If you ever saw the comedy classic 'Ruthless People', you may remember this ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpG0hqTt2go


or if you watched 'Seinfeid', you may remember this ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yor0jd33mow

Do you ever have fun with wrong numbers, or ever wanted to, but never did?



I've only ever done it once, but ever since, I welcome telemarketers to call me LOL 

Got a call from some saleslady last year, and when she finished her short spiel, all I said was "no", and she then asks me "May I ask why?"  As much as I hate salespeople, I hate the pushy ones even more.  Don't be calling me, and force me to buy your crap.  I won't be havin' that at all.  I had just woken up, my voice was barely awake.  All I had said was the word no, and based on that alone, she wouldn't know if I was sane or crazy, so I escalated my tone and in my best fake handicapped voice, I said to her "My favourite colour is Orange.  What's your favourite color?"

After about a 3 second pause, she then says to me "Is your mommy or daddy home?".  So I then said slowly "You're A Stranger" (which was a quote from the movie 'Mercury Rising', which if you've seen, you will understand) and then I hung up the phone.


Me = 1 | Telemarketer = 0

Ha ha!

I got a call at 730 in the morning. I'd just come home from working a graveyard and had just climbed into bed. When I answered the phone I told the telemarketer as much but he promised he just needed a couple minutes and promises it wouldn't take long.
After two minutes of listening to him read his script (and noticing that he wasn't going to be winding up anytime soon) I changed my breathing and went into a light snore. I could hear hombteail off and say "hello, hello?" then to someone else "I think she fell asleep."  ;D

I'm tempted to mess with telemarketers, but then I remember that these are people desperate to take any job.  You would have to be to be a telemarketer, I know, I did it for about a week once and it sucks.  They say what they say because the are given a script, and the manager is listening in on your call to make sure you are following the script.  Most have automatic dialing systems so the person doesn't even get a minute between calls to take a breather.  If you have an answering machine it knows it and automatically goes to the next call, I let the machine pick up, a few of those gives the marketer a break.

We are on the Do Not Call list but they still call. I will tell them that we are on the Do Not Call list and they are so rude that they don't even say "Oh I'm sorry" or something like that-they just hang up. Others I tell them to take me off of their list.


Cat

I say No I'm Not Interetsed and hang up.

After 3-4 times of telling the same company to stop calling, I finally got fed up and instead of saying "Hello" when I answered, I said "I'd like to speak to your supervisor".  It COMPLETELY caught the person off guard so I repeated it and they asked why so I explained that I had requested at least 4 times to be taken off the calling list because we were not interested and had been ASSURED EVERY TIME that it would happen so I'd like to speak to a supervisor about legal action.  The lady said she'd make sure our number was removed and hung up....we haven't received another call.

The other time, I pretended to be the baby sitter and the guy was REALLY rude (this was after telling them once I wasn't interested and to remove my number from their calling list as I was on the DNC list).  He even asked me what year I was born so I told him 1995.  I called the number back as "Me" later in the day and told the supervisor I didn't appreciate his employee harassing my babysitter and if they ever called me again, I'd file harassment charges against them....they haven't called back either ;)

I worked in collections for a summer so I know how much it sucks to have to "cold call" people, but when I ask you to NOT call me again, I expect you to NOT call me so if you do, if I'm in the right state of mind, you can expect me to mess with you....

For the past few days We keep getting calls from BR Interviewing,has anyone gotten calls from that or any others? ???

I can't tell you how many times I have said to people, "What part of 'No' don't you understand?"



Cat

I'm tempted to mess with telemarketers, but then I remember that these are people desperate to take any job.


They might be more desperate than you realize.  I used to fark with telemarketers until I realized that the asshat on the other end of the line could be ... well, let's just say he could have poorer impulse control than I did.

The use of prison labor in telemarketing has been widely-documented in articles from 1999, from 2004, and straight through 2010.

