riley454 Posted July 28, 2005 Posted July 28, 2005 Hey guys, Someone posted a great way to deal with telemarketers in a discussion a few months ago involving asking for details relating to Privacy Act and generally wasting the callers time. Unfortunately its no longer on here. I printed off the post but can't find it, but used as much as i could remember last night with great success. The telemarketer spent almost 10 minutes just trying to find her company's ABN!!! Can anyone give me a copy of the post which included among other things: Asking for callers full name and address Company's ABN and registered business address Registering with me to discuss personal info as required in the Privacy Act My opinion from previous experience in an industry relying on telemarketers is they are promised the world but are paid low wages and subjected to poor working conditions whilst business owners are making big money from the telemarketers 'dirty' work. The more people we can discourage from the telemarketing industry the better, and the best way in the long term is waste their time and show them their work is only profitable to the company they work for.
betty boop Posted July 28, 2005 Posted July 28, 2005 Hey guys,Someone posted a great way to deal with telemarketers in a discussion a few months ago involving asking for details relating to Privacy Act and generally wasting the callers time. Unfortunately its no longer on here. I printed off the post but can't find it, but used as much as i could remember last night with great success. The telemarketer spent almost 10 minutes just trying to find her company's ABN!!! Can anyone give me a copy of the post which included among other things: Asking for callers full name and address Company's ABN and registered business address Registering with me to discuss personal info as required in the Privacy Act My opinion from previous experience in an industry relying on telemarketers is they are promised the world but are paid low wages and subjected to poor working conditions whilst business owners are making big money from the telemarketers 'dirty' work. The more people we can discourage from the telemarketing industry the better, and the best way in the long term is waste their time and show them their work is only profitable to the company they work for. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I don't know where your post is but the way I usually deal with them which hopefully theyfind pretty discouraging is cut them off very early tell them I'm not interested and don't have the time and tell them to take me off their list and if they call again I'd report them to .....seems to work don't get very many calls and no repeats.
EvanOnTheGC Posted July 28, 2005 Posted July 28, 2005 I kinda do the opposite...... I put the mobile (the only way I can be contacted) down and let them rattle off their script to no-one (paying by the minute of course). Evan
John_Barber Posted July 28, 2005 Posted July 28, 2005 I kinda do the opposite...... I put the mobile (the only way I can be contacted) down and let them rattle off their script to no-one (paying by the minute of course).Evan <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Yesterday and today I've been called by someone, identifying that they are calling from India on behalf of some Australian investment company. 1st time I didn't do my usual "take me off your list" response, but when I said that for the 2nd call today, the guy says, "OK, can I just clarify a few things", thinking he was going to confirm the number he rang I said yes. He then asks "Are you a homeowner, investor,.......?" I told him I was not answering those types of questions and to not call again. Worst thing is I divert my home phone to the mobile during the day, so I am paying for these cold calling bastards! JB
EvanOnTheGC Posted July 28, 2005 Posted July 28, 2005 Telling them to F*** off also works (which I did when I was in Fiji and had to un-divert my mobile as I was waiting on a genuine, urgent call). Evan
pietro1503559499 Posted July 29, 2005 Posted July 29, 2005 I let all calls go through to the machine. It's amazing the number of calls I get where they just hang up.....my theory being anyone who really wants to talk will leave a message.
Tweet Posted July 29, 2005 Posted July 29, 2005 Of course you can just press the redial button and send dialling tone pulses out over the line,do this a few times and it is rather discouraging to the caller. Unfortunately unsolicited 'commercials' (taped messages) are being used to invade one's privacy these days which avoids retalitary action apart from hanging up. This type of impersonal tele-marketing should be banned. C.M
zorg1503559539 Posted July 29, 2005 Posted July 29, 2005 I agree I think you can also register on the adma assoc. web site that you do not wish to be called. I have been also getting the ones from India as well. Half the time just let them go through to the machine.. But I am starting to get p... off. Lamost thinking of going back to a private number which of course Telstra slugs you for.
