Do not call

[valeriedl]

Is there a time limit that the do not call list lasts before people can start calling again? We've started receiving calls from telemarkerts in the last week. Also one just call and it was after 9pm and I know they aren't aloud to call that late so is there a number to call to report that?

[travel bug]

Hi Valeriedl,

My dad has been looking into this recently. There's not supposed to be a time limit, especially if you registered since 2008. However, you can be contacted by non-profit groups, etc. or companies that you do business with. My dad kept getting calls trying to sell him life insurance, but since the company was associated with a bank he has a credit card through, there's nothing he can do about it. Also, I think some really shady companies take their chances, breaking the law knowing that a lot of people won't follow through with complaints. Here's the web address and # of the Federal Trade Commission's complaint site.

https://www.donotcall.gov/ 1-888-567-8688

Also, individual states have there own lists.

Good luck

[valeriedl]

Thanks!

[epileric]

I know in Canada if you've got the same person calling back from the same number (as Travel Bug had) you can look in the front of your phone book & it will tell you how to block that number.

Where I live you can block the most recent number to have called you by punching in *60 then follow the instructions.

[dazed&confused]

I use to be a dreaded telemarketer. (hated making the calls as much as people hate getting them). Yes companies can call you if you have done business with them or one of their affiliates even if you are on the do not call list but if you ask to be put on the company's do not call list they are suppose to stop the sale and add you to their list and not call again. If the company has any respect or class.

As to what epileric said about blocking the number I have found that the companies catch on that you have blocked the number so they call from a different number. A friend of mine gave me a really good idea that Im going to try next time one calls. This friend had a telemarketer that would call everyday so he looked up some 1-800 numbers and had the telemarketers calls forwarded to a random 1-800 number instead of his house.

[epileric]

I have a friend who handles telemarketers by saying "just 1 second" then putting the phone down & forgetting about them until the phone beeps to remind her it's off the hook.

I've gotta say though that I like dazed&confuseds idea (or should I say their friends idea) much better. It gave me a good chuckle too.

[dazed&confused]

the number he actually used was the funniest part but it's not really lady like to say

[valeriedl]

In the last 2 days I noticed that I had missed several calls from 2 different numbers.

I had my phone on me when I got the call from one number, it was a company that told me that I had signed up to further my education and was calling me to get my information. I told the woman that I know I didn't sign up for this because I can't work because of the epilepsy.

She then asked me if I still wanted to further my education and I told her that I was in my mid 30s and that I'm probably as smart as I'm going to get. She really didn't know what to say after I told her that so she paused and told me she'd take me off their calling list.

The second number I was getting calls from I had missed 2 and answer 2 and got a recorded message that I had signed up to get a credit card. The 2 that I answered I hung up on during the message. When they called the 5th time I waited to talk to a person. I really didn't yell at her but I talked very loudly into the phone telling them that I didn't sign up for the credit card, didn't want one and to stop calling me! She hung up on me, hopefully they took me off their list. I haven't gotten any calls from them yet.

I can't even imagine what you went through with some of the people you were calling dazed&confused.

I'm going to have to remember that one epileric, that's great!

[Endless]

In the U.S. there is a "do not call" registry.

Me, personally, I rarely get a marketing call. When I do I use an airhorn, right into the microphone/speaker. It doesn't stop the calls, but is so much more fun than a government registry.

[CQ:)]

Last week was my week for telemarketer/charity calls. One day last week I had 3 phones within 2 hours from the same place which is a scam (tells people their computers have virus). I also had a phone call from a charity place on another day selling raffle tickets & on the weekend I had a phone call from someone saying I won a mobile phone (cell phone).

I will listen to the charity phone calls but with the telemarketers/ scams I usually hang up as soon I realise who they are lol.

I signed up with the Australian do not register link the other day so hopefully no more telemarketers now.

[Nakamova]

When I do I use an airhorn, right into the microphone/speaker. It doesn't stop the calls, but is so much more fun than a government registry.

I used to have a little music box that played "Feelings" over and over and over, which I used for the same purpose. I'd put the telemarketer on "hold", set the phone on the music box, and go read a book in a different room...

[valeriedl]

I got another call from that credit card company this afternoon. I told the lady on the phone - quote "I told you guys the last time you called that I don't want your credit card and to take me off your calling list". I didn't really yell at here but I was pissed that they had called again.

The lady told me "There's no such word in the english language as 'you guys'" then she hung up on me! That's two calls from the same company that have hung up on me, I think that's pretty funny.