I need help stopping a telemarketer

[darkshadow0001]

Hello, recently I had to try and find ways to get insurance for myself when my job dropped ours and I searched for ways online to get find some. I put my phone number in some sites to get some info, and yes, I know agents will call me. But most of them have stopped after I politely told them I already found insurance through a local agent except for this one number. 574-850-2203. I've told them twice that I found insurance and I want them to stop calling me, even left voicemails, and they keep calling every single day and I would like it stopped without having to change my cell number.

Any ideas?
And yes, I have tried googling a solution, too..

Thanks!

 

[Pingfah]

Call the phone company? I dunno about the USA, but in the UK British Telecom will block a nuisance number so that they can't call you.

 

[JarodRussell]

In some countries it's also illegal, so the police would be an option as well. In countries where it is illegal, the threat to call the police can already do magical things.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

Take down the agent's name and tell them that the next time someone calls, you will call your lawyer.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Troll them.

 

[darkshadow0001]

Call the phone company? I dunno about the USA, but in the UK British Telecom will block a nuisance number so that they can't call you.

That might be a good idea. I haven't thought of that. I did find an app called Privacy Star that blocks calls, but the call still rings until they block it so it doesn't really "block" them.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Perpetual Malevolence: Revenge on Telemarketers

 

[Green Shirt]

What about the "do not call" registry?

 

[darkshadow0001]

What about the "do not call" registry?

I think I'm already listed. But I thought this might be a good idea:

Telemarketing Idea

 

[USS Triumphant]

Here's something that I've found effective in the past:

:you see the number calling in, answer:
"Darkshadow Consulting. Can I have your client ID #, please?"

"Um, what?"

"This is a private number for an IT consulting business that is only given to customers. We charge $125 per call. Do you have an existing client ID #? If you've been referred by one of our other customers, I'll be glad to set you up. What business did you say you were calling from?"

"Can't Stop Calling Insurance"

"Okay. And I have your phone number here. We'll get the rest of your info in a moment, I'm going to read a brief statement to you. Continuing this call, or calling this consulting number again constitutes agreement that you are authorizing that you will be billed $125 for each call for consulting services. Okay, we can proceed. Can I get your address, your name, and a direct number to reach you at?"

And so on. And then, if they keep it up, REALLY BILL THEM. I've never personally had to take it that far, but I've heard of large companies actually paying other people who also do this. In which case, the calls wouldn't be so bad, would they?

 

[Kirby]

What about the "do not call" registry?

Since he voluntarily gave them his number, I don't think the registry is an option. You can contact the Secretary of State's office in whatever State they're headquartered and file a complaint. You can also file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. I'd just try that app that you mentioed to just block their number.

 

[Owain Taggart]

Good luck. We've had the Gunthy Renker Corporation calling us almost daily for almost two years now and nothing was even bought from them. They're persistent buggers.

 

[Leviathan]

I never get telemarketer calls anymore.

the answer is simple:

1. Allow telemarketer to babble on.
2. Keep saying yessss.....yeesss...in low tones. Throw in a "that's so gooood"
3. Wait for them to ask a question "it's that something you'd be interested in?"
4. Reply with "first....what are you wearing"?
5. No matter how they reply, answer with some sort of orgasmic sound.

...and welcome to the permaban telemarketers list.

 

[M'Sharak]

http://www.fcc.gov/complaints

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Sprint (and Verizon before that) allows me to block numbers via my online account.

If these telemarketers use the same # to call, it's easy enough to block them and quicker than the do-not-call registry

 

[trekkiedane]

Here's something that I've found effective in the past:

:you see the number calling in, answer:
"Darkshadow Consulting. Can I have your client ID #, please?"

"Um, what?"

"This is a private number for an IT consulting business that is only given to customers. We charge $125 per call. Do you have an existing client ID #? If you've been referred by one of our other customers, I'll be glad to set you up. What business did you say you were calling from?"

"Can't Stop Calling Insurance"

"Okay. And I have your phone number here. We'll get the rest of your info in a moment, I'm going to read a brief statement to you. Continuing this call, or calling this consulting number again constitutes agreement that you are authorizing that you will be billed $125 for each call for consulting services. Okay, we can proceed. Can I get your address, your name, and a direct number to reach you at?"

And so on. And then, if they keep it up, REALLY BILL THEM. I've never personally had to take it that far, but I've heard of large companies actually paying other people who also do this. In which case, the calls wouldn't be so bad, would they?

Love it

It's even better than my own:

Putting the phone-microphone close to an earphone -playing anything, really- and every few minutes speaking into it:

"Your call is very important to us, please hold the line. You are now number [insert random two-figure number that is in no context to any previously used number] in the queue".

It works best if you use x-mas music during summer and foreign language versions of pop-songs (that aren't seasonal) during the x-mas season...

 

[FPAlpha]

http://www.fcc.gov/complaints

That's the first step and hopefully the last.

If that fails officially charge them with disturbing you (however that's named correctly) at the police and start an official investigation.

Whatever you do please don't be a dick to the phone operator.. that's a person just doing their job and they're told to call you. Most of the call center people i know who have to do cold calls or telemarketing hate it themselves with a passion because they know they're disturbing people and some people they call are downright nasty to them and there's nothing they can do against it.

So please tell them politely you're not interested, if possible to put you on the "Do not call again" list and be done with it (that worked for me).

If they continue to call you go to the authority and have them go at the company itself and not the little dude sitting in a cubicle or mass office just waiting for his shift to end.

 

[Snaploud]

Is the number for your cell phone? You might have an option on your phone to put the person on your reject list. It won't stop the voicemails, but it will keep the phone from ringing when they call (sending them straight to voice-mail).

 

[Owain Taggart]

The problem is that these days, there's an increase in them being automated with them sending pre-recorded messages and it's starting to be that you get less and less actual people on the other end, making it harder to pin down and complain.

I've even seen calls that make it sound like you're the one that made the call, complete with busy signal. "This line is unavailable. Please hang up and try again. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP." I don't understand the logic behind that one, given that they have to call you for you to hear it.

 

[Captain Ice]

Next time they call you tell them that the next time they call, you will sound an air horn over the phone line. Then buy one and actually do it. Preceed the horn with a statement that says that the next sound they hear will be an air horn. They'll get the message.