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Calling Telemarketers Back

Too Much Free Time

from the funny-how-that-works... dept

Mon, Sep 15th 2003 1:56am — Mike Masnick
People really seem to get a certain sense of satisfaction from turning things around on folks who bug them. When spammers get found out, people figure out ways to spam them back (often through snail mail). Now, people are taking on telemarketers by calling them back. Earlier this year we