Does anyone have an answer to the insufferable telephone calls made by computers?

First make sure to put your phone number on the FTC's Do Not Call List if you haven't already. This probably won't stop the robo-calls but at least it'll give you some leverage when they keep calling.

If they keep calling you can try to speak to the rep and try to get them to reveal something - anything - about the identity of the company.

Try telling them you need to call them back because your phone is almost out of battery, for instance.

Otherwise, try to keep them on the line as long as possible without actually giving them a sale. Not only will this prevent them from talking to other potential customers, but often times these people are judged by how much time they spend on the phone. If they don't get sales and have long call-times, they will lose their job. As a result, they will often just hang up on you and put your number on the blacklist so as to avoid ever wasting time on you ever again.

One way to do this is to play along, feeding them bogus, but reasonable sounding, data when possible. If they ask for something like a social security number tell them you have to go find that, put the phone down, and just walk away. Come back in a few minutes and see if he's still there so you can continue to string him along. Do this a few times and the rep will simply blacklist your number for wasting so much of his time.

A friend of mine pretended to be a pizza place. He actually managed to sell an imaginary pizza to the confused rep and got his address. At which point my friend hung up, and filed a complaint on his state's and the FTC's websites regarding illegal robocalls.

You can find other transcripts from jokers vs. robocallers, including one who pretended to be a police detective at a murder site, and questioned the hapless operator who had just become the prime suspect...

Or if you're in a silly mood, just mess with the reps in other ways. Tell them your account number is "5". No, just 5. Explain it's a very old account that's been in your family for generations.

If you have a talkative toddler in the house, punch '1' to get a rep, then hand the phone over.

Or immediately launch into your own scripted sales pitch. Try selling your old newspapers for $9.99 each - a steal!

Or, mimic the robocall machine. Come up with your own ad (or just use the same pitch they're using) Try to sound as much like a recording as possible. If they think you're another robocaller, they'll take your number off their list. Bonus points if they listen all the way to the end and then try mashing the 1 or 2 button as you instructed them to do.

I've also wondered what would happen if you blasted an air horn into the telephone. Someone told me that the phone equipment will limit loud noises but wasn't sure if that was his phone, the operator's phone, or the equipment in-between. I'd like to find out for sure.