With the creation of the national Do Not Call list, it seemed that our home phones were safe from solicitations. However, some places have found loop holes in the law. For example, if all the company wants is for you to take a survey then they aren’t breaking the law by calling you. When asking to be removed from their lists isn’t enough, here are some tips to help stop the calls.
Can’t hear or understand
Pretending that you have significant hearing loss will often get your number removed from the system. On the same note, pretending that you don’t speak English is an excellent trick as well. However, do not choose Spanish as your language. Often, telemarketing companies will hire people who also speak Spanish to call the numbers ending up in the Spanish queue.
Being hostile and senile
Some people enjoy screaming at people who cold call their house. If this isn’t your style, you might want to reconsider. Many companies won’t call you again if you cuss out the person who called you. Similarly, if you act like you’re out of your mind the odds are good that they’ll leave you in peace. Companies don’t want to pay for their reps to talk to someone who goes on and on about the shapes of the pretty clouds rather than discussing what they called for.
Pretend to be a business
If your phone is answered as if it is a business, your number should be removed from the list if the company calling you is only interested in residences.
Keep the fax machine connected
If you have a fax machine, keep it connected all the time. When telemarketers reach a phone line with a fax machine connected, that number should be removed from the system since the goal is to reach people.
Pretend to be an emancipated minor
Generally, telephone solicitors want to speak to an adult. But what if there are no adults in the household? By pretending to be an emancipated minor, you might get your phone number removed off the list.
Don’t give out your phone number to credit card companies
I get the most telemarketing calls from my credit card companies trying to sell me credit protection or something similar. Many credit card companies require your phone number when you apply. However, call them back after a few months and pretend that you no longer have a telephone. In my experience, as long as your payments are made on time and they have an e-mail address for you then it isn’t a problem. I’ve never had anywhere threaten to cancel my card because I supposedly do not have a telephone.
