Personally, I'm fond of caller IDing them, creating a net-based email for them and signing their phone number up for lots of free information and special offers.

Cindy, you are evil, Thank you.

Here's what I think I'd do. I'd just lay the phone down and walk away. Don't hang up.....just lay the receiver down and let them talk to nobody. If they refuse to hang up then punching one of the numbers on the phone and holding it down usually makes an obnoxiously loud noise on the other end of the phone!

Personally...I like answering the phone...Dr. Terror's State Institution, please hold while I transfer your call...punch a couple of number's then lay down the phone. Yeah, I know, its easier to block the call, just ain't as much fun.

Telemarketer's... I let them tell me all they can do for me...then I say:
Thank you soooo much...I have been looking for a really good finance company...I want to finance a house, two trucks, and boat. Well I am so glad you can help me cause the banks have turned me down along with five other companies. Oh...because, I filed bankruptcy three times and I have four felonies...hello, hello...heeelllloooo. Yeah, they don't call back.
I deal with my local bank, don't need a long distance company banker.

However, it might not be quite so humorous the way our economy is right now...more people might just be in that bankruptcy court.

That's such hilarious post. So simple, so Nightmare Before Christmas-esque.


I love it.

I feel bad for the callers most times. Its the person not paying their bills that are in the wrong! I still get calls from whoever had my phone number 8 years ago. I only wish I knew where they lived I'd give the bill collectors directions to their house.

My very first house that I ever bought. I moved in. Had the phone turned on, and the cable turned on, and was enjoying the wonderful day of home ownership. We were chatting away and painting, when...ring ring! WAHOO! our very first phone call, in our very first home. Bill collector! "is Patricia there?" I was crushed. The phone had been on for less than one hour, and I got a bill collector call for someone. As the day wore on, I got several more. "is Patricia there?" Grr! I was ticked! I lived in that house for 5 years, and the last phone call I got before it was cut off for the move to the new home was "is patricia there?" 5 freaking years, and they were still chasing this girl, and trying MY phone number. It slowed from once a day to once a week to once a month, and I spoke to so many supervisors. This girl kept giving out MY number as her own whenever she signed up for anything! it was an easy number to remember, and perhaps it was close to but not quite her own, but to this day I want to hunt her down and slap her.

I am not so tolerant anymore. I have a speaking caller ID so I dont have to even hunt for the phone to see the number. I know who is calling. The DH on the other hand seems to think its all in good fun to mess with these folks. I feel sorry for a few of them.

We have the speaking caller id now too, and the caller id shows up on our tv now too. No more chasing the phone down.

brain,

i agree with becca. i believe that's against the law.
you might even try to record their calls for evidence.