How can I decreas automated calls from solicitors?

[ELaurie]

I hate these types of calls, and they seem to be on the rise at our house.

 

When I receive such calls from a solicitor, at least I have the option of answering the phone and asking to have my name removed from their calling registry.

 

With automated calls, however, I seem to have no similar recourse because redialing the number inevitably results in a busy signal or an automated system with no access to an actual human :mad:

[elise1mds]

Are you on the Do Not Call registry? That took almost all our solicitation calls away.

[Marylou]

www.donotcall.gov

[Orthodox6]

Do Not Call list does not suffice, at least not where I live. I don't have time to tackle individual companies. They often are using "robo-dialers", anyway. I'm a permanent fan of the Caller ID service. If I don't recognize the caller, we don't answer. As I tell the dc, "We have no friends named 'Unknown Caller' or 'Out of Area'."

[BikeBookBread]

Do Not Call list does not suffice, at least not where I live. I don't have time to tackle individual companies. They often are using "robo-dialers", anyway. I'm a permanent fan of the Caller ID service. If I don't recognize the caller, we don't answer. As I tell the dc, "We have no friends named 'Unknown Caller' or 'Out of Area'."

 

We are on the DNC list for all of our phones - including cells, and STILL get calls. In honesty, though I have to say that the number of calls has decreased. We don't get those irritating mortgage-refinance automated calls anymore.

 

I wholeheartedly agree with caller ID. In fact, I got 3 within the last 24 hours. One person seemed irritated that I was upset that I got the call while I was on the DNC list.

[kah]

We're on the Do Not Call list as well, and it helps, but doesn't stop everything. The following is from the FAQ at the Do Not Call site.

 

If I register my number on the National Do Not Call Registry, will it stop all telemarketing calls?

No. Placing your number on the National Do Not Call Registry will stop most telemarketing calls, but not all. Because of limitations in the jurisdiction of the FTC and FCC, calls from or on behalf of political organizations, charities, and telephone surveyors would still be permitted, as would calls from companies with which you have an existing business relationship, or those to whom you’ve provided express agreement in writing to receive their calls.

 

Caller ID helps too, but sometimes I still answer if I'm not sure about a number. Since they use the automated dialers, if I say, "hello" and don't get a quick response from a human (and preferably a human I know ;) ), I hang up quick before the dialer connects me to one of the telemarketer people.

[ELaurie]

and we have caller ID. I don't answer the calls, but I still find them annoying.

 

The only good thing that has happened as a result of the calls is that in writing this post, I finally have an opportunity to use this cute little icon :banghead:

[Ruby]

I have had the same issue. you are right. some of them are just automated and when you call they end up busy signal. but I try to call them back each time and some of them actually allow you to remove yourself. After doing this consistenly for a couple of weeks we've decreased the amount of calls we get. Ruby

[BeachGirl]

I got myself off of most lists by handing the phone to my then toddler daughter and letting her have a "conversation" with the telemarketer. I found my phone calls were dwindling rapidly. If the person asked for Mrs. So and So, I just gave her the phone and walked out of the room. I let her talk as long as she wanted to. Usually the person had hung up by the time I came back!:lol:

[Starr]

Anyone with a toddler they want to share? :)

[LaxMom]

You can subscribe to Call Intercept through your phone company. If a number is blocked, unknown, private, whatever, the system intercepts it before it ever rings at your house, and the caller is given the opportunity to give their name and have the call sent through for you to approve or reject. Automated systems (and often live telephone solicitors) do not leave their name, so it never rings through to you.

 

We only get "charitable" fundraising calls now (we're on DNC), and my standard response is "we do not give money to random people who call us. Please do not call again." For the incredibly rude man from the "Police Protection Fund", I like to discuss that no police departments have heard of his company and that the state has been looking into them for years... he screams at me and hangs up before I get too far into it. :glare:

[Ellie]

1. The DNC list. It's not perfect, but it's *something*.

 

2. Don't answer the phone if you have caller ID and don't recognize the number.

 

3. If you do answer the phone and some unkown person asks for you or the dh, neither of you is home. Not even you. "I'm sorry, she's not here. May I take a message?"

 

4. Always let your answering machine answer.

 

I hardly ever get sales calls any more.

[LMA]

The DNC list does not cover telephone surveyors as I found out yesterday talking with the phone company. We've had a pesky surveying company call here everyday. However, the company has to take you off the list if you request it on the call. Just say you want to be taken off the list. Don't even mention the DNC because they argue with you that they don't have such a list, which is true.

 

There are certain other companies that are not covered by the list: charities and political organizations. Also, any company affiliated with a company with whom you deal with can call you (such as your cc company because in the cardholder agreement, you agree to accept contact).

[elegantlion]

We got rid of the land line. We get auto warranty calls on our cell phones, I don't answer the cell phone unless I know the number.

[Jean too]

I have my spanish speaking dd answer those calls. That shuts them down pretty quickly and they quit calling.

[Mom In Missouri]

We're on the DNC lists nationally and within our state. We still get a few, and recently got one from our electric company trying to sell us something I wasn't interested in.

 

The telemarketer would not stop so when he asked an open ended question that I was supposed to answer in a positive response: "Now wouldn't that be helpful?"

 

I answered with "Actually, I have some things in my basement that I'd like to sell you. I have a broken tricycle, a toddler lawn chair, some old books..."

 

He said he's remove me from their list. And that he wasn't interested. Huh...guess turnabout was fair play.

[Audrey]

Do Not Call list does not suffice, at least not where I live. I don't have time to tackle individual companies. They often are using "robo-dialers", anyway. I'm a permanent fan of the Caller ID service. If I don't recognize the caller, we don't answer. As I tell the dc, "We have no friends named 'Unknown Caller' or 'Out of Area'."

 

:iagree: Also, do not let your answering machine pick up either. That registers your number as active and they will continue to call. Robodialers almost always hang up after 4 (and sometimes 5) rings. If you absolutely must use your answering machine set it so that it doesn't pick up until after the 6th ring.

 

If you have call display, though, you will know someone called for you and you can call them back and ask what they wanted later.

 

After a many months of not answering unknown calls, we saw a marked reduction in annoyance calls. Now, a couple of years into using call display and no answering machine, it is a very rare thing indeed to get annoyance calls ever.

[mom2abcd]

This looks good. It's free, but you have to have a modem on your computer.

Phone Tray

http://www.komando.com/downloads/category.aspx?id=3955

http://www.phonetray.com/ptfree_features.htm

[RegGuheert]

We got rid of the land line.

That's what we did. It eliminated both the poor service provided by Verizon AND the annoying calls, all in one instant step! :thumbup:

 

In order to still have *normal* phone calling in our house, we bought the X-Link Gateway which causes all the "normal" phones in the house to ring when we receive calls to any one of three cell phones. We can also make calls from any of our "normal" handsets, as well. One important benefit to this box is that the cell phones can be placed in a location in the house where they receive excellent service. In this way, we can still talk on the phone from anywhere in the house.