Yeah, they suck, and the do not call list has failed miserably. It worked for a time, but now all telemarketing is routed through my credit card company, and they call me daily. at
I tried Telemarketing once many moons ago in Mpls. when I first got there selling business advertising crap like pens, keychains and calenders. That lasted about two weeks when I realized what a tit I was doing that. I was labled NOT a team player.
Anyone who disturbs you at home is fair game IMHO. My credit card company rang up one day. I was sure they wanted to sell me a loan of some kind of payment protection, but as it could have been something important I said it was okay to talk. He then proceeded to ask me security questions. They went on and on. I don't often use the card so I couldn't answer some of them. After about 10mins and about 10 questions the guy said something along the lines of "sorry, you couldn't answer sufficient questions so we'll send the information out by post." They called me. The next day I received a letter inviting me to apply for a loan with them.
Frankly I don't envy people who have to do telemarketing as a job. I'm pissed at telemarketing in general but I don't really get upset at the individual calling me. I usually just tell them I'm not interested and that's that. The only ones that piss me off are the ones that don't listen when you tell them you aren't interested. Common one is satellite providers. I've had the "hard sell" type of guy twice: "Sir were you aware you could save ___ if you switched from your cable service." "I'm happy with my service and I'm not interested in changing it" "Well you could save a lot of money if you just" "I get cable internet and TV as a single package so no I wouldn't save any money if I changed my provider" "Well actually we offer in-" "No, satellite internet sucks. I told you I am not interested" "Well you'd be able to get ___ more channels for only ___ a money and-" * Powaqqatsi hangs up.
Aren't you people signed up for the Do Not Call list? The only @#*&! telemarketer calls I get anymore are: a) Companies I've already got a business relationship with (pre-existing exemption), b) Charities wanting all my hard-earned $$ (charitable exemption), and c) Politicians (weasel exemption) Nobody else calls 'cause they could get BIG fines.
I'd recommend getting the Telezapper. It actually trace4s the call back to the Telemarketers and blocks them. Haven't had any problems with them for years.
Actually I am... I've never gotten a call on my own lines. I've gotten calls on my parents lines though and I put them on the do-not-call list. They still get calls rarely though.
Yep, and a, b, and c have filled the void left by the folks required to follow the DNC list. A is especially a problem. All the companies that previously made direct calls have now contracted with the companies in group A to make the calls. It's a huge loophole.
I used to have some sympaty towards telemarketers. I know they only do it because it's 10 bucks an hour and most of them can't make that kind of money elsewhere, but even so, they know what the job entails and still take it. I got a job once that was billed as a phone tech support job when I was in college. It turned out the job was really offering people calling in to cancel their internet service stuff to stay connected. I stayed at the job the ten days to collect my 600 bucks and then quit at the end of the training period. Once I found out it was little more than reverse telemarketing, I decided right then to quit and just completed the training part for the quick cash. Fuck them.
We had a call at my house the other day, asking for Knolah Cussen, my grandmother who died almost ten years ago. Obviously, my mother was perturbed, because why would they be calling asking for her? So she asked who this was, and how they got my grandma's name. They hung up rather than answer. So she called them, and demanded they tell her who they were, what company they worked for, and how they got my grandma's name or she would report them to the police for attempted identity theft. They finally relented and said they worked for some medical company seeking payments, but that they couldn't tell my mom about it because of patient-doctor confidentiality. Of course, my mom has power of attorney and insisted they tell her, but they refused, and instead said they would clear their records and not bother us again. Not strictly telemarketing, I don't think, but along the general lines. Really, a very upsetting situation all in all.
Mine are the absolute cliché: two elderly people dressed in grey and with looks in their faces as if the world would end tomorrow
There was a old bag hanging around just far enough away from her not to give off a smell, the cute blond one was dutch too.
