Telemarketers

[AbdRahim]

I setup an IVR for my main lines, including the business lines. It has a greeting, and then asks them to press 1 to connect to a human. This stopped all robocalls, and 99% of telemarketers.

Now the only ones that i get are the sole proprietors that are going thru a Rolodex and dialing the rotary to ask me about products that I may actually be interested in.

What is an IVR?

 

[redbaron]

Interactive voice response......automated greeting.

 

[Dona40]

I just don't answer numbers I don't recognize. (If it's important, they can leave a message) It's a little tougher because it being a business line also. When I'm feeling particularly ornery, I'll answer one and give 'em the business.

 

[Bob K4TAX]

I had a new phone line installed at the RV park about 6 months ago. I rarely got telemarketing calls on either my home number or the park number. But I got a few every now and then. So I entered both of the numbers on the Do Not Call registry. And then suddenly, it was like I had put up a "Please Call Me" add on telemarketer central! Now I get no less than 5 and sometimes 6 or 7 calls a day. On both phones! Added up, that's a lot of unwanted calls.

I fixed the problem at home with a phone that scans the caller and makes them perform a function that proves they are human. But at the park, I'm constantly being slammed with unwanted calls. And my cell phone, well I just quit answering it. I check my messages from time-to-time, but it's been rendered all but useless for normal use.

What is everyone else doing to stem these unwanted calls?

We have caller ID on the home phone and caller ID on the cell phones. If either ring and I don't recognize the caller by name, it goes unanswered or to the voice mail. And when driving, the cell phone won't ring or alert me to a message. When I stop, I can then retrieve messages. I figure it this way, a call to me, or a message to me is invading my privacy. I choose when that can occur.

In a simple step to answer your question............ IGNORE THEM.

 

[Skipper N Martha Bishop]

5 or 6 a day Jim? I get that many nearly every morning. Some times I just push the hangup button but if I have had my coffee I may just have a little fun with them. Now if I answer a lot of them hang up right away. If they sound like they are from India they are, if they speak perfect english they are probably calling from Brazil. Don't call me and ask me "how are you doing today" your going to be listening for a while. Skipper

 

[bpaikman]

I set it up on my iphone to 'silence' unknown calls. Works pretty well - in other words, I don't get a ring, but it's listed in recent calls, and they can leave voicemail. I also pay a annual membership fee to "MrNumber" to filter out what it can, which is one of many such apps - I don't know if it's the best. And I still use it to check a number that I'm uncertain about.
MrNumber used to filter out all my spam calls - This year they started flooding my phone again. So I set up the "silence" function on my iPhone.