Telemarketer - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

jamesnj · #1 07-26-2002, 02:06 AM

If a telemarketer calls you and you tell them off and curse them, can you be charged with making an obscene call even though they are the ones who continually call you?

Nothing works with these people, they never quit. When will it stop? They rattle on and on. One of them even said to me today, "how do you know you're not interested if you don't even know what I'm offering"/

The Warden · #2 07-26-2002, 02:26 AM

I've seen my dad yell (literally) at more than one telemarketer. His voice can be very intimidating at times; usually once he does this, they don't call back. He hasn't gotten in trouble yet.

BTW, he usually doesn't resort to yelling until politely asking them to stop hasn't worked 5 or 6 times...

David C Klasse · #3 07-26-2002, 03:23 AM

They always studder on my last name... SO annoying. It is spelled just as it sounds: FRACALOSY!

Example 1
Telemarketer: "Hello, sir. May I speak with Mr. Fr-fr-frac-a-djwiWjf?"
Me: "Oh, no. This is a very bad time; he passed away yesterday, please don't call again."

Example 2
Telemarketer: "Hi. Is Mr Fracalosy available?"
Me: "This is him..."
Telemarketer: "I'm calling to see if you'd be interested in saving money with our --"
Me: "Yeah right! I do'nt save money."

*CLICK*

Whatever the scenario... I always get a laugh. I just say some new, witty smart-ass comment turning down the product. I always give myself a real laugh.

I got it from my mom, she wigs when the telemarketers try and sell her stuff! She can be one mean lady!

jcd · #4 07-26-2002, 07:47 AM

"We don't respond to telephone solicitations, please take me off the list".

Universally they say, OK, thank you.

Funny, it seems to work and keeps my blood pressure down.

JCD

Kuan · #5 07-26-2002, 07:49 AM

This is my favourite:

Kuan: Please don't call me again

Telemarketer: OK, it takes 60 days to get on the no call list blah blah..

Kuan: That's not my problem. YOU figure out how to not call me ever again.

Telemarketer: Sir, it takes 60 days... blah blah

Kuan: Listen carefully, it's not my problem YOUR system takes such a long time. If you call me ever again, I am going to file a police report and put a restraining order on you. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?

Telemarketer: Thank you sir, if you have any questions, please call 1-800..

Kuan: LISTEN, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?

Telemarketer: Sir, it takes 60 days...

Kuan: I take it from your refusal to answer that you DO understand...

*CLICK*

Sometimes they hang up earlier, sometimes they have no clue what to do. I also threaten to sue them like any good Californian would do. That gets them trying to get to the hang up stage too.

Kuan

jsmith · #6 07-26-2002, 08:26 AM

good one Kuan! i actually bought one of those $12 "telemarketer hangup" devices where you just push a button and it says all that for you, then hangs up. strangely enough, telemarketer volume has dropped over the past year or so. the kids loved to press the button and knew how to screen calls "it's about a visa card and they can't pronounce our name either" and i would then say "HIT IT!". there's a new device called a telezapper that messes up their autodialers making them think the phone is out of service which makes the system delete your number from the calling list...

BenzOnline · #7 07-26-2002, 09:06 AM

I work part time for a teleresearching company (surveys) and I hate the job. SOOOO many times I was threatened with getting the police after me! LOL I dont get scared. But thank god, the whole summer I dont have to work there becaus eI got a summer job doing networking at my moms company!

dieseldaddy · #8 07-26-2002, 09:10 AM

My favorite is when they ask for my wife, and I reply, 'This is she...' (in a deep gravelly voice.) I actually had someone tell me that I was not her (imagine that) and DEMANDED that I stop harrassing HIM! I got a chuckle outta that one.

My wife gets upset when I do things like that, so I am trying to be more polite. I have been saying, "Oh, please wait..." Then I set the phone down or give it to my 2 year old daughter and prompt her to say "I went poopy in the potty..."

placo1 · #9 07-26-2002, 05:18 PM

dieseldaddy,

LOL that is too funny. I can't wait to have a kid that will do that for me....lol. Maybe next time they call I can get my dog to talk to them!

#10 07-26-2002, 08:24 PM

I don't get them very often. They usually hang up on ME since I get so "irate" that they want to end the call.

My last one was from Sprint, who happens to supply my local dialtone. The telemarketer made some kind of statement regarding improving my service, and then immediately started trying to push sprints version of long distance service. Now, I had just dumped AT&T and went to IDT, (got the nickel plan) and didn't even want to hear the speel, and told this guy as much. THIS idiot starts talking over me, raising his voice. Now , you don't call ME, in my private home, and then start getting pushy with what you're trying to sell. He immediately received a long, loud line of obscenities for his attitude, followed by a statement to the fact that if they wanted to improve thier service, they could start by not calling me ever again - OVER this *********s evern increasing volume - followed by the phone being slammed down in his ear.

I hate telemarketers.

My response for those who ask how I know whether or not I want whatever they had, well, I would have already called THEM if I needed their service.

#11 07-26-2002, 09:21 PM

This is a good thread for me to learn from. I entertain telemarketers/ tele-surveyors too nicely- because I reckon they get a lot of verbal abuse most of the time and they are only doing their job. But in end, a lot of time is wasted... *sigh for my own folly* I think I must be tougher and try out some of the rave ideas put forward here. Thanks

Palangi · #12 07-26-2002, 09:29 PM

1. "I don't buy ANYTHING over the phone".

2. "The next sound you hear will be me hanging up".

chowpit · #13 07-27-2002, 12:05 AM

We don't get very many telemarketers calling. Two reasons; a) our phone # is unpublished (BTW, there is a difference between unlisted and unpublished) and we don't give it out indiscriminately. Ever wonder why a grocery store needs your phone number?

Me too. b) Should a telemarketer call I politely tell them to remove me from their calling list. Usually they oblige.

In the US one can file a complaint with the FCC if a telemarketer continues to call after you request to be removed from their list. Fines can be up to $10,000.

We have virtually no door-to-door sales or trick-or-treaters. Even though our house sits only 150 feet from the road it seems to be too much trouble for them to make the hike. And that's ok with me.

omegabenz · #14 07-27-2002, 03:33 AM

My friend is a telemarketer. He's 17 and he tried to get jobs other places, but they wouldn't hire him, or they seemed like no brainers to him. He is making money for guess what reason, just guess?

HE WANTS TO BUY A MERCEDES BENZ 190E 2.6L 1992 or 93. So don't hang up on him. His name is Sean. Buy something from him.

Check this out.

We live in America right, well most of us do, and for those that don't please go with my logic here.

We wake up to our digital alarm clock made in China. We go to the shower and shave with our razors made in Brazil, and put on our underwear made in Honduras, and our socks made in Turkey, and then our pants made in Thailand, our watches made in japan except mine, its made in Switzerland, and then lastly our shirt made in who knows where. Then we make breakfast bagel in the toaster oven made in japan. Then we drive to work in our GERMAN made car (thats not a bad thing

), then we get to work where we sit around all day and wonder why we dont have a higher paying job.

The point is that someone in America, a telemarketer is trying to sell you goods which could or may not be made in usa, but at least they have a higher paying job than to serve up hambergers.

Most telemarketers are college age, and they are just trying to put themselves through college.

What do you think?

Austin

Kuan · #15 07-27-2002, 07:36 AM

Well, I'm all for trying to make a buck or two, but telemarketing is a horribly invasive method of advertising. There's more than one way to make money while you're in (or out) of college.

Kuan