jrh1354 Loc: Dayton, Ohio

Jerry, there is a free service that Call Forwards all of your calls to their server which screens out all robo-calls and then forwards legitimate calls back to you. I've used it now for about a month and it really works. The only drawback is that your phone still rings once before the call is forwarded. The url is nomorobo.com. Cheers - JRH

waywest Loc: las vegas

before i got total peace with my call blocker my favorite trick was to put them on speaker phone and tell them to please hold on for a minute. some would hold for a long time till they got it.

twowindsbear

Here's what I've done

I have a 'Phone Zapper.' When you, or your answering machine picks up the phone, the zapper beeps and gives the telco's signal for 'this phone is disconnected.' The beep only lasts about 10 milliseconds. 'Normal' callers don't even notice it.

My land line is set to forward to my cell on busy & no answer - set at 2 rings. Robo-callers can't comprehend the forwarding and hang up soon after the forward. I then check the caller ID, if it's 'strange' I'll call back to confirm and block the number on my cell.

Or - ask 'how's your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ? If you should die tonight, where will your immortal soul be tomorrow?' etc etc etc. . . Talk really fast, maybe even make a script, don't let them get a word in edgewise -just like they do. That should get them to hang up on you!

And, IMHO, the telcos should make it easier to block a call, make it FREE, and not put a limit on the number of blocks you can enter.

ole sarg Loc: south florida

What I do is simply say: As required by law I am now informing you that I am with the IRS, this call is being recorded and the number logged. Any comments will be used against you in tax court!

They never call back, I wonder why?

studavis

The worst problem with telemarketing is even if you are on the "no call list" they call and the GOVERNMENT AS USUAL DOES NOTHING.

swsands Loc: Alton IL

I read an article in Consumer Reports that was reviewing call blocking devices. I purchased their top pick, the Digitone Call Blocker Plus! for $100 from Amazon. We were receiving 9+ bogus calls a day, now the phone rarely rings. It is easy to set up and calls can be blocked by many criteria. We block all 800, 866, 877, 888, OUT OF AREA, PRIVATE, Blank numbers & invalid numbers. Plus I have added several numbers by area code/ exchange since the scum marketers have several numbers they call from with the same area code and exchange. I have to add one occasionally, but we have peace on earth now. It is the best $100 I have ever spent. It goes on our main phone like the old caller id devices used to. Basically, it picks up the line, waits one second and then disconnects the line, preventing them from filling up your answering machine. One minor con is that, while the main phone does not ring on blocked calls, other phones in the house ring once. It took a little getting used to, but now we are conditioned to only get up if either the main phone rings or the other phones ring more than once. It was installed about 3 months ago and blocked over 1000 calls (really!!) since. It is too bad that it is up to the consumer to handle this problem, but the telephone companies sure aren't going to do it!!

redlegfrog

I like how this man deals with telemarketer!

http://howtoprankatelemarketer.ytmnd.com/

MtnMan Loc: ID

I recently learned my phone company has put in a system to block them. So far it works 100% but I expect the telemarketers will implement a way around it soon.

When you turn it on it plays a message to all callers, except for a list of numbers you put in, telling them you don't take marketing calls and they need to put in a 1 to be put through. The robocallers can't do it. So far the real person callers haven't.

If your phone company doesn't provide it you can buy answering machines that do a similar thing.

The real tragedy is that Congess could pass a one paragraph law to put a stop to it. All citizens want it. But they won't do it because the telemarketing companies pay them off. Corruption in DC is rampant.

MtnMan Loc: ID

This is one of the devices I mentioned. The phone company approach seems better because it is free and you only put in the numbers you want it to put straight through.

Others can still get you by simply putting in a 1.

Real person telemarketers could still get through but so far none have. My phone announces the callers so if they did I wouldn't answer anyway.

Consumers Report is working on Congress to change this. So far they not only won't stop the telemarketers but also have prevented the phone companies from blocking. The payoffs must be succulent. You can sign their petition.

In the mean time Century Link figured out a way to do it.

waywest Loc: las vegas

follow the money trail - telemarketers - lobbyists - politicians.

Big Bill Loc: Phoenix, AZ

True stories:
When it's a carpet cleaning company, I let them go on, ask a few questions about what chemicals they use, then ask if this will work on dirt floors.
Years ago, I got a series of calls for "George." I kept telling the caller that he had the wrong number, but he kept calling. Finally, in a very funeral tone, I said "George" had passed away after a car crash, asked for the caller's name to put in the friends book, and said in lieu of flowers, the family was asking for donations to the American Cancer Society.
I got a series of wrong number calls asking for "Mary." (It seems that a lot of people, when told they got a wrong number, simply hit "redial.") After telling the caller many times that there's no "Mary" here, I finally told the caller than "Mary" was with a John, and she'd call when she was done.
For some time, our home phone was one number off from a local "Pizza, Pizza" place. One caller used redial many times, insisting he had the right number. Finally, I changed my voice, answered as the business, and when the caller said it waqs about time, I said, "I'm very sorry, but we have been experiencing a problem with one of our employees. If you tell me what type of pizza you want, we will have it ready fro you when you get here, at no charge, and we are very sorry for any inconvenience that you may have been caused." I'd have loved to have been there for that!

jimmya Loc: Phoenix

If you want to take the time I believe Verizon will block numbers but you have to call them and set it up. Then when you get one, jot down the number and call them with it. I find it much easier just to press my "ignore" button.

Bmarsh Loc: Bellaire, MI

Get yourself a call blocker. For about $60 at Amazon you can get a good one that will block 1500 numbers. I still see the call come in on the TV and smile when the phone doesn't ring knowing they have been blocked.

Failing that, one of my favorite tricks is to sound really, really interested and then in the middle of my talking I will hang up and then block them. They must go nuts trying to get back to an easy sell... 😛😛

"Gosh, you know, I've really been thinking about getting ....." <hang up>

MtnMan Loc: ID

But that requires constant attention.

The Century Link one is much better. You only need turn it on and it blocks all robocalls because they can't dial the 1. Plus you can one time put in numbers you want to come right to you...up to like 25 numbers or area codes.

Real people could get through but so far none have. If they did I'd have to ask them something like, "Are you too stupid to be able to understand the message that we don't take marketing calls?" In most cases they wouldn't get me anyway because I don't answer if I don't recognize the caller. They could leave a message but so far none have.

Generally I don't like to be mean to the poor minimum wage folks they hire to do the dirty work.

drucker Loc: Oregon

What I hate most are the robo calls. Nobody is there when you do answer. Then when the computer senses that you've picked up the phone, it notifies the caller to get on the line. I just let them say "Hello" a few times with no response, then say, "Just wanted you to know what it's like when I answer the phone and nobody is there." Then hang up.

If I really don't have anything to do, I'll tell the siding salesman that I have some siding left over and that I'd give him a good deal on it so he can make a bigger profit selling it to someone else . . . or what ever fits what they are selling.

I have the most fun with political calls. I'm sure some of them have me down as a radical extremist!