Disconnecting Telemarketers

Anonymous Scientist at UMass sent in a story about opt-out telemarketing laws, and several people submitted this story about a spam bill in the Senate. New York's telemarketing law does work - since we put our number on the list, we've gotten a couple of calls from charities (not covered by the law) and a couple of calls from Time-Warner Cable, asking us to sign up for cable. Time-Warner's calls would be banned, except that we have a pre-existing business relationship with them - you see, we already have cable. Update: 05/18 15:30 GMT by M : Oh, and if you live in New York: NYNoCall.com.

Simple solution

[NineNine]

It's simple. Get rid of the land line. Cell phones are cheaper and easier. Telemarketers don't have cell phone numbers. Of course, if you use your land line for dial-up like I do, we just removed all of our telephones in the house. No telemarketers. Simple.

Re:101 Way to Waste Their Time

[Kappelmeister]

Any more suggestions?

Yes. Say "I'm not interested" and hang up.

People who work for telemarketers work on commission. When you stall, "parrot," or anything else, you're not wasting the company's time, but the person's time -- and, consequently, their paychecks. The longer you keep them on the line, the less opportunity they have to close a sale with someone else.

Look, I'm not trying to elicit sympathy for the telemarketing companies. I hate the intrusions as much as you do. But the callers themselves are not evil people; they are simply looking for a regular job like the rest of us [slashdot.org]. When you stall the call to "get them," you're not getting the right people.

Re:101 Way to Waste Their Time

[Tarquin Sidebottom]

'If you're part of the solution, you're part of the problem.' as the say goes. Maybe they do need a job, but they're still cold-calling and so they are not exactly innocent parties. If they're innocent, then what about the manager that instigates the marketing campaign? After all, they're just trying to do their regular job like the rest of us. Can we blame the company, after all, it's just trying to make a profit from it's time like the rest of do. Where exactly do you draw the line? Personally I do so at anyone who is willingly involved.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be a heartless bastard, I'd rather just waste the time of those at the top of the chain but thats not always possible.

Say for example that all cold-calling had to be opt-in. So few people would opt in that there'd be hardly any market for it. Consequently, the wouldn't be a great number of jobs in it. And that same person wouldn't even have a job to receive a paycheck for. At the end of the day, the two are intertwined - you can't hurt the idea of telemarketing without also hurting the person's paycheck.

So until the day that goverments decide to make it opt-in, the best way to hurt the idea of cold-calling is to make the job such a poor earner that nobody will do it.

Re:101 Way to Waste Their Time

[gd23ka]

Nobody forces them to work for a telemarketer and even if sheer hunger and desperation were to drive people to get on the phone for some sleazy telemarketing scam, that still makes stealing other people's time not right. I will call you, don't call me.

Re:101 Way to Waste Their Time

[Joe Tie.]

Very true. I always get a little annoyed reading stories like this, when they turn to harrasing the telemarketers. It's not like anyone sets out in life with the goal of telemarketing. Yes, I find it annoying getting telemarketing calls. But I imagine as agrivating as it is for me to get a call, every moment of their lives at work, every day, over and over again has to be far far worse. If somone can't have a little compassion for people in this kind of bad situation I think getting bugged by telemarketers is a pretty just payback.

Re:Why not just do like the rest of the world?

[Anonymous Coward]

Something I should have added. A Telemarketing call is, in fact, "a theft of services". Small, perhaps, but unavoidably theft nontheless.

Nice to know our Government is so willingly able to cross the line. They've fostered an ethic where theft for the "good of a corporate interests" is perfectly acceptable.

Where does it stop?

Re:How to deal with telemarketers!

[/dev/trash]

So I should give them my postal address os I can get paper spam.

Re:And if you live in Texas

[Anonymous Coward]

and why the hell should I have to pay to be put on a no-call list? a list that doesn't stop people like:

-Firefighters Fundraisers
-Police Fundraisers
-American Cancer Society, March of Dimes, etc

yeah, I feel real sorry for the cops (mostly fat donut-eaters with lardasses) who only make $35k/yr. AHHHH! but then they work off-shift as security (in uniform), they get free/reduced meals at many restaurants, and the overtime pay (My God! San Antonio police used to get triple time and a half after 45 hours!) (and don't anybody even respond to this post about the "poor policeman who protect us", they knew the risks when they took the job)

same goes for the firemen, they knew the risks when they took the job. I respect them for what they do, more than the cops. (Ever hear of any cities firefighter department that is hated worse than the local police?......... didn't think so)

bottom line, I don't have money to spare. that is what tax dollars and tax credits to big corporations are for. same goes for the "homeless" on the street corners begging for money (I saw one on the corner the other day wearing brand-new Nike's that cost at least $140! oh yeah, someone donated those, sureee they did!). that's what your local Salvation Army/Goodwill and soup kitchens are for. get them off their lazy asses and get them working. nobody ever gave me a free ride in my life, I worked for what I got, they should to.