words alone usually get my message across to them.
its becoming ridiculous. I don't ever recall any time in my life growing up or in adulthood with all these annoying calls and door bell rings.
 
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... they intentionally call during dinner hours, and the worst is when they call at 8:30 am, if one wants to sleep late...

We changed to only cell phones last year. I ported our home landline number to one cell phone and added a bluetooth interface to our house cordless phone system. The cordless system has a timed function I set up to turn off the ringers at 10pm and back on at 9am. Also, the answering system picks up on the fourth ring, which annoys most telemarketers because they want a live voice, even if it's a computer talking on their end. In most cases, they seem to sense it's an answering machine and hang up. The bottom line is: if you don't recognize the caller name or number, don't answer the phone.

Oh, remember another thing: Never say the word "YES" in response to anything.
 
There are a few YouTube videos in which a folks have created automated systems...robo-answerers, if you will...to scam the scammers. I saw a couple where the system actually 'listened' to the scammers and provided more-or-less appropriate responses during the pauses: "Uh-huh", "Mm-hmm", "Yes", "I see", etc. Pretty funny stuff, hearing the scammers getting wound up over it.

Jolly Roger software.
They even flood some of the call centers with calls, which stops them being able to call out.

Or the Lenny scripts, which run under common Linux based pbx software.
 
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Allen nailed it. !!!
I constantly get calls for a company that wants to buy my time share. I don't have one or have ever had one. Telling them over and over makes no difference. They still call.
 
I've not had a landline for over 5 years, and we get almost no solicitation calls on our cell phones. We have a No Solicitors sign on the front door that works for the most part, but if they don't notice that, they for sure see the 90+ pound German Shepherd that's straining at his collar to go out and meet them when we open the door. :D

Semi-related, I have a friend who sells a lot of stuff on Craigslist, and he makes a sport out of messing with the CL scammers out there. He's had some guys who he's strung along for two or three weeks before they finally gave up on him.
 
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