Thanks Curious! Finally Canada's stepping up to combat this

Speaking of telemarketers... I often wondered at my old number if I was actually doing more harm than good by pressing # (insert option) to be 'removed' from the calling list... seeing as how after I began doing that, I continued to receive calls, "Hi, this is Mimi, calling you regarding your current credit card!".

If I ever saw Mimi on the street, I'd be sure to have my purse ready to slap her! I'm not a violent person, but this Mimi chick really pushed my buttons (pun intended).

This is hysterical.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un_PjRXV5l8


Im peeing myself!!!! ROFL

My b/f does this kind of thing when the telemarketers call my house. I've heard him try all sorts of stunts, like speaking with a really strong foreign accent, using Spanish or French on them, etc. The funniest is when he engages them in a conversation and tries to start selling them something. He makes out like HE called THEM, and stands firm when they start arguing that they called him. Eventually they'd hang up, and I hardly ever get any calls from "real" people any more.

I can "call-block" the last number that called me, but those automated "you've won a free..." telemarketing companies switch numbers all the time.

Most times the calls come through without a number showing, so you can't even report them.

I've had this collections company calling on and off for about 8 yrs, looking for a guy I don't know. They've tried every trick in the books to snag him, even offering a "prize". They've sure gotten an earful from me a few times . . . but it doesn't stop them.

Cherie

I'm on the do-not-call, but another great help is the Tele-Zapper. Any automated calls, it'll kick your # out of their system.

I got mine years before the DNC. You just plug your phone jack into it, and that into your wall jack and you still get calls for a few days. But after that, almost none.



Now that nearly all those calls are automated, you can imagine how few I get.

I don't even need to leave it on all the time - I'll have to hook it up soon with the political stuff heating up though.

oh..i forgot to add, if anyone has a business, register all the phone lines, including any fax lines. it slowed our unsolicated faxes down by 90%.

My son Kevin does this.....and he got burned by it once because it was a legitimate call for ME and he answered the phone sounding like a total flamer! Turned out to be the Beta nurse calling to check up on my Betaseron shots and how I was doing with them!! She got a big kick out of it but I was so embarrassed! All he saw was the 1-800 number in the caller ID and just assumed it was a telemarketer!

From some of the stories I've heard on the forums, those pharma companies (checking up on us) can actually be the worst when it comes to "harrassment".

As if we wouldn't call them if we had a problem . . . They are often just "checking up" to make sure we are still using their drug.

Cherie

Yep, she's called a few times already this month and left messages. Guess I need to let her know I'm not taking the Beta any longer!!

I screen all calls. We get calls for Old Navy... their number and ours are identical except the last 2 numbers are opposite. We get calls for a popular pizza delivery place because our last name is the same. Then there are the bill collectors looking for someone who thought they used the pizza places phone number on their application! Then the teenagers who give their schools what they think is the pizza place number... I get lots of calls looking for "So and So" because they skipped class or were failing something.

We don't want to change the number because it's sooooo easy to remember... SO I bought a phone system with four extensions and answering machine. I can assign callers I want to get calls from different ringtones. Also the caller ID speaks the name or number of the incoming calls and it can be heard on each extension so I don't have to run to the main phone to read the caller ID.

Anything to make life easier!