So I've mellowed out.  If I'm unfortunate enough to pick up a phone and have a human try to talk to me, I just say "Place this number on your do-not-call list", in response to anything they say.  How am I today?  Place this number on your do-not-call list.  Could they speak to the lady of the house?  Please place this number on your do-not-call l ist.  Is there anyone they can talk to?  Place this number on your do-not-call list.

The National Do-Not-Call list (if you live in the United States) has cut my home telemarketing annoyances down to the occasional Warranty Scammer and Benny Hinn robots, both of which ignore the law.

I can't tell you how many times I have said to people, "What part of 'No' don't you understand?"



Cat


They might have a foreign language so they might not understand.

They might have a foreign language so they might not understand.



Considering a lot of them are from foreign countries-you could be right.



Cat

Considering a lot of them are from foreign countries-you could be right.



Cat


I mean they talk so fast you can hardly hear a word they say.

I mean they talk so fast you can hardly hear a word they say.


What I mean is companies hiring people in India or other places.


Cat

Now this is how you mess with telemarketers.  ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s898wpcgcJM

Now this is how you mess with telemarketers.  ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s898wpcgcJM



"Were you his gay lover?" ;D

Oh man, that was wicked.  That is definately how you mess with a telemarker!

I would blow a whistle into the phone,that would annoy him.

Probably not a nice thing to do, Howard.  Telemarketers wear headsets so it isn't easy just to toss down the receiver to get away from the noise.  That could really hurt someone.

Probably not a nice thing to do, Howard.  Telemarketers wear headsets so it isn't easy just to toss down the receiver to get away from the noise.  That could really hurt someone.


My Parents have done that in the past with wrong numbers.

My Parents have done that in the past with wrong numbers.


just because someone mis-dialled?

just because someone mis-dialled?


they were breathing heavy over the phone or they just cussed us out on the other end.

I had a friend that whenever we would call each other, we would breath heavily into the phone. We would usually stop whenever the other person would start talking. It was an on-going joke. When I called, he would just sit there and not say anything. After a while, I would say something because by that time I was starting to hyperventilate.  ;D ;D ;D ;D



Cat

I gotta call from a wrong number today.  She was looking for some business that obviously I was not.  When I told her that she had the wrong number, she then asked if this was <insert phone number that is not mine> and I told her no.  She apologized, then hung up.  She then called back a minute later, and I basically told her the exact same thing.  Then she said "Oh, maybe the lines are crossed?" and I said "Or maybe you need glasses and bigger buttons on your phone" LOL

I gotta call from a wrong number today.  She was looking for some business that obviously I was not.  When I told her that she had the wrong number, she then asked if this was <insert phone number that is not mine> and I told her no.  She apologized, then hung up.  She then called back a minute later, and I basically told her the exact same thing.  Then she said "Oh, maybe the lines are crossed?" and I said "Or maybe you need glasses and bigger buttons on your phone" LOL


I get the very same thing on my cell phone sometimes.  ::)

I gotta call from a wrong number today.  She was looking for some business that obviously I was not.  When I told her that she had the wrong number, she then asked if this was <insert phone number that is not mine> and I told her no.  She apologized, then hung up.  She then called back a minute later, and I basically told her the exact same thing.  Then she said "Oh, maybe the lines are crossed?" and I said "Or maybe you need glasses and bigger buttons on your phone" LOL


I once made two calls to the same wrong number, trying to order take-out.  The numbers were one digit apart, and I blew it twice.  Second time the woman who answered told me my mistake and said it happened all the time.  I told her she should charge the restaurant to pay her for her inconvenience 

When I used to get phone calls from telemarketers, if a telemarketer would ask if (my name) is available, I would pretend not to be who I am or pretend to be her sister, or mom. Then they leave me alone.

