Stupid telemarketers

[Vampiro69 0]

In the last couple of weeks I have had several 1-800 numbers call my home. Usually they call when I am at work but tonight they called at 8pm. I answered it and the person didn't even talk to me, just hung up after a few seconds.

 

I tried calling the number back that was on the ID and they didn't answer. Is this happening to anyone else that is not the Do Not Call list?

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Did you re-up your place on the list?

 

Q: My phone has started to ring again with calls from telemarketers. I am on the Do Not Call list. Why am I getting these calls? What can I do?

 

A: I'll bet you were one of the first in the state to sign up for the Do Not Call list.

 

This will come as a surprise to lots of people, but that Do Not Call list comes with an expiration date. When you sign up, your name is put on that list for five years. We started signing up back in 2002. That means this is the year those annoying phone calls could invade our homes again.

 

It's really easy to protect the silence of your home. The state attorney general's office will have a big push this summer reminding us that it is time to sign up again, but you can sign up again now. Just pick up the phone and call 1-888-777-3406. You can also sign up on the Do Not Call Web site at www.nocallsplease.com.

 

The Direct Marketing Association runs Pennsylvania's Do Not Call list. Stephanie Hendricks, director of public affairs for the association, says your number will be on the Do Not Call list for five years from the date you asked that it be included.

 

The national Do Not Call list also comes with a five-year expiration date. You don't have to wait to re-register there either. Just go to www.donotcall.gov and sign up again.

 

I just got my phone number back on the Do Not Call lists until April 3, 2012.

 

I'm told telemarketers have 31 days to get our numbers off their lists after we've registered.

 

One more reminder: Lauren Bozart of the attorney general's office says if your five years aren't up and you are getting unwanted sales calls, you can file a complaint at www.attorneygeneral.gov or call the state's consumer hot line at 1-800-441-2555.

[Vampiro69 0]

I actually moved to this town and got on the list about a year ago. Guess I might need to call my state's consumer hot line then.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

If I say "hello" and they don't respond after five seconds, I just hang up.

 

Having caller ID is pretty helpful, too.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I'm also sure there are certain organizations that get away with this, like nonprofts or something.

[Timmy8271 0]

I know people that work as telemarketers. The "Do Not Call" List is such a sack of shit. Companies call anyways. Especially Non Profits and Police.

[Guest Smues]

Non profits and political groups are exempt from the DNC list from what I understand. The non profits I don't mind, but the political groups suck because it's usually a computer telling me to "Vote for blah blah blah." I say they suck because you can't tell off a computer.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Non profits and political groups are exempt from the DNC list from what I understand. The non profits I don't mind, but the political groups suck because it's usually a computer telling me to "Vote for blah blah blah." I say they suck because you can't tell off a computer.

 

I actually did this as part of my brief telemarketing stint in college. I didn't mind it, it was a break from selling, and most people just hung up immediately, no one yelled at me as they did when I sold. And not only that, it was South Carolina, and I was calling on behalf of the Republicans, so most of them were in fact delighted to hear from me. Sample:

 

Me: By voting for your local Republican candidate....

Them: Are you real or a robot?

Me: No, I'm real.

Them: Well, we already are, but thanks so much for calling!

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Me: By voting for your local Republican candidate....

Them: Are you real or a robot?

Me: No, I'm real.

Them: Well, we already are, but thanks so much for calling!

 

That's awesome.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Oh I bet a freedom-hater like you just loved that job.

[Jingus 0]

I rely on my cell phone instead of a house phone, so I thankfully avoid most telemarketers. Back when I did get them, I basically just went straight into "what're you wearing, oh my giant black cock is SO hard right now" phone sex patter, which usually did the trick.

 

I once spent an evening doing cold calls for a college survey, and it was one of the most thoroughly uncomfortable experiences in my life. Out of four hours of continuous calling, I got exactly one person who felt like taking a survey. In theory, we had a quota of eight, but seriously, who the fuck likes talking to some random stranger calling their house? It was a requirement for class too, so I HAD to do it, and it sucked. I can't imagine why anyone would willingly take such a horrible job. I figure they must be either an unfeeling sociopath, or their life sucks so bad already that being a telemarketer doesn't make things worse, so either way I don't feel bad fucking with them.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

I rely on my cell phone instead of a house phone, so I thankfully avoid most telemarketers. Back when I did get them, I basically just went straight into "what're you wearing, oh my giant black cock is SO hard right now" phone sex patter, which usually did the trick.

 

I once spent an evening doing cold calls for a college survey, and it was one of the most thoroughly uncomfortable experiences in my life. Out of four hours of continuous calling, I got exactly one person who felt like taking a survey. In theory, we had a quota of eight, but seriously, who the fuck likes talking to some random stranger calling their house? It was a requirement for class too, so I HAD to do it, and it sucked. I can't imagine why anyone would willingly take such a horrible job. I figure they must be either an unfeeling sociopath, or their life sucks so bad already that being a telemarketer doesn't make things worse, so either way I don't feel bad fucking with them.

 

I had to do one a survey like that for a college class. I ended up just making up a bunch of results because it was basically a waste of time trying to talk to people.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I worked a job like that for 7 hours. When I had the interview they said the calls were to people who were expecting us. They weren't. There were a few projects that actually did this, but not the assignment I got. It was terrible.

[Guest Tzar Lysergic]

Maybe I'm crazy, but I LOVE talking to telemarketers and phone survey people. I always act like the dumbest, most indecisive person on the planet until I can detect frustration in their voice. This is what I do in lieu of having children.

 

The only people I'm blatantly rude to are the fucking cops begging for money.

 

"That's what my speeding ticket money is for, asshole. *click*"

[Twisted Intestine 0]

I've worked at two call centers. They were both inbound. The first was stupid Americans calling me about their office depot rebates. We screwed them all over, and it was our job to tell them they wouldn't be getting a rebate.. I actually found this job pretty fun, as I don't mind people getting pissed off at me.. I actually took a bit of pleasure in telling people that they wouldn't be receiving their $5 rebate.

 

The second was stupid americans calling because their verizon internet was down. In most cases, it wasn't their internet, it was their router, and I'd just have to walk them through configuring it. If it was their internet, I'd just have to go through a small checklist, and then dispatch a technician. We only dealt with business customers, so most of them were pretty polite. Sometimes their e-mail wouldn't be working and I'd get to screen share with them to fix it... They always seemed to get a real kick out of that one. "WOOHOOO! LOOK AT YOU GO! YOU'RE ON MY SCREEN!!" I'd usually draw a picture or something afterwards to amuse them.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Oh I bet a freedom-hater like you just loved that job.

 

It wasn't too bad. I felt like kind of a whore calling Americans exclusively, but my staunchly conservative grandmother cheered me up by saying "Well, no one likes to hear from telemarketers, so you're actually goring Americans". That's paraphrased. I doubt she said gore.