So how do you handle telemarketers when they call? I used to try and be nice and say no over and over again until they finally understood that I really meant it the first ten times I said it. Now, with all of the computers they have dialing that cause delays and hang ups I just hang up on them even if they start talking. I have gotten sick of them calling all of the time and I finally thought that I didn't ask them to call me so I don't really feel too bad about it. What does everybody else do?

 

I tell them

"I'm so sorry but I am in middle of a long distance phone call from my sick relative".

 

Hang up. The phone is for my convenience, not theirs.

 

sometimes i change the subject and start a conversation if she has a cute voice

 

tell him i'm not convinced and to keep going, keep him going and going and going and then say "good job, now you can sell! too bad i'm not interested" then hang up

 

Used to hear them out and then say no, because they are people, but then again I"m a person too and they chose that stupid job and to call me, so I just hang up.

 

Hand the phone over to the 13 year old. He'll puts on a great act, usually leading them on but using an accent so they can barely understand him. I don't know where he gets it from, but I actually like getting the telemarketer calls now just to see him do his stuff. He never repeats a bit and each time its funnier than the last. Eventually the telemarketer gets angry and hangs up on him! Except for the other night, when he pretended to be selling something to the telemarketer and apologized for calling the telemarketer during dinner!

 

I don't get too many so I usually cut their dialogue short and tell them firmly but politely that I'm not interested, request that they don't call me again and tell them to remove me from their mailing list.

Also I never give my personal details to people in supermarkets that are running raffles, freebies, lotteries, giveaways etc as this is a certain way to be placed on a telemarketer's list.

If i was to start receiving lots of unsolicited calls then I'd take it to the next level and just start hanging up.

 

A couple of times I have talked to them. After explaining to them about 10 times I wasn't interested and they continue to sell, I asked them if they worked on commision. They all replied yes. I then asked them why they are wasting there time with me on a hard sell after I had told them repeatdly I wasn't interested. I also pointed out that it would make more sense for them to go to their next customer were they might get a commision.

 

Hanging up on them would be too nice. I tell them to hold and put them on hold. After they wait a few minutes they all hang up.