Telemarketing calls to cell phones?

[cgallery]

We're getting lots of telemarketing calls to our AT&T cell phones. They seem to have come out of nowhere about two weeks ago. I thought telemarketing (especially robot calling) to cell phones was frowned on by the FCC.

Anyone else experience something similar? Any solutions?

[robtonya]

I got this in an e-mail awhile back. I hope it helps you.


REMEMBER: Cell Phone Numbers Go Public next month.
REMINDER.... all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sale calls.

.... YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS

To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222.
It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.

HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS.. It takes about 20 seconds.

[JoeyGee]

https://www.donotcall.gov/

Same as land lines.

[LCHIEN]

yeah, the most annoying are the ones that start like "This is the second and final notice that your automobile warranty may be about to expire...."
After the second or third of those you start to wonder how stupid they think you are.

[dbhost]

I've started to actually take those warranty calls, and go off on weird tangents with them.

"Sure I'll take the extended warranty. Can you cover my 1983 Trabant?"

If you don't know what a Trabant is, those were East Germany's answer to clean, breathable air...

The better one, was when I told the caller to hang on while I took my seeing eye dog out to do his business...

Waste those idiots time if you don't have anything pressing going on... I figure if I keep them busy on the phone, they will eventually flag my number as one to avoid...

[cgallery]

https://www.donotcall.gov/

Same as land lines.

Will this actually help? Or are these illegitimate telemarketers that won't respect the law?

[cgallery]

Waste those idiots time if you don't have anything pressing going on... I figure if I keep them busy on the phone, they will eventually flag my number as one to avoid...

A good strategy but they've been nailing us when it isn't convenient to talk.

[dbhost]

A good strategy but they've been nailing us when it isn't convenient to talk.

Yeah, I can't toy with them then...

But when you do have the time, get creative, feign interest, and screw with them...

I like faking an accent and poor English skills with these folks too... Not a foreign accent, a super thick Good 'Ol Boy Texas accent... I got one of them so frustrated after 20 minutes they simply hung up on me...

Can you tell I have a lot of minutes on my plan?

[just started]

Most of them are calling from Canada and claim the do not call lists don't apply to them.

[Stytooner]

I do get these on my cell and do get charged time. I only use pay as you go. It has actually saved my life before I think, but won't go there just now.

I receive all kinds of credit hounds on my land line. They are after some guy named Raymond C. Styron. I had never heard of him before until they started calling. Then I found out this guys was convicted of child molestation and has been sentenced to over three life terms in an Alabama pen. These companies will not see a dime I reckon, however I find it aggravating. This line is on the do not call list. I have told these guys they are barking up the wrong tree already and yet they persist. What kind of recourse to I have when false info is given out and someone innocent as myself is being hounded? I jsut don'ty answer the phone now, but instead, check voicemail.
Family has my cel;l number that I always answer and sometimes I find out my warranty is fixing to go south for my 87 chevy truck. Good thing I took the call. Maybe I can talk Raymond into making a payment for me?

[Richard in Smithville]

Most of them are calling from Canada and claim the do not call lists don't apply to them.

Trust me, we have the same lists here too. I'm on it. The big thing is these call centers are now off shore where people are payed a few bucks a day to call.

I often try to sell something back to the callers. The last one I tried selling car insurance to.

"Hey Todd, if you can get five people to sign into our family and friends plan you can receive up to 40% savings on your insurance!"

I don't sell insurance but he didn't know that. I got a polite ,"Sorry to bother you sir. Good night".

[cgallery]

It would be nice if AT&T would start watching for signs of robot dialers and cut 'em off. I'd imagine the have the technology built into their switches already, maybe don't know how to use it.

[smorris]

When I get the live human and point out it probably wasn't the best idea they ever had to voice spam the head of the security department of a telecom company they tend to hang up and don't call back. Bummer, but they say once you kill your toy you don't get to play with it any more.

[JeffG78]

I get nothing on verizon, but when I used to have a land line (before the Do Not Call Registry), I had a technique that worked great. I'd answer the phone and if they were a telemarketer and asked for me, I'd say "hang on, I'll get him for you, he's upstairs" and then I'd simply lay the phone down and go back to whatever I was doing. I'd usually yell a few times "Jeff, you have a phone call" and then in a different voice "OK, be right down". It's amazing how long those idiots will stay on the line.

If you are in a hurry, the fastest method I've found is to either tell them you already have their product. or find a way to convince them you don't need it. If a siding and window company calls, simply tell them you live in an apartment. If an extended auto warranty company calls, tell them you just bought a warranty from them last week.

I had a friend tell me that he got a sales call on his buisiness line while he was interning at the Honda Assembly plant in Ohio. It was a window company, so he told them to come right over because they needed new windows. When the caller asked how many windows he had, he said "gosh, I don't know, there must be a thousand or so, the building is over a million square feet" They hung up on him. I wonder why?