How to Stop Telemarketers
Everybody hates being interrupted by a ringing phone with a salesperson on the other end. You have have been watching TV or enjoying a meal with your family, and now you're at the receiving end of a hard-sell pitch. You try to end the call politely, but the voice on the other end of the phone has a reply for every objection. Fortunately you can stop most telemarketing calls and avoid this situation by following a few simple steps.
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Instructions
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Add all of your telephone numbers to the National Do Not Call Registry. Sign up your land lines and cell phone numbers. This prevents most telemarketers from calling you, although certain callers, such as charities and survey takers, are exempt.
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Get a throw-away phone number to use when signing up for information, making a purchase, or other purposes that might get you on a telemarketing list. Companies are exempt from the no-call list if you voluntarily give them your phone number because this creates an existing business relationship. Get a free voicemail number instead of providing your home or cell phone numbers.
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Don't enter drawings and contests at stores or shopping malls. Often these drawings are a thinly veilied way for timeshare marketers and other companies to get your phone number. By filling out an entry form, you've given them permission to call.
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If you get a telemarketing call, ask the caller to add you to the company's no-call list. You can do this for callers who are exempt from the no-call list as well as for commercial businesses. They might try to tell you they're not bound by the federal list; politely but firmly insist that your number be placed on their internal list, which is separate.
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Don't be afraid to hang up on a telemarketer. Many people feel that hanging up on someone is impolite. Instead, they listen to an endless sales pitch, wasting their valuable time. If your polite "No thank you, please put me on your internal no call list" is ignored, simply hang up the phone. You wouldn't let a stranger come into your home through the front door, and you don't have to do it via a phone line either.
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Tips & Warnings
If you see a phone number showing up repetitively on your caller ID but it never leaves a message, investigate the number before you answer the phone. Online services like 800notes allow you to identify telemarketers even if the title that shows up on your caller ID is misleading or absent.
Be cautious about calling toll-free telephone numbers. Your phone number will show up on their caller ID, even if you try to block it. By calling a company, even if it's just for general information, you've established a "business relationship." This allows them to bombard you with marketing calls even if you're on the Do Not Call Registry.
