We got a new number last year and we get on the average 5-6 calls a day from bill collectors targeting someone who I assume had the number before us. No matter how many times we tell them they don’t own this number or email them we still get calls. I have gotten to where if they don’t call my cell I don’t answer.
Two months back, I started telling callers that I am on “do not call” list, now I will report your company name to State AG. Then one caller told me, you may need to update your telephone no on “do not call list” and I did. After that, till now, zero calls for google list or GE or magazine subscription.
To fight back is a pain, but we are suppose to renew with DC every five years, and get caller numbers when we can and turn them in to Don’t Call. (I know the culprits change numbers like socks.)
Read where one poster tells them to call Santa Barry for money and business. They elected him.
We need to google up some articles on unso. licitedphone calls for the latest. Ping me if you learn anything
I’ve tried several methods to get rid of the calls, since the National Do Not Call list is generally ineffective (hey, it’s run by the government.)
The least effective method is answering the phone or calling the number they want you to call. This tells the scammers/spammers that you are home and answer the phone which is exactly what they are looking for. Using this method will lead to a vast increase in annoying calls.
In my experience, the best method is to get caller ID and don’t answer the phone if you don’t know who is calling. Make sure you turn off the answering machine as well. Most of these robodialing spammers/scammers have automated systems that will eventually consider the number useless if they never get an answer. Using this method, my spam/scam calls went from several daily down to a couple per month in just 6 month’s time.
Hope this helps.
One of the latest scams involves calls from prisoners. You answer the phone and hear some completely unintelligible mumbling, and then a voice comes on and tells you that this is a call form some jail or the other, and if you want to answer it will cost you at least $5. And they will persist for days before finally giving up.
Do like I do,
Yes Mr $#@^@^ is home, All I need from you is a Valid Credit Card to put you through to him, the cost is $85 for the first 5 minutes and $2 per minute or portion thereof after 5 minutes. That usually makes them Hang Up.
IIRC, the national Do Not Call registry is not forever and you have to renew it like every 3-5 years. First thing is to re-register (even if they aren’t expired) then politely but firmly tell each caller that they are violating the Do Not Call registry act and you will report them if you are called again. If a phone number displays on your Caller ID, tell them you are making note of the number displayed. DO NOT EVER call them back or you will give them the excuse that you invited their contact.
If you are low tech, a last resort is to buy one of those old answering machines (not voice mail) that plays the call as they leave the message and screen for calls you may want to answer. Don’t know who sells them but they were big sellers about 20-30 years ago.
My only issues are with Verizon. They call me at least five times per week trying to upsell me on internet packages. And they are my current phone and net provider, so Do Not Call list has no effect on them. (and since my alternative is Comcast, I’m damn well not switching)
Set your answering device on 6 rings most will drop off at 4 rings if a solicitation, If it’s someone you want to talk to pick up the phone before the tape starts recording.
You that tone you get when you call a number thats been disconnected? Put that into your answering machine. When the robocallers hear that they think the numbers been disconnected and will remove you from their database.
an answering machine helps or answer and use very loud whistle , LOL
I have the Black Box from Person-to-Person, works fullproof.
go to www.Person-to-Person.net.
We gave up & just unplugged our land line (It drops calls all the time, anyway)
But I had this bookmarked & it’s too funny not to share.
http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?s=575e74026b408ab6553ed3cd11e828f8&t=437989&page=5
The video on page 2 is priceless.
Get an answering machine. Solicitors generally won’t leave a message. Turn off your ringer. Check your answering machine according to the importance you place on phone calls. I generally just erase them every few months so the memory full light goes off.
Had this problem....anyone that really knows me calls the cell.
When I had the landline, I also had an answering machine. I told any friends/relatives that, if they called, to say something when it answered, because I would not pick up otherwise.
I used the answering machine as a filter. It worked pretty well.
My worst offender was MY telephone company. During a 4-day period, I got 4 sales calls from them. One caller even called twice, because I recognized his voice. I called the Customer Service number and chewed them out. I told the agent I was on DO NOT CALL — and that meant THE PHONE COMPANY too. She removed me from the ‘active’ list.
I now use a pre-paid cell phone exclusively. I occasionally get a sales call or text ad. Frequently, if I do not recognize the number or area code, I select IGNORE.
We had two persistent callers that we had no clue what business they were with. I made a note of the numbers and started answering in German. That ended the calls after the second episode.
Land line? I’m on the cell phone Do Not Call list and I get 2-4 junk calls every day.
YES