How to make the telemarketer calls stop?

[renegade7]

According to my mom, she entered her phone number and our house's land line into some online form, and now we are getting calls from insurance salespeople, I do not even exaggerate, every 5 minutes, all day, from 7 in the morning until 6 in the evening. We try blocking the numbers, but new ones keep showing up. A few hours ago they found my number, somehow. I'm going to go ahead and guess that the form in question wasn't 100% legitimate also, by the way.

What the hell has happened and how do I put a stop to it? They're not collection calls either, by the way. The house phone is ringing all day, and it's unbelievably annoying, and it's nuking my phone's battery and calling me during class.

Police? Phone company? Get new numbers? Flee to a new country under an assumed name, to put a stop to the constant ringing of phones?

Also, if I was to open up a 1-900 (toll call) line and give it to these spammers, would I make money?

 

[Frezzato]

Input all of your numbers with the National Do Not Call Registry [https://www.donotcall.gov/]. You should also tell any unwanted callers to stop.

The registry works, and if you keep getting calls a few weeks after registering, record the number, time of call, and the names of anyone you spoke with. Then file a complaint using the same link.

I can tell you from experience that it works. It won't stop you from getting new calls, but they'll taper off.

 

[lechat]

do not for the love of god speak to them.
if they think there is the slightest chance of you buying something they will call you back and or resell your number

 

[amzi]

I know where you're coming from. I have the same problem, too. No matter how many times I tell them to stop, they won't listen. I'm on the DNC list already. I see no reason why they keep calling me.

 

[amzi]

I already reported the nuisance callers to http://www.callercenter.com and submitted an online complaint to the FTC. What else do I need to do?

 

[OneCatch]

What the hell has happened and how do I put a stop to it? They're not collection calls either, by the way. The house phone is ringing all day, and it's unbelievably annoying, and it's nuking my phone's battery and calling me during class.

Police? Phone company? Get new numbers? Flee to a new country under an assumed name, to put a stop to the constant ringing of phones?

Also, if I was to open up a 1-900 (toll call) line and give it to these spammers, would I make money?

I've done callcentre work (not cold-calling but I knew people who did), so I have some idea of what inconveniences the calling companies.
In rough order of escalation:
-Make up infallible reasons why you wouldn't need whatever services they are offering, and then firmly say goodbye and hang up.
-Demand to be 'put on a no-call list'
-Demand to talk to a manager about making calls stop and complain a lot (if you do get through to team leaders or managers, try to take up as much of their time as possible - team leaders hate being held up on customer calls).
-Tell the caller that you think they are being rude and that "there's no way I'd buy anything off someone who spoke to me like that" (even if they're being polite), then ask for a complaints number along with their name, department and team leader's name. Don't bother complaining unless you really want to.
-Answer the phone in a different language. Bonus points if you actually learn a few phrases like 'Could you talk to me in xxxxx?'. When they don't switch to 'your' language, hang up. If by some miracle they do switch to your chosen language, quickly change to a different one.
-Pretend to be incredibly dense. Speak really slowly, ask them to repeat stuff over and over, don't appear to understand what insurance is, let alone why you'd want it.


If none of that works, then I'd start getting abusive. Just completely lose it with each one that calls, swear profusely, shout, scream, insult them personally, anything to make the call as unpleasant as possible. Just be absolutely vile. Eventually word will get around that you're someone to avoid calling.

As for setting up a premium phoneline to get money from them, there was this story a while back here in the UK:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23869462

 

[Frezzato]

I just remembered a trick. It helps if you have caller ID for this.

Next time an unknown number calls, pick up but don't say anything. Just sit there and listen quietly. If it's a telemarketing call there's a good chance they'll just hang up. If it's someone you know, they'll likely speak first. And for telemarketers it's pretty easy to tell if they're wearing a headset.

I don't know about the technology involved, but I suspect there's some sort of robo-dialer action going on that initially makes the call, then listens for a human voice on the other end. Only after verification that there's someone on the line (someone as in you), the call is connected to a live human being to begin their sales pitch.

I've done this several times in the past and it seems to work.

 

[ultratog1028]

leave the phone on. They aren't aloud to hang up. Though only if they are a person.

 

[renegade7]

As for setting up a premium phoneline to get money from them, there was this story a while back here in the UK:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23869462

Oh wow, I was just joking. Someone actually did that? Niiiice. Those fuckers are about to pay my tuition xD