Annoying Phone Calls from (866) 325-2373

ping

We get quite a few hangup calls from toll free numbers. It's annoying. You can hear office noises in the background and no matter who answers, they hangup. I also love the 2 or 3 ring 866 calls. You get to the phone in time to hear dialtone.

We have a feature *69. It gives you the number of the last incoming call.

BUDGET NAZI?!?!?!?! NerdDad has some 'splainin to do.......

Montel cutting into your Oprah time...lol.

I knew I shoulda kept my yap shut. lol

I know about the guy in the middle, so now I have all the info.

Now I remember where I saw James Van Pragh. He was on BO'R one time and Bill asked if his uncle was speaking to him telling James that Bill was a pinhead. LOL

Jenny, don't change your number.
I need to make you mine.
Jenny. I'll call your number,
8-6-7-5-3-0-9

Strong suggestion:

LIGHTEN UP.

Or, perhaps, got to 7/11 and buy a gallon of empahty; a couple dozen units of compassion and maybe 2-3 cases of decency.

You never know when they might come in handy . . . such as on this thread.

Thanks SandRat.

Jocko, we ought to save this in a file somewhere. Marvelous solution.

Love it.

The very first thing you do is go to Wal-mart or similar and buy a "Telezapper"- there are also same things under other names- and connect it to your phone line. Whenever you pick up the phone to answer a call, the Telezapper puts a short SIT tone, indicating a disconnected number, as you pick up the phone. It won't do anything to human callers, since they don't know what it is- it's just a couple of tones, like touch tones. But it tells the "predictive callers" that are dialing your number that it's a disconnected number. After they get the SIT tones a few times, your number goes on the non-valid number list, which means it is not propagated when they sell, rent or share their lists with others.

That is the first thing to do to handle the "automated" calls. When you get a human telemarketer, you can either yell at them, ridicule them or whatever, but that doesn't really do any good, as your number will be passed on as an active number when they...yes, sell, rent or share their lists.

If you want to stop it dead, note down the caller's name and company they are calling for, then you say these ***exact*** words: "DO YOU HAVE A DO NOT CALL LIST?" Do not use *any* other words- use those *exact* words. These are the words that require them by Federal Law to stop their solicitation and answer you. They MUST have a DNC list.

This is not remotely connected to the "National Do Not Call List". It is specifically covered under the Telemarketing Law, which requires ALL telemarketers to have a DNC list, and to put any number on it when requested. The numbers put on the DNC list are not passed on when their lists are passed on, and they are not supposed to call that number for 10 years.

When they say yes they have a DNC list, tell them to put your number on it and not call again or you will file legal action for violation of Federal law. There is a $500 fine for *each violation* of this telemarketing law and most telemarketing firms are *very* aware of it and its penalties, especially the supervisors/managers.

It does take a while for this to make a dent, but it DOES work, if you do it every time and use the exact words above.

Between these two techniques, you will get rid of most of the unwanted telemarketing calls. There are a number of good websites with detailed information on doing this. Just put "anti-telemarketing" into a search engine and you'll find them. In fact, there are a couple that will take you step by step through the process of suing the b@st@rds in small claims court. In fact, keep a record of each call you request this for and if you are so inclined, when they call again, tally up the number of $500 violations and file in small claims court. Chances are you can get a judgement because they aren't going to show up in your town court to contest it.

Or if you have time on your hands and feel like having fun, you can play the mental retard answering their questions with really stupid answers and comments. Or if you know a foreign language like German or Russian or Latvian, speak to them in that. Or pretend that you have to ask your spouse everything they ask you then ask them every question your spouse asks (or would ask, playing dumb of course). Sometimes you can keep them on the line for quite a goodly period of time.

My all time favorite prank call was when a guy got called by a pest control company telemarketer. He strung them on a while and told them that he just had his wife go outside on the lawn and dance. That drove the little critters away. Well it didn't drive them away, so much as they got lost wandering around because they went blind when they looked at her... [ya really gotta read the whole thing, I guess...hehehehe]

#1- get the Telezapper. #2- Tell them to put your number on the DNC list. #3- get put on everyone's black list by wasting their time so badly with really crude, wacky, ridiculous routines for as long as possible.

Have fun. 8^)

Two calls in two days. Different number.