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How to Get Rid of Annoying Telemarketers
Have you ever been plagued by annoying telemarketers who won't leave you alone? I finally hit upon a solution that really works!
A man with a distinctive accent, claiming to represent a police charity, called our landline several times daily. I politely told him no, we don't give money over the phone, but he kept calling anyway. I asked him to remove our number from his calling list, but he refused. I asked him for the name of the charity. He rattled it off so fast I couldn't write it down. I asked to speak to his supervisor, but he hung up. He became more aggressive when I asked him why he kept calling. He said, "Just help me out." I told him that nobody at that number would give him any money. I stopped answering the phone for a while, and the calls slowed down, but as soon as I started answering it again, he began calling all over again! I called him every name in the book, told him to "F" off, etc. I hung up on him as soon as I heard his voice. The calls would stop for a few days and then start again.
I listed our number with the National No Call Registry, but once telemarketers and scammers get your number, it doesn't work. I searched Google for all the police charities in our state and emailed them, describing the caller's characteristics and harassment and asking them to remove us from their call list. The calls stopped for a while and then started up again.
The caller made a mistake, though. One day, he admitted that the calls were being monitored on a recorded line (something new) and hung up when my husband or I began cussing him out. After this happened a few times, I realized that contacting the police organizations was the right thing to do. This guy is a jerk, and I'm glad he's being monitored. The calls slowed down but didn't stop.
A guy claiming to represent a firemen's charity began calling several times a day during this time. My husband and I thought about yanking out the landline since the cost keeps increasing, and we both have cell phones. I recorded a message on the voicemail telling callers that we do not give money over the phone and to please leave a message or call our cell phones. I stopped answering the phone for three weeks. But my husband was going through knee surgery, and I needed to answer all of our phones for medical reasons.
This guy was a jerk, too, and got really aggressive over the phone. Mostly, I would just hang up when I heard his voice. My husband wasn't so nice. I finally contacted the State Attorney General's and county attorney's offices and complained. After all, these people were violating our privacy, trespassing on our time, and harassing us. Reputable charities don't do that! But the response was lukewarm since there is only so much anybody can do.
One day, a lightbulb went off in my head. I visited the sports section at Wal-Mart and bought a whistle. Now, when an unwanted caller calls, I blow that whistle until they hang up. Unsurprisingly, the calls have stopped.
Don't be a victim! Give this a try!
Dawn Pisturino
March 13, 2024
Copyright 2024 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
