No to cold caller

[Mysticpizza]

Pardon me, please, but why would anyone feel guilty about hanging up on a cold call? They're bothering you, unsolicited. Like someone coming to your house unannounced. Interupting and saying no thanks and hanging up is no worse than walking past one of those rude kiosk sellers in the mall without making eye contact. They're hawkers. No more, no less. They're not polite, why would anyone feel the need to be accomdating/apologetic?

[chacreed]

OK, I'm asking it here because it's relevant to the topic: would it be rude to not pick up the phone if you know it's a telemarketer?

I ask because I'm in Spain, I don't think we have a "do not call" list and I already sent them a certified letter asking them to stop our business relationship and to take me out of their archives, but they don't seem to get a clue. So, if I get a call and see "no ID" or even the number they called me from before, would it be rude to not pick up the phone?

[Shortcake]

OK, I'm asking it here because it's relevant to the topic: would it be rude to not pick up the phone if you know it's a telemarketer?

I don't think it is rude to not pick up your phone if you know it is someone you don't want to talk with. The caller has the option to leave a message, and you can decide when/if you need to call them back.

I don't think it is necessary to answer the phone every time it rings. I don't answer if I am in the middle of something, or not feeling well. (If I  heard the message,and it was urgent of course I would pick up the phone.)

[chacreed]

Well, I don't have voicemail in my work phone since I usually have it diverted to my cell if I'm not at work. It's just that these particular bussines seem to think that since I answer the phone, they can send me a contract and demand payment even if I tell them I don't want to keep the contract going on. One even called me after I had sent them a letter to cancel the contract three times, because "we moved and I don't have your letter in the archives".

Sorry, I rambled, I'm a little ticked off.

[Twik]

There is no law, of etiquette or of the land, that says you HAVE to answer your phone. You do so at your convenience, not theirs.

In fact, 19th century etiquette was full of all sorts of ways to convey "I want to be ALONE!" without giving anyone else cause for offence. You are not obligated to be at the world's beck and call 24 hours a day.

[MDefarge]

The way I handle this is very simple - I only answer phone numbers I recognize - if it comes up "restricted" or "unknown" I don't bother picking up, if it's important they will leave a message.  Of course this only works if you have caller id. 

[Country_Wife]

Yes, caller ID is a huge help here in Canada (as someone already mentioned, there's no Do Not Call registry yet). But if I do accidentally pick up the phone, the conversation goes like this:

Me: Hello
Them: Hi, is this Mme X?
Me: Who is calling please? (Not confirming who I am.)
Them: I'm Joe Smith from XYZ Co.
Me: Sorry, not interested. *hang up*

"Sorry, not interested" is a complete sentence, quite equivalent to "Goodbye". You don't owe them any more time or civility than that, since you didn't ask for them to call you. (And if you *did* request the call, you can be sure that it will be the first thing that they say.)

If it's a charitable solicitation ("Hi, I'm Joe Smith from XYZ Charity") the response is "Sorry, I don't give in response to telephone solicitations." (I DO give in response to mail solicitations from charities I've already donated to.)

NEVER give out personal information to strangers. "I'm not interested in an improved mortgage rate, I paid off my mortgage", "I already have an alarm system," etc. They're not entitled to know anything about your credit situation, home security, etc. And they could actually be fishing to see if your identity is worth stealing, what kind of home security you have, etc.

The one that really gets me is when I get a phone call from someone claiming to be an alarm company rep who wants to come to my home and give me a security analysis. RUN AWAY!!!

[Asha]

Me: Hello
Them: Hi, is this Mme X?
Me: Who is calling please? (Not confirming who I am.)
Them: I'm Joe Smith from XYZ Co.
Me: Sorry, not interested. *hang up*

I'm going to have to get better at hanging up immediately after saying "no thank you" because in my experience, telemarketers are getting more and more agressive about continuing to talk.  (Makes me wonder if they have learned to stop breathing for short periods of time.)  I hate interrupting people, but 9 times out of 10 that I try to be civilized about ending the conversation, they steamroller me.

[Suze]

I just talk "over the top of them" 

No, sorry, not intrested, thank you,good bye

Hang up (gently)

If you listen close you can still hear them talking as you hang up.

[purplebunny]

I get my husband to screen calls if it shows up as an unknown/non-local number on call display. They tend to ask for "PurpleBunny MaidenName" since I signed up for utilities etc. before getting married and changing my name. If it's a company we don't do business with, he replies that there is no one here by that name and that usually ends the call.

[FunkyMunky]

We have a Do Not Call Register in Australia, and you would think, after people have listed their number on it, they'd be more careful about who they give their number to.

In our shopping malls, there is usually at least one raffle for a car, holiday etc. with "FREE TICKETS" on it.  All you have to do is give them your name, address, approximate annual income....

...most of you see it coming, but bear with me...

...on the back, in fine print, it says "We reserve the right to sell your details to marketing and promotional companies. By submitting this entry, you agree that these companies may contact you by phone". Legally, according to my friend (a lawyer), this negates the DNC register. And people are stupid enough to fill these things in without thinking for a second. I often tell people in malls that they're signing up for phone solicitation. I've been thanked, seen the papers torn up, told to mind my own business, and on one occasion told "Yeah whatever, f*k off".


And I've NEVER heard of anyone ever winning a car from it.

[Twik]

I'm going to have to get better at hanging up immediately after saying "no thank you" because in my experience, telemarketers are getting more and more agressive about continuing to talk.  (Makes me wonder if they have learned to stop breathing for short periods of time.)  I hate interrupting people, but 9 times out of 10 that I try to be civilized about ending the conversation, they steamroller me.

This is why telemarketing is such a nuisance. The people who set these schemes up have realized that most of us have either (1) learned how to hang up when they call, or (2) been sucked dry of all available cash if we haven't. So, they are becoming more aggressive in their approach, to try to improve the success rate.

I wish I had the money to start a public awareness campaign - "Every time you give telemarketing companies money, you spawn a hundred more calls! Fight phone pollution today, by Just Saying No and Hanging Up!"

If we all did it, they'd go out of business.

[littleoats]

My granda is a telemarketer repelling genius.  There are telemarketers worldwide scratching their heads after he answers.  A guy selling replacement windows was told "no thanks, I live in a tent."  One pushing long distance phone service was told "no thanks, I don't have a phone."  I think I may have posted my favorite one here previously but it bears repeating.

Me - hello?
TM - hi sweetie, can I speak to your mommy please?
Me - I'm sorry, my mommy doesn't live here
TM - Oh.  Well, can I speak to your daddy then?
Me - Um, my daddy's dead
TM - Oh sorry.  Is there another grownup I can talk to?
Me - Just me unless you want to wait till my husband gets home from work
TM - Oh, OK, umm, sorry...
Me - yeah, whatever.  Buh-bye *click*

[Scritzy]

Here's how mine usually goes right now:

"May I speak to [Chip's real name]?"

"He's not here, may I take a message?"

"No message, this is a courtesy call, we'll call back at a more convenient time."

"Just don't call during 'American Idol.' Have a good day."

[Abitibi]

My wife is way too polite, she'll even apologize and then finally, hangs up.

I, on the other hand, will say "hello", as who it is, and if it's a telemarketer, just will hang up...no commnets, good-byes, don't calls etc....just hang it up. 

I had one woman call at 10:00 PM one evening...I told her calling at that time was way too late.  She snottily retorted, "Well, I don't consider it too late!"  Well allrighty then....and I profaned her mightily.