evil telemarketers calling cell phones

I registered both back in April. . .I didn't know it took 31 days to go into operation though, that explains why I was still getting those calls for a while


now if we could just stop those blank calls (where the phone rings, you pick up the phone and there's nobody on it)

[Edited on Jun 09, 2005 by KMFCM]

i have a pre paid phone. i get no junk calls. except for the bill collectors that call some guy named steve on my phone, apparently he has the same phone number, in the next area code.

Great! Now how can I stop those annoying magazine subscription morons from knocking on my door?!

There's a great anti-telemarketer script. I've yet to use it, but it looks good.

Let me know if anyone finds out how to stop the magazine people. Always telling me their fake sob stories...

You know, I actually find this stuff interesting. I run a telemarketing office. It amazes me to see how people view this. I tell people what my day job is at a party and everyone looks at me like I’m the devil.

Here’s the deal about cell phones. They are legal to call depending on the source of information. As far as I know there are NO list companies that sell this information, it has to be provided by the cell phone holder…usually when you enter “contests” and the like and provide your cell phone as your home phone. When you do this you usually agree in the fine print to take part in any advertising that the owner company sees fit to lob at you.

As far as I am concerned, here is the deal on telemarketing:

MOST telemarketing operations are in place to support small businesses. These are typically one owner or family run businesses looking for a cost effective method of advertising. There are other forms of advertising available; as a matter of fact we employ all of these forms where I work. Our television ads cost us well over $75,000 and to date has yielded us only a handful of calls resulting in no profit. If this was the sole form of advertising for the business the nice family that I work for would have to close shop. Telemarketing only exists because it is effective…that means that people say “yes” on the phone. People, when asked, are against the idea of “telemarketing” in general but once we call them it becomes all about what kind of deal we can offer. Because we’re a small family business we usually do the work for much less than the nation-wide corporate companies. Then we hear “oh…I’d never talk to a telemarketer…but I’m glad you called everyone else priced us at _____.”

The Do Not Call List that everyone is so proud of was passed with one of the most bipartisan land slides ever. Why? Because telemarketers are annoying. I think television commercials are annoying but no one has passed a law. Telemarketing is one of the very few ways that a small business can remain competitive with a large business…If small business has access to cheap advertising then it cuts into the bottom line of businesses like Wal-Mart and that would make the lobbyists unhappy. The fact is; is a business can afford to make expensive television ads, and use that as a primary source of advertising, they do. Wal-Mart does not call your house.

Among my employees:
A single mother with four children whose husband left her after beating the snot out of her and is too proud to accept government assistance.

Not one but Two individuals with M.S. who have trouble finding work at all

One very disabled Vietnam vet who is roundly incapable of doing ANY kind of physical labor.

Several musicians who have a choice between this or waiting tables as a day job…but waiting tables usually means working through gigs (the reason I got involved).

People with blue hair and piercings who’s choice for personal expression has effectively barred them from work in ultra-conservative Texas.

There are good telemarketers and bad telemarketers like everything else. But seriously, what’s the worst that can happen if a telemarketer calls you? You waste two minutes?

How to deal with a telemarketer:
“I’m sorry, I have no interest at all. Can you please put me on your Do Not Call List”
All telemarketers are legally obligated to maintain one and if they call you again after you say this they can get into trouble, so most are pretty carefull about doing it right. In the end this will save you the embarrassment to screaming at a $9 an hour crippled man about how much you hate him.

I'm so glad that I don't have to pay for the privilege of listening to my drunk or bored friends calling me. So glad.

I'm glad cell phone users must suffer penance like the rest of us.

That is so weird, some woman I met lsat night had the exact same thing happen to her cellphone. I'm calling that number for sure.

ether13-I understand why people do telemarketing. I am always nice to them when they call. Everyone has a story. But where I draw the line, as most do other people, is when I tell them no, I am not interested and they get all bitchy. When a telemarketer calls me, I have to say no a couple of times, defend myself, and then they have the nerve to bitch at me, give me attitude, and hang up on me If they were courteous back, I would not have a problem. But I have never, and I do mean never, ran across a telemarketer that was not rude to me because I didn't want to buy anything they were selling.

I get Spam text messages.

If they are rude...then they are not only rude they are bad at what they do. That certainly does not make someone want to buy what you're selling. Please don't misunderstand...I'm not asking anyone to "be nice". If someone is rude to you they deserve an earful. What I'm saying is that there is a more effective way to deal with things. If you ask to be put on that company"s Do Not Call list they HAVE to do it. They CAN NOT contiune to pitch you. Bottom line is, as someone who does this for a living, I would RATHER you say that then to play along and risk hightened tensions and everyone involved wasting their time. If you don't want to be pitched...I don't want to pitch you. Don't let bad telemarketers get to you or force you into a confrontation. Just get rid of them. It's clean and easy. You don't have to feel fustrated or get into an argument with anyone.

as for the person who would like to CUT telemarketing...it's advertising...just like everything else in our society...get over it. I assume by cut that you mean that you would like to see it outlawed. Great. What other jobs would you like to make illegal in our current job market/economy? Keep in mind that telemarketing (before the fedral do not call list) was the BIGGEST employer of people under 25 AND over 65.