I'm kind of a hypocrite because I do work at telemarketing, right now my job is a telemarketer/telephone sales rep. But I basically call librarians in schools or libraries to get them to preview some books they want to update in their collection. I had no choice but to take on that job because that's the only one I can find. But while I'm doing that, I'm still looking for another job which is full time clerical position. I need to get out of that phone job as soon as possible, but well, I really should be thankful to at least have a job. What I do at my job is deviate from the script a little other than read the whole spiel word for word. But our supervisor is always expecting us to be forceful to some customers and I don't like to do that. I only feel comfortable just asking them if they're interested and they would politely reject me that way or possibly give in. Most librarians I speak to are very reluctant to preview due to budgets and they would basically say they don't take any sales/solicitation calls. Even if I just ask them "How are you today?", they assume I'm a telemarketer and that they smell a sales call.

Jim Florentine is a genius.  ;D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuoGgCq3EWs&feature=related

I would just hang up.

I would just hang up.


Where's the fun in that?

Where's the fun in that?


Why should there be any fun,I don't have time for fun! >:(

Why should there be any fun,I don't have time for fun! >:(


Don't turn into a grouchy old man on us, Howard.  Life's too short, you need to enjoy some of it.

Don't turn into a grouchy old man on us, Howard.  Life's too short, you need to enjoy some of it.


I do and I try,just stressed out sometimes.

Don't turn into a grouchy old man on us, Howard.  Life's too short, you need to enjoy some of it.


What do you mean don't turn into a grouchy old man?  Too late!

What do you mean don't turn into a grouchy old man?  Too late!


No kidding...what was I thinking? ;D

I have people call all the time, after several days of telling them no I'm not interested if they call back I'll pretend to be a little kid or an elderly lady. This will confuse them and they will ask how long I had that phone #, which I reply I just got it a few days ago.

I have people call all the time, after several days of telling them no I'm not interested if they call back I'll pretend to be a little kid or an elderly lady. This will confuse them and they will ask how long I had that phone #, which I reply I just got it a few days ago.


Always try to fool them and don't be on the phone for so long because that will keep them talking.

I'm reeeally tempted to do something like this. But if I see a number on my caller id that I don't recognise, I just won't answer it.


Btw that Seinfeld clip at the beginning of this thread is no longer available ten years later, but I think I know which one it was:
QRh1CMC3OVw
I love how Jerry handles it. :D

I'm reeeally tempted to do something like this. But if I see a number on my caller id that I don't recognise, I just won't answer it.


Btw that Seinfeld clip at the beginning of this thread is no longer available ten years later, but I think I know which one it was: I love how Jerry handles it. :D

Sometimes we get a lot of Spam Risk numbers that we don't recognize so we don't answer it.

When I used to have my landline, I would cold caller very regularly, when I called I would 'play' along with them (wasting their time), and after a while I would ask which country is the caller based in, and if from India or South Africa I would start talking about cricket with them...

I sometimes get calls from a robotic voice telling me that there is a warrant out for my arrest and I need to take action immediately.  "Press 1 to speak with a representative"

So many times have I wanted to press 1 and when I get a real person, I will just say "Come and get me.  I'll be waiting" and see how they respond, but I know if I press 1, I will suddenly be locked into some scam list and I will get never ending calls like these

I sometimes get calls from a robotic voice telling me that there is a warrant out for my arrest and I need to take action immediately.  "Press 1 to speak with a representative"

So many times have I wanted to press 1 and when I get a real person, I will just say "Come and get me.  I'll be waiting" and see how they respond, but I know if I press 1, I will suddenly be locked into some scam list and I will get never ending calls like these

They'll always be scams.

I sometimes get calls from a robotic voice telling me that there is a warrant out for my arrest and I need to take action immediately.  "Press 1 to speak with a representative"

So many times have I wanted to press 1 and when I get a real person, I will just say "Come and get me.  I'll be waiting" and see how they respond, but I know if I press 1, I will suddenly be locked into some scam list and I will get never ending calls like these

Yeah. I wouldn't take that "Press 1" instruction seriously. The things those robotic voices say are complete b.s. ::)



They'll always be scams.

And I do NOT wanna be tricked into them.

I get the strange calls from telemarketer all the time. I always tell them they have a wrong number since it's the truth. They always ask for someone else.

