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Mario Ribeiro
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Joined: 18 June 2016
Location: Brazil
Posts: 474
Posted: 09 October 2018 at 1:47pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply

There are those honest people who try to sell stuff. My response depends on my mood, it is usually polite, sometimes rude, and occasionally pornographic.

Then there are scammers. One thing that's quite common down here is your crying child who got kidnapped. In those cases, I simply hang up.
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Jabari Lamar
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Joined: 18 October 2017
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Posted: 09 October 2018 at 4:30pm | IP Logged | 2 post reply

Every once and awhile some website will post an article about "Jobs/Professions That Will Soon Go Extinct" and telemarketer is always one of them. And typically it's the decrease of landlines and rise of Caller ID that is sited as major reasons why. I guess, as per JB's example, many hold on for now via deceptive means like mis-identification. 

Edited by Jabari Lamar on 09 October 2018 at 4:30pm
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Rebecca Jansen
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Joined: 12 February 2018
Location: Canada
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Posted: 09 October 2018 at 6:50pm | IP Logged | 3 post reply

I'd like to know who has ever bought or signed up for anything from a cold call over their phone? Somebody somewhere has to have or they wouldn't keep doing this year after year, decade after decade. If I'm feeling polite and have answered at all I just say loudly "I don't buy anything/do business over the phone" and hang up.
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Bill Collins
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Joined: 26 May 2005
Location: England
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Posted: 09 October 2018 at 9:37pm | IP Logged | 4 post reply

I never have, or will on principle.
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Eric Sofer
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Joined: 31 January 2014
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Posted: 10 October 2018 at 7:32am | IP Logged | 5 post reply

Back in the oh-so-early 80s, I was a telemarketer. I sold the Cleveland Press, one of our city's newspapers, on the phone. I did pretty well at it... so there's at least one case where people bought product via the phone.
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Robbie Parry
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Joined: 17 June 2007
Location: United Kingdom
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Posted: 10 October 2018 at 7:45am | IP Logged | 6 post reply

What I tell genuine telemarketers is that, reasonably, I cannot be expected to make a decision there and then. Not enough time!

If you want to sell me new windows, sure I'll think about it. Send me a brochure through the post. Send a salesman to my home. Give me some time to think about it. I genuinely will consider it if it benefits me.

But I will not (with any product) agree based on a five-minute phone call. No way!
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Kevin Brown
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Joined: 31 May 2005
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Posted: 10 October 2018 at 9:21am | IP Logged | 7 post reply

When I had my landline, I always had fun with telemarketers.

If they asked how I was doing, I'd go into a loooong speech about how everything hurts, how my life sucks, my dog died, lost money, etc.  You hear a click shortly thereafter.

MANY years ago when I was babysitting my then 2 year old nephew, I handed the phone to him to talk.  Nothing like a babbling toddler to scare off a telemarketer.

My all time favorite was not mine, but a friend's.  He'd ask if they had discovered their "lord & savior Odin" yet.  And do his spiel.

Nowadays the block function works out quite nicely on the cell phone.
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Phil Kreisel
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Joined: 03 February 2006
Location: Canada
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Posted: 10 October 2018 at 9:37am | IP Logged | 8 post reply

I haven't used this on the phone in quite a while, but if someone gives you a sales pitch, answer with "I'm not interested."  If they persist, keep with the same answer.  There's no coming back from it.

Where did I get the "I'm not interested" line?  From a friend of mine, who was a sales rep for a radio station.


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Bill Collins
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Joined: 26 May 2005
Location: England
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Posted: 10 October 2018 at 11:22am | IP Logged | 9 post reply

My problem with telemarketer calls, is that they are
always at inconvenient times, i`m in the bath, have
the dog or laptop on my lap, i`m watching my favourite
tv show after a hard day at work.It`s an invasion of
my privacy.
I can put a sign on my front door saying we don`t
answer or buy from cold callers.But the landline rings
and it could be our elderly parents, so we have to
answer it.
If i want new windows, a PPI check, change my energy
suppliers etc, i will do my research and call them, i
don`t need or want someone calling me!

Then there`s the calls asking for my wife, when i say
she`s at work, can i help, they quote the data
protection act and privacy laws...ironically they
don`t respect MY privacy!
Often it`s Sky TV, wanting to sell us an upgrade to
the sports channels, as my wife`s name is on the bill,
they won`t deal with me, despite me saying we both
have no interest in sport, and anyway, i am in charge
of the remote...mostly!
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Rebecca Jansen
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Joined: 12 February 2018
Location: Canada
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Posted: 10 October 2018 at 12:08pm | IP Logged | 10 post reply

If it were a real local area business or charity that would be fine, it's these calls originating from who knows where or recorded messages I don't get... who has ever rewarded stuff like that with anything except 'no'? It's been out of control for awhile and the ability for people to spoof and have a number of name display that they are not is just insane.

Not a huge problem for me anyway, I only answer the phone if I know the name or number, anything else if it's legitimate can leave a message. Never had the local newspaper call trying to sell em anything but then we've subscribed for ages. I think I remember some Canadian magazines working together making offers by phone a couple times awhile back though. Still never subscribed by phone, though I did subscribe to The Walrus for awhile.
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Robbie Parry
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Joined: 17 June 2007
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Posted: 10 October 2018 at 12:10pm | IP Logged | 11 post reply

Plus, some calls are irrelevant. Some rang me once to try and sell me...stairlifts. I'm able-bodied! 
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Dave Pruitt
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Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 6142
Posted: 10 October 2018 at 4:04pm | IP Logged | 12 post reply

I like the ones that are recorded messages that try to sound like they're a real conversation. "Hi, how you doing?"
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