John_Barber Posted July 29, 2005 Posted July 29, 2005 I agree I think you can also register on the adma assoc. web site that you do not wish to be called. I've done that too. It makes a little difference to junk mail and bugger-all difference to these cold calling b@st@rds. JB
phase52001 Posted August 5, 2005 Posted August 5, 2005 I just bought a cheap answer machine. I let my friends know that I'd be screening calls. Tele-marketers (most of them) hang up as soon as they realise its a machine. After a few weeks they stop calling altogether. They may return for a short while ever so often, but it doesn't last. There's a guy in the states, (look online for PEST if I recall correctly), who started responding to TMs with just WEIRD responses. He ended up making a CD of his responses. eg: TM phones wanted to sell carpet cleaning. his response: (in a stoned voice) "hey man, can you get BLOOD out ... there's so much blood .... do you clean curtains as well .... so much blood man ...." TM: says a few polite words and hangs up very quickly. Also this: (found online): If they start out with the usual, "How are you today?" answer them by saying, "I'm so glad that you asked, because no one these days seems to care, and I have all these problems; my arthritis is acting up again, my eyelashes are sore, my dog just died ..." If they say they're John Smith from XYZ Company, ask them to spell their name. Then ask them to spell the company name. Then ask them where it is located, how long it has been in business, how many people work there, are they married, do they have children? Continue for as long as necessary. And if you are male: Tele-marketer: "Hi, my name is Judy and I'm with XYZ Company ..." Then with a real husky voice ask, "What are you wearing?" Ask the tele-marketer to marry you. When they become flustered, tell them that you cannot possibly give your personal details to a complete stranger. Ask for the tele-marketer's home phone number so that you can phone them later. If they refuse, say, "Quite right! Who wants people bothering them at home anyway? Goodbye!" Tell the tele-marketer you are under house arrest and could they bring beer. Say, "Okay, I will listen to you. But I should probably tell you, I'm not wearing any clothes." Tell them that you are hard of hearing and that they need to speak louder ... louder please ... no, no, MUCH louder ... Have fun
mtv Posted August 6, 2005 Posted August 6, 2005 Hey guys,Someone posted a great way to deal with telemarketers in a discussion a few months ago involving asking for details relating to Privacy Act and generally wasting the callers time. Unfortunately its no longer on here. Sounds like the one I posted, which went like this........ Ever ring a financial institution etc and they ask you a thousand questions to prove your identity before they will discuss anything with you? This is my tactic with telemarketers when they call you: Tell the caller that you are unable to answer any questions prior to them providing their details. Ask if they have previously registered their details with you? Ask if they would wish to do so now. If they say yes, ask the name of the company they represent, the ABN number, the trading address (must be a physical address, not a P.O. box. Ask the phone number from which they are calling. Ask the person their full name, date of birth, residential address and driver licence number. I guarantee you won't get to ask all these questions, but they will ask why you need to know this. Tell them under the privacy act 2002, you are entitled to know to whom you are giving information and therefore, they must prove their identity, as with a telephone call, they can pretend to be and tell you anything. Should you happen to strike one that agrees to all the above (it will never happen) tell them before you can discuss any details, the information they have just given you will also need to be provided in writing and signed by "the applicant" with their signature witnessed by a justice of the peace. It feels good to have the upper-hand on these vultures!!
captaineos Posted August 6, 2005 Posted August 6, 2005 http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?showtopic=18560&hl=
riley454 Posted August 11, 2005 Author Posted August 11, 2005 Thanks mtv, it WAS your post and the parts i remembered to use during my call kept the TM busy for awhile. Thanks Sounds like the one I posted, which went like this........ <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Heres the link if anyone wants to view the script... http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?showtopic=18560&hl= <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Cheers captainA for the link....You the KING There's a guy in the states, (look online for PEST if I recall correctly), who started responding to TMs with just WEIRD responses. He ended up making a CD of his responses. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> His name is Tom Mabe and you can preview some of his CD and he is funny as hell. Thanks phase for wasting my last few days! I did a google looking for your man and found heaps of other TM botherers and general prank calls. Still stitching my sides back together, and i bet i haven't found half of the calls! Do a google for 'MOKMOK' he's also made a CD and there are various free samples online. There are lots of other very funny and sometimes tedious respondents to TMs if you look around. A couple of evenings ago I got BIG airtime with a TM by speaking partial English but always being excited about what they had to sell. I know they always call at a bad time, but if you get a few tips from some of the pranksters in a google search you can have a big laugh. Maybe even rip your own CD one day! LOL. Perhaps someone can start a new thread on funniest TM calls/links etc. Thanks guys
datvman Posted August 12, 2005 Posted August 12, 2005 This sorta reminds me of a MP3 i downloaded a few months ago when telstra moved all its call centres to India, and it has an Indian fellow taking all the aussie slang/saying for real. Personal fav line was. "Don't go the raw prawn with me...." "RAW PRAWN!!!!!! You should not be stuffing telephones with raw prawn you should be talking into them"
phase52001 Posted August 14, 2005 Posted August 14, 2005 His name is Tom Mabe and you can preview some of his CD and he is funny as hell. Thanks phase for wasting my last few days! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> It was worth it though wasn't it? I took at look at the site. The P.E.S.T.; (The Peoples Efforts To Stop Telemarketing); reference is still there. It stuck in my mind for some reason. I'm pretty sure the names changed.
riley454 Posted August 15, 2005 Author Posted August 15, 2005 It was worth it though wasn't it? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hell YES!!! Thanks phase. Your suggestion to search P.E.S.T. eventually led to here: http://dmoz.org/Recreation/Humor/Pranks/Prank_Calls/ Well worth sitting through some of the rubbish to get to the good ones. Can't remember which were good (bit drunk at the time!) but if you're bored have a look at some of them.
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