not exactly, lol.. the fbi one followed us to fil's house in il, then back here with a guy this time...fil has an older phone so can let it ring 4 times before picking up, and they usually hang up...

i've gotten so leary, had to call our finance man when a check came in the mail to see if it was real...

its worse for us. I tell them to stop calling, I ask THEM for donations or their phone number ( when they don't honor my request to stop calling), I hang up, I don't answer, I set the phone by the tv as they talk, I put us on the do not call lists.

A donation my dh made at a neighbors funeral caused us to have more telemarketer mail, and phone calls. Their charity found our name on the check I suppose and thats all it took.

I going to look for an answering machine that answers these annoying calls.

I've noticed that calls to 'lower your rate' have dropped off also, come to think of it. Sure is welcome.

However the calls from one large phone company that shall remain nameless have increased to sometimes two a day. Several times I told them not to call me back and the last time I said this I was told that it will take a month for that order to go through. She was very apologetic.

Marie: don't get your hopes up too far. I didn't get any for the whole month of Dec, and only a couple a month for Jan/Feb. Deluged in March again.....then they went to a very few. Now this last week has been awful again. I don't answer them, but they still disrupt your life.

Shirley

It's been a little quieter on our front too. I've thought it could be because we were away two months. Our housesitter never answers our phone, so maybe...they gave up? One can HOPE!

I got on the darn microsoft repair scam list and they are calling every day multiple times per day. I continue to tell them I have no microsoft computers just linux and he said no everyone has microsoft LOL um no they don't! He asked what was linux in his very broken English. I said if he worked for microsoft he would KNOW what linux was!

Then one day I decided to just mess with him and answered and started talking in Cajun French! He was really confused and hung up.
Now I know the number so I don't answer it.

It's soooo frustrating. Most of the calls are robo, and the name that comes up on the phone can sometimes look legit. I usually answer because there are times when a family member has called and my phone doesn't recognize the number. I think they've all figured out there are no teeth in the law....

Ours are worse than ever, Do Not Call list is useless.

My DH cannot let the phone ring even when he knows it is a telemarketer........
Usually they are from telling us there are increased crime in our area....or from the ones wanting us to refinance our mortgage which he haven't had for at least 25 years.

Mine has dramatically decreased over the years and yes the DNC list has certainly helped. However when you understand how the system works, the DNC list is only one tool in your arsenal to help battle telescum. Basically make it as uncomfortable for them and cut their income, they'll go away and their parents will be on the forums crying about their poor kids who were raised poorly aren't making enough money scamming seniors out of the savings.

I tried to be generous and donate some things to Disabled American Vets. I slipped and gave them the phone number and they call weekly, and promptly sold/gave the number to Vietnam Vets, Lupus and a myriad of other joints who call weekly too. Then they sell the lists off to other places and hire fundraising places to call on their behalf. It's taken a long time to get that pretty much under control and with the aid of PhoneTray Free I log when I tell them to put me on their DNC list.

Telling them to stop calling is talking to the wall. You need to tell them to put you on their do not call list for their organization and all affiliates and not to share your number with any other organizations, businesses, telemarketers, fundraisers or otherwise. There's a particular way you have to do it if you want maximum results.

Setting it by the TV is great. A good polka recording might help too. I like taking them with me to the bathroom, make some flatulent noises while asking them to repeat themselves, flush the toilet a couple times, comment about it not going down and WHEW, where's the air freshener... and all the while asking them to repeat what they say. It won't stop them from calling but it will keep them from scamming money out of other people. Burp, belch, give the phone to kids just learning to talk, blow a whistle in their ear, use an airhorn, all fun things to do with telescammers.

And of course if people quit buying their crapola, they'd stop calling.

With the nice weather here, they're getting people knocking on the doors now. That's one thing nice about -20ðF and a 20 mph wind. Few doorknocker fundraisers, religious recruiters and salespeople!

I liked my cousin's comment for telescum. Although he liked talking to them and until he was diagnosed with incurable cancer he'd chat with them and argue with them a long time. But when he found out he didn't have much time left to do some things he wanted to do, the imposition of these scammers calling sunk in. They'd hit him up and he'd say why the h*ll would I want to buy that? I'm dying of cancer! Most didn't really know what to say.

I have this company that keeps calling me every single day, multiple times a day. They would never leave a message. The calls stopped for two days but yesterday, I started receiving call again. And this morning, I got another call. Once again, they do not leave a message. My number has been on the DNC list for 2 years now.

I have finally reported the company to http://www.callercenter.com earlier, as advised by my sister, and I'm about to file a complaint with the FTC. Can you tell me where else should I file a complaint?

Unless the caller is in the US, you can complain all you want to everyone and anyone and it will do no good. Because computers make these call centers so cheap, they're all offshore, beyond the reach of the US law.

This post was edited by sushipup on Thu, May 9, 13 at 10:31

As soon as I realize it's a telemarketer, I hang up, then dial star (asterisk) 57, which blocks the incoming phone from calling me. This is a free service from my local phone company. I get very few telemarketing calls these days.

But what on Earth do you do about the zillions of robocalls?? Jannie, I wish I could do that but only a few states have made it possible. :(

Not much you can do when they use wardialers, but a lot of people actually invite the calls unwittingly by giving their number to the wrong places. Any internet purchase where you give your number establishes a business relationship so DNC rules don't apply. Make a contribution somewhere and you're toast. Also, if you call a toll-free number you invite them to call you. And you can't block your number on a toll-free call so that's why many local places use toll-free numbers - to get a calling list to use and sell and trade.

One thing I've noticed is more and more use some sort of an identifier now instead of total blocking. I think they do it because so many of us block any blocked number. Then you just block that number. I run the phone through the computer and let it filter the calls now. Works great.

If I have the time I keep them on the phone long enough that they hang up.

As of late I have noticed that when I answer it takes a few seconds before they say hello. It's the auto dial system they use, when someone answers it takes them a few seconds to complete the connection, when there is a pause I know it's telemarketers or my elderly Mother. When I hear hello I hang up. They will actually put you on their list of do not call if you waste enough of their precious time.

Mom always asks me why I keep hanging up on her.

If you want to have a laugh Google J.R. Diggs, a local comedian who's claim to fame is driving telemarketers insane, go J.R.