What is the best way to deal with telemarketers?

have them take you off of their list...or screen your calls.

First off, don't be rude. The person calling you doesn't really want to call you, they most likely took a horrible job due to desperation or work in a call center during the holidays to make extra cash.

That's not the real reason to remain civil, though. You should be nice because even though you probably don't recall doing business with this particular company they may be a sister company or a subsidiary and the person you're about to insult has access to your personal information. This could include your credit card number.

If you're rude and abusive there's really very little stopping the associate from copying down all your information and either using it himself or posting it to USEnet.

The best way to deal with a telemarketer is to immediately ask them to please listen. If you wait for them to stop speaking you'll be there forever. Also the less time they've invested in you the less they care about a "No." So you say "Please listen to me. I'd rather not receive these calls, please remove me from your list. And if you could check my account to make sure you haven't any other phone numbers listed for me I'd really appreciate it."

If you're polite and let the caller know you understand this was never a career goal for them and they'd rather be doing anything else it will go a long way towards actually being taken off the list.

Even if you're 100% positive this company couldn't possibly have your credit card information keep in mind that at the very least they have your name and phone number. There's a lot of nasty things you can do by way of revenge with just those two things.

Switch to Vonage or another VoIP service. Your telephone number not only will be unlisted (in which case it is still "listed" somewhere, and telemarketers can get it) but you have Caller ID automatically and a full list of everybody who ever called you and whom you called. (Of course you have to subscribe to Broadband Internet first.)

Failing that, you should add your name to the "dont call" registry (see below for link). This will, after a short delay, keep most domestic (US) firms from calling you because the penalties can be draconian. You may still get a few unsolicited calls from Bangalore or Shanghai, and the occasional illegal boiler room operator trying to sell you worthless stock at high prices, or a 419 scammer from Nigeria trying to involve you in a scheme to unload millions of dollars of overbilled proceeds or a bank deposit of a conveniently deceased investor.

But if you mean what to do when a telemarketer does reach you (and, as with spam and e-mail addresses, if you ever give out your number to a business they may sell it off to others) then the best answer is to forget courtesy and just hang up. These guys are just doing their job, and doing it (usually) for low pay or for commission. They don't want to waste time with people who are already angry with them for having called during dinner.

When they ask "How are you today?" Tell them! "I'm

so glad you asked because no one these days seems to

care, and I have all these problems; my arthritis is

acting up, my eyelashes are sore, my dog just died..."

If they say they're John Doe from XYZ Company, ask

them to spell their name. Then ask them to spell the

company name. Then ask them where it is located.

Continue asking them personal questions or questions

about their company for as long as necessary.

Cry out in surprise, "Judy! Is that you? Oh my God!

Judy, how have you been?" Hopefully, this will give Judy

a few brief moments of pause as she tries to figure out

where the hell she could know you from.

If MCI calls trying to get you to sign up for the Family

and Friends plan, reply, in as SINISTER a voice as you can,

"I don't have any friends... would you be my friend?"

If they want to loan you money, tell them you just filed for

bankruptcy and you could sure use some money.

Tell the telemarketer you are busy at the moment and ask

them if they will give you their HOME phone number so you

can call them back. When the telemarketer explains that they

cannot give out their HOME number, you say "I guess you don't

want anyone bothering you at home, right?" The telemarketer

will agree and you say, "Now you know how I feel!"

Insist that the caller is really your buddy Leon, playing a joke.

"Come on Leon, cut it out! Seriously, Leon, how's ya been?"

Tell them to talk V-E-R-Y V-E-R-Y S-L-O-W-L-Y, because

you want to write down EVERY WORD.

have fun

Register with the Federal Trade Commission on the national do not call list.

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

After a 30 day waiting period, you can report and sue any telemarketer that calls.

There is a federal "no call" list and many states have one as well. Get on it/them via the Web and there are stiff penalities for violations.

Otherwise, tell them to stop calling you or you will report and prosecute. They'll stop.

Well, you can request to be taken off their calling list whenever they call you. It might take a while but eventually you should be off all of them and then I think it's actually illegal for them to call you. However, a more fun alternative might be to pretend not to speak English. I have a few friends who do that.

Politely ask them for their home phone number...so you can call them at a time that's more convenient for you. Another proven method is to answer the phone with a message "house of pain, what can I whip up for you today?"

1. "Do not call" lists help.

2. Get caller ID and know when not to pick up.

3. Blatently, but nicely refuse, and then overcompliment them to "wierd them out"

If you live in the US you can register your numbers with the site listed below. I registered and haven't been bothered by them since.

When they call you, ask them to remove your number from their phone list. It works for me.