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unhappycamper (52,137 posts) Thu Jan 16, 2014, 08:51 AMHow to torment telemarketershttp://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lazarus-20140114,0,1753169.column photographReaders had many ideas for taking revenge on robocall telemarketers. Above, workers at a call center in Bangalore, India, in 2005. ~snip~ Texas resident Mark Levitt said in the column that he routinely tries to tie up Rachel telemarketers for as long as possible by repeatedly feeding them bogus credit card numbers. The goal, he said, is to be such a pain in the neck that the marketing firm will remove him from its call list. ~snip~ Hugh Brown of Glendale said he tells the caller he needs to get a pen and paper, and he disappears for a bit. Then he says he needs to get his wallet from the other room and disappears again. Then he says it must be in the car, and so on. ~snip~ Ralph Schack of Rancho Palos Verdes tells telemarketers to hold on while he gets his wife. Then he goes about his business. Every so often, he returns to the line and says, "Didn't she pick up?" Then he goes about his business again. ~snip~ B.R. Lister said he worked as a police detective in Orange County for 25 years. He advises people to visit a sporting-goods store or boat dealership and pick up an air-horn canister.
B Calm (20,295 posts) Thu Jan 16, 2014, 08:53 AM 1. I have one of those air-horn canisters, I will try that!
Brickbat (15,503 posts) Thu Jan 16, 2014, 08:56 AM2. Good lord, who has that kind of time?
Hassin Bin Sober (9,993 posts) Thu Jan 16, 2014, 08:58 AM3. Give the phone to a three year old. That's what we did last time during a birthday party.
Le Taz Hot (16,265 posts) Thu Jan 16, 2014, 09:04 AM4. LOL!That's perfect! Most three-year-olds are chatty as all get out. Cute but chatty.
dembotoz (5,377 posts) Thu Jan 16, 2014, 09:08 AM 5. so the next time you get asked to volunteer at a candidates phone bank....
Orrex (39,411 posts) Thu Jan 16, 2014, 09:15 AM6. These are great, because I'm sure that the call center employees need more bullshit in their jobsI don't think that I've had an actual human telemarketer call me in more than 10 years, and the tactics described in the article will do nothing to deter a robo-caller. I won't fault anyone for taking whatever steps they feel are appropriate, but having worked in call centers I simply don't have it in me to make the callers' jobs any more stressful.
lapislzi (5,010 posts) Thu Jan 16, 2014, 09:17 AM7. This is one hell of a mean-spirited threadWhy would you hassle, annoy, or torment someone who was trying to do a job and earn a paycheck? I also find telemarketers incredibly annoying and bothersome. But...really? How would you like it? How much does it suck to have to deal with rude people all day long? Caller ID, if you have it, is your friend. If it's a number you don't recognize, don't pick up the damn phone. If I'm caught off guard and do pick up, I politely ask the marketer not to call again, to remove my name from the calling list, and to have a nice day. I simply talk over their blather and hang up. How hard is that? How hard is it to just be nice? Don't use an elephant gun to swat a mosquito.
badtoworse (4,157 posts) Thu Jan 16, 2014, 09:20 AM8. That is what we do. If we don't recognize the number, we don't answer.Much less stressful. Caller ID has to be the greatest invention in the last 15 years or so. I'd have gone crazy without it.
PotatoChip (1,853 posts) Thu Jan 16, 2014, 09:25 AM9. I didn't go to the link but, telemarketers would actually like the 2nd and 3rd ideas out of the 4 listed here. Unless of course they got caught and reprimanded for not disconnecting. And the 4rth doesn't work because the software blocks such noises. It sounds on the telemarketer's end like a blank, silent moment. I don't know about the 1rst, though... I've seen all but that one on DU before, and asked my nephew about them. He worked part time for a telemarketing company to help pay for college.
baldguy (31,940 posts) Thu Jan 16, 2014, 09:46 AM12. That's it - torture the low wages workers trying to feed their family & keep a roof over their headsWhy not just say "No, thank you," and hand up? Or just hang up?
rurallib (33,476 posts) Thu Jan 16, 2014, 09:47 AM13. These folks are people also, trying to make a livingJust say no and hang up. Don't be a jerk.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024339927Oh my.
Texas resident Mark Levitt said in the column that he routinely tries to tie up Rachel telemarketers for as long as possible by repeatedly feeding them bogus credit card numbers. The goal, he said, is to be such a pain in the neck that the marketing firm will remove him from its call list.
. This is one hell of a mean-spirited thread
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024339927Quote from Dummy: B.R. Lister said he worked as a police detective in Orange County for 25 years. He advises people to visit a sporting-goods store or boat dealership and pick up an air-horn canister.
What the heck is a "Rachel" telemarketer?When telemarketing firms feel you're a PIA, they sell your number to as many other telemarking lists as they can.
Whatever PIA means.We hear from Rachel at least a couple of times a week. I didn't know she had missed anyone.
