OT-Telemarketing calls? How bad in your area?

[pundit]

Maybe it's just me but it seems like telemarketing calls have markedly increased in Australia over the past 12 months.
I've been home ill for the past two days and I've received about half a dozen calls.
Mainly of course from Indian call centres.
Is the "Do Not Call List' working in the U.S.?
I've taken to asking which companies the callers are representing, but most avoid answering and continue with their standard pitch.
I've now recorded a SIT (disconnection tone) on my answering machine hoping that will make them think my phone is disconnected!

[liquidtiger720]

I get calls on my cell phone about loans....

Thats how bad it is.

[shogun]

And I get calls from people specialized in offshore tax heaven investments.
Typically starting "I have got your name from your good friend Mr.xxx blabla..."
Of course I never have heard of Mr. xxx before

[Alexlind123]

Lots of calls from charitable organizations wanting donations, nothing much else.

[HDhandyman]

No call list seems to working well for most. But, then of course the FCC just cracked down on several telemaketting companies with huge litigation just before X-mas for breaking that new law.

Stephen

[uscharalph]

I just moved to Long Beach and am getting calls every night. Someone must be selling my number. I changed some services online. Maybe that did it??

[guinness]

Not a single call in months since I got on the do not call list.

[genphreak]

Maybe it's just me but it seems like telemarketing calls have markedly increased in Australia over the past 12 months. Is the "Do Not Call List' working in the U.S.? I've now recorded a SIT (disconnection tone) on my answering machine hoping that will make them think my phone is disconnected!Good move the answering machine trick! But don't put yourself on a list at the Advertising Industry's own authority, hoping to get off the ones they have you on. It will only get abused by some (bankrupted) ex-Danos marketing tycoon who gets his paws on it and pays some VOIP based call centre in an underprivellaged country 2c per call to get screamed at by 99.999% of the unsuspecting callees.

This is what I do; ask for their number to call them back- they usually ask for a better time to call you again. If they do this or don't give the number to you for any other reason say 'That's ok; I'd be happy to call your boss since I cannot call you' - When they say something like 'I don't think that'd be appropriate' then respond "did they not tell you to ring me at home this evening? Surely it'd be ok if I return their call personally"

See how quick they hang up and give up calling back.

It sure works for me, especially if they already told you the product/suppliers name. Once I called the CEO of a not-so-dodgey telecoms company here; he was paying some shoddy mob in India to VOIP call some 'special list' they had; asking seriously mischeivous questions to hijack phone accounts off Telstra. They rang me almost every week for 2 years, in the end I was fed up trying every polite method under the sun. I got the CEO's mobile phone number (given to me by his PA thinking falsely (but not denied by me) that I was a big customer) and of course I called at 9pm the next night (which was the exact same time they usually rang me at home).

I asked him about the service they provide, how it compared in the market and what their rate was for 110-130 connections. After he gave me that I went through the tariffs we paid already to do a basic comparison, and said that I couldn't justify any change without a more compelling reason; but perhaps I could sign for one line to try them out, since they were sure it was so good. I asked him to call me back in 10 minutes once I had found the account details. He said he could get someone else to do that tommorrow, but I politely declcined as I'd already sampled his rude callcentres calling me at 9pm and 'didn't think they needed any encouragement at all'. He then spat the dummy literally... and miraculously they stopped calling me.

I wonder if they stopped the rest of the ******** they were spnning on the phone to anyone else. I doubt it!

[632 Regal]

I pay extra at home to have a non published number, if I do get a random call I politely ask to be removed from their solicitation list. If the same company calls 3 times after asking to be removed you can sue them. I read that someone won a LOT of money doing this.

Thw US do not call list has greately helped at work, we used to get half dozen calls a day which can really mess up a work schedule but now maybe 2-3 a week.

[Tiger]

https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx

This is the fedeal gov. website to opt out of telemarketing calls. You need to register all your cell phones along with your house now that the law allows them to call you on cell phones.

[Zeuk in Oz]

I get at least 6 a day at work. I do have caller ID though so they all come up as "unavailable" on the ID.

We answer, make sure it isn't a legitimate call from abroad, then just say sorry, not interested, and hang up.

Almost all of them are from India - all speaking with a Peter Sellers accent - remarkable, and all use the internet with terrible delay.

Those few that I end up talking to I just point out the delay and say how can I switch to your company if they don't even give you a proper phone line to use ! Then I hang up.

Feel a little sorry for them though - sitting in some sweatshop in Bangalore or Bombay trying to earn a few bucks a day talking to ar$3h0le$ like me. What a life !

I don't get any at home as the number is unlisted - or at least I presume that's the reason.