Anymore, if I get a call from a number I don't recognize it I just don't answer and if it's actually important then they can just leave me a voicemail.

However, about 30 years ago I briefly had a job where I had to do cold calling for a company that did surveys for the healthcare industry and I can tell you that when you call people for hours on end day after day, there are certain things that some people do and say that really start getting on your nerves after you keep hearing them for a while.

I'd be happy to share these things with you.

If a telemarketer calls you and you verbally abuse them or give them smart aleck responses, it really doesn't bother them too much because they're used to it, and after you hang up they'll probably just laugh about it with their coworkers.

No, if you really want to screw with and really irritate telemarketers and make their day a little bit worse, you have to be subtle about it. You have to conjure up some acting skills and become the one type of person a telemarketer genuinely dreads the most.

You have to become a 75-year old farmer from rural Kansas.

Telemarketers dread calling old people because they take forever to talk to since a lot of them are hard of hearing and have diminished mental capacities, and they especially dread calling people from rural areas because they tend to come off as being uneducated.

It's actually really easy.

Step 1: If you choose to pick up a call from a number you recognize, answer "Hello" in a slow, raspy, old person voice. If it is indeed a telemarketer, then as soon as they start giving their initial pitch, start breathing through your nose loudly into the phone. I'm telling you, it's like nails on a chalkboard to them.

Step 2: As soon as they finish their pitch, pause and, using your best old person voice with a slight Southern accent, slowly say these three exact words in the form of a question:

"Do what now???"

It's even better if you stammer a little bit. "Do...do what now???"

They will then have no choice but to repeat their pitch, and now you've got them. And after they finish their pitch for the second time, again ask, "Do...do what now?"

Repeat this as many times as you like, but I think 3 times is probably optimal. To make this work you have to play dumb and act sincere and give them absolutely no indication that you're messing with them, and I think that if you do it more than three times then they'll probably catch on and hang up.

After the third time they give their pitch, that's when you go for the kill. By now, you'll be able to hear the frustration in their voice and instead of asking them to repeat themselves, this time you say in your slow, confused old person voice (and this is not a typo), "I'm not interesting."

And then slowly hang up.

I've done this a few times and it works. I guarantee that that telemarketer is going to be pissed.  ;D

Anymore, if I get a call from a number I don't recognize it I just don't answer and if it's actually important then they can just leave me a voicemail.

However, about 30 years ago I briefly had a job where I had to do cold calling for a company that did surveys for the healthcare industry and I can tell you that when you call people for hours on end day after day, there are certain things that some people do and say that really start getting on your nerves after you keep hearing them for a while.

I'd be happy to share these things with you.

If a telemarketer calls you and you verbally abuse them or give them smart aleck responses, it really doesn't bother them too much because they're used to it, and after you hang up they'll probably just laugh about it with their coworkers.

No, if you really want to screw with and really irritate telemarketers and make their day a little bit worse, you have to be subtle about it. You have to conjure up some acting skills and become the one type of person a telemarketer genuinely dreads the most.

You have to become a 75-year old farmer from rural Kansas.

Telemarketers dread calling old people because they take forever to talk to since a lot of them are hard of hearing and have diminished mental capacities, and they especially dread calling people from rural areas because they tend to come off as being uneducated.

It's actually really easy.

Step 1: If you choose to pick up a call from a number you recognize, answer "Hello" in a slow, raspy, old person voice. If it is indeed a telemarketer, then as soon as they start giving their initial pitch, start breathing through your nose loudly into the phone. I'm telling you, it's like nails on a chalkboard to them.

Step 2: As soon as they finish their pitch, pause and, using your best old person voice with a slight Southern accent, slowly say these three exact words in the form of a question:

"Do what now???"

It's even better if you stammer a little bit. "Do...do what now???"

They will then have no choice but to repeat their pitch, and now you've got them. And after they finish their pitch for the second time, again ask, "Do...do what now?"

