Have you noticed there’s an increase in the number of telemarketing calls you get these days? It’s annoying enough that the calls are time-consuming and the pesky callers won’t shut up even after you tell them you’re not interested. It's even worse if they are calling on your cell phone, using up precious minutes and you are just too polite to hang up.
You can place your number on the “Do Not Call” list with your phone carrier but it takes a while to kick in and doesn’t always work. The telemarketers will switch phone numbers and now they even have their own unidentifiable toll-free area codes. You're familiar with the 800s and the 877s but when you see an area code that you don't know, you may be tempted to pick up. After all, it could just be a friend, calling from someone else's phone. WRONG! It’s “them” again. If it’s an area code you don’t recognize, let it ring or hit the off button and check your voice mail.
Sometimes you get a call and there’s no one on the other end. Frustrating. And if they’re calling you on your cell phone for which you may have limited minutes, it’s costing you money.
I received an e-mail recently that incorporated suggestions for avoiding these calls many years ago. I remember Andy Rooney giving similar tips some years ago, and his advice is even more applicable today. Here’s what the e-mail says.
When a telemarketer calls, the three little words that work, are “Hold on please.”
Then, just put the handset down and walk away. Don’t hang up. Just let the telemarketer wait. Eventually, they will hang up and you’ll hear the “beep-beep-beep” tone meaning the caller has aborted the call. Keep doing this and eventually you will be on their do not call list. Making them wait is costing them money and garnering no sales.
Admittedly, this is a good ploy for land lines with unlimited calling. It will eat up your minutes and run down your battery if they call on a cell phone.
When you receive a call and you say “Hello” several times and there is no answer on the other end, it’s an automated machine that records the time of day when you are most likely to answer the call. Then a “real” person can call you later at that time on another day.
As soon as you realize there is no one on the other end, hit the # button your phone as rapidly as you can at least six or seven times. It confuses the machine and kicks your number out of the system.
There is also advice on junk mail with pre-paid postage return envelopes, you know—the ones that say you’re pre-approved for a credit line or a second mortgage. Don’t throw the return envelope away. The company doesn’t have to pay the postage unless the envelope comes back to the sender.
Put the application they sent you back in the envelope and send it to them. They get nothing of value from you and they have to pay the postage. To remain anonymous, black out all identifying information on the application. Better still, put whatever you like in the envelope—perhaps some other junk mail you received from another junk mail junkie. You can even send it back empty or with a blank sheet of paper.
This action causes a domino effect because it will increase the mail load for the US Post Office. They say e-mail is cutting into their profits” which is forcing them to increase postage rates, so let’s help them out, create more jobs, keep the postage rates down and eliminate the junk that is going into the trash anyway.
If nothing else, it’s the green thing to do.
Comments