Telemarketer trick

[Hook#3287]

I get this call from a number I don't know.  I answer those because I run a business and potential customers are unknown.

Usually, I can recognise a telemarketer by the pause between my answer and the response from the caller, but, I always wait to confirm it's not a person I want to talk with.

Last week, I got such a call and after the pause, the young woman stated "Oh, I'm sorry, my headset was not working and I didn't hear you pick up"   She then went on to say, "My name is (blah, blah) and I'm calling because you recently stayed at one of our resorts"

Well now I know she's a telemarketer and I ask, "Which resort?" 

I'm interested because I haven't stayed at a resort since, um, 1989. 

She ignores my question and continues with the blah,blah and I state, "I'm going now, good bye"

If it's a live person, I try to at least be polite.  I hang up and forget it happened.

Today, I get another unknown number (a different one) and I answer and guess what, Blah Blah is again having problems with her headset and again wants to talk to me about my stay it their resort.

Exact same call.

It amazed me that the first call was so good, I actually thought she was real and the headset ploy worked.

Some smart people, out there, doing this crap.

[vanagon40]

My most recent experiences are with the caller asking for William, Thomas, or some other wrong name. When I state the caller must have a wrong number, the response is, "Well that's OK, I think you can probably help me." Then the spiel for veterans, law enforcement foundation, etc.

[Robert]

I wait to for them to speak before I say anything that way they think its a dead number and usually hang up and record the number as ng. Customers will speak but machine wont transfer unless you speak. The other thing is I get their name and company name and tell them I did not request a call and do not call back and will be writing their company name down so if I get any more calls I will be reporting them. 

[3fan4life]

Here's a couple of ways to deal with them:

https://youtu.be/NhSKQ_Hq-V0
Tom Mabe: Carpet Cleaner

https://youtu.be/r7jBegRJtXI
Tom Mabe: Murder Scene

[Bighead]

I once ask a Telemarketer for their number and I would return their call because I was interested in what they were selling but was too busy to talk at his time and the guy said sure its 1-800-xxx-xxxx and I said no I want your home number and he said I can't give you that,I then told him then he should stop calling mine   he then hung up on me

[dreamaker]

It's tricky, if you don't look for the pause, you think you are talking to a real person, the technology is great.  What I do in the middle of the conversation, I ask about something like football or fishing, then I get a major pause.  I ask them, if I am talking to a computer, shortly after it hangs up. If you really want to mess them up, talk like your interested, that sets the hook, and give them incorrect or bad info., people will not admit it, but any info. you give will be compiled and end up on some data base.  I know, I have been screwing with them as well.

[old2soon]

Being retired if I do NOT recognize the # calling or it doesn't come up as in My personal directory and they no leave a voice mail then eff em cuz I ain't callin back!  Here lately a lot of unknown and N C calls comin in. NONE of them to date have left a voice mail. And most of the numbers I research are know marketers or scams.    RIDE SAFE.

[solo1]

I no longer put up with any of that crap! I'm old fashioned so I have three cordless landline phones. I never pick up unless I know the caller.
I let my answering machine do the talking. It says that it screens all of my calls and that none will be answered if I don't recognize the number. All will hang up immediately. I do mention my first name for those who leave a message. As a result, no hassle and my friends leave messages.  I'm on the do not call list but that's worthless and I'm not going to waste my time trying to out smart these arseholes.

i have a simple cell phone but it's only used for emergencies and is never turned on otherwise.. I don't need to discuss my grocery list or do gossip when I'm away from my landlines.  

[MarkT]

I have two lines coming in. The published business line has a special ring.  I'll answer all calls on that line unless the caller ID indicates it's a WATS line, there's a pause, or otherwise ID'd as a business I don't want to talk to.  If it's either of the latter I might pickup & hangup thus denying them the voice mail system.  Any calls on the private line - white list rules, answer only if I know the number, all others, deny them the VM. Most companies that want my number - this is the number I give them.  Spammers, telemarketers, computer calls - folks that get the number of their own efforts and not ones I want to talk to - e.g. not you guys who have found my published business line - generally call the listed private line and will never get through.  I'm not interested in talking to any businesses re: THEIR business which is generally marketing or political. Unfortunately the phone co reports this line so I always do a *67 to call out on my business. So call only my 720 number to get through - the 303 # at information is always screened.  I give the cell # only to family or local friends I ride with. Sometimes call fwd the landline to the cell but usually not - I can't apply the same rules, can't tell what line they called. Generally if they want business with me they will leave a VM. If not - oh well.

[Bronxboy]

Just pass the phone off to your 5 yr old Grandkid and tell them it's Santa 

[John Schmidt]

If it's a # or name I don't know, I just hit the answer button, lay the phone down and walk away. Soon as I hear the beep beep of a dead line I hang up. When used, I find those numbers seldom call back.

[scooperhsd]

I HATE telemarketers - VERY MUCH SO !!! (My phones are for MY convienence, not their's).

If you call my cell phone and I have no reason to get a call from that number or you are not in my directory already - instant hangup.

For the home phone - several years ago I switched to using a VoIP provider (callcentric) . They have a feature called Telemarketer block. When a call comes in - if the number is in my online directory - it goes through directly. If it is NOT one of those numbers - the caller gets a "Please dial <(a random) single digit number> to complete the call" . Amazing how many telemarketers don't stick around....

[Wizzard]

you want to stop robo calls,, try this as I have had if for years and get zero robo calls.

https://www.nomorobo.com/

[Jess Tolbirt]

i say hello, then you get 3 seconds to say something, if not i hang up and put that number on my block list but allow voice message just in case it was a legit call they caN LEAVE A message,,funny, no one has ever left a message

[gordonv]

i say hello, then you get 3 seconds to say something, if not i hang up and put that number on my block list but allow voice message just in case it was a legit call they caN LEAVE A message,,funny, no one has ever left a message

I too used to do this. It takes the computer a few seconds to find a free operator to pass the answered call to. Have hung up on friends and family, but they just call back. Now, I just let the answering machine answer any unknown #, but keep on meaning to change the voice message to say we are screening all calls.

[BF]

I got that same call last week.