Repeat this as many times as you like, but I think 3 times is probably optimal. To make this work you have to play dumb and act sincere and give them absolutely no indication that you're messing with them, and I think that if you do it more than three times then they'll probably catch on and hang up.

After the third time they give their pitch, that's when you go for the kill. By now, you'll be able to hear the frustration in their voice and instead of asking them to repeat themselves, this time you say in your slow, confused old person voice (and this is not a typo), "I'm not interesting."

And then slowly hang up.

I've done this a few times and it works. I guarantee that that telemarketer is going to be pissed.  ;D


Excellent!

Back in the past when I received these calls, I considered acting a role, but I thought I could keep the character up.

I get the strange calls from telemarketer all the time. I always tell them they have a wrong number since it's the truth. They always ask for someone else.

Do you put it to voicemail sometimes?

Do you put it to voicemail sometimes?
My phone, if I do not answer, will go to voicemail, but no message is left for a computer dialing cannot speak.

If I had a little child, I would put him/her on the phone and tell your child "Santa is on the phone, ask for  toys you want!"

Not long ago I answered a scam call.  The guy claimed to be from Soc Sec Admin.  I let him talk until he asked me for my Soc Sec #.  I said "why don't you tell me the number you are calling about?"  "Oh, I can't do that".  "Then we have nothing more to discuss".  How stupid do they think we are?

Not long ago I answered a scam call.  The guy claimed to be from Soc Sec Admin.  I let him talk until he asked me for my Soc Sec #.  I said "why don't you tell me the number you are calling about?"  "Oh, I can't do that".  "Then we have nothing more to discuss".  How stupid do they think we are?

Unfortunately, there are some gullible people out there who fall for their scams and that's why they keep trying. Sooner or later they will scam someone successfully, probably a senior or an immigrant who hasnt had any experience with this sort of stuff. 

My son received a cold call from his bank telling him there is something wrong with his account. The caller described the bank was in a certain road in London. But all was obvious to be a scam for he does not have an account with the bank and there is no back in this certain. All was hung up!

If I had a little child, I would put him/her on the phone and tell your child "Santa is on the phone, ask for  toys you want!"


;D

If I had a little child, I would put him/her on the phone and tell your child "Santa is on the phone, ask for  toys you want!"
BTW, Santa has his elves to make the toys and Santa delivers them.

Unfortunately, there are some gullible people out there who fall for their scams and that's why they keep trying. Sooner or later they will scam someone successfully, probably a senior or an immigrant who hasnt had any experience with this sort of stuff.


Yea, I know.  It's too bad

Sometimes we get some like "None",
"async" or "Unavailable".

Sometimes we get some like "None",
"async" or "Unavailable".




Yep; if they're unavailable, so am I!

My son received a cold call from his bank telling him there is something wrong with his account. The caller described the bank was in a certain road in London. But all was obvious to be a scam for he does not have an account with the bank and there is no back in this certain. All was hung up!

Clearly that was a scam. ::)

If I see a number I don't recognise, I just don't pick it up at all!

Clearly that was a scam. ::)

If I see a number I don't recognise, I just don't pick it up at all!

Just let it go to voicemail or they'll just hang up.

If you ever saw the comedy classic 'Ruthless People', you may remember this ...

1 of my favourite movies Whistledog!!

I have it on VHS and the one I have it thankfully NOT DIGITALLY COMPROMISED!!

Its goregous.........

I got a call once from someone looking for someone who wasn't me.  When I told him that, he seemed to get a bit angry and said "Well this was the number that he gave us!" and I said "He gave you a fake number then" and the guy replied "How long have you had this number?" and I replied "Not that it's any of your business, but long enough to know that you were given a fake number".  The guy then kept on about how I should be the person he was looking for, before I cut him off and said "We're done here.  Don't call this number again".  I never got a call from them again. 

After that call, I googled the phone number, and it was some kind of collection agency.  A sketchy collection agency I think as the way the guy was talking to me, he was ready to send out some goons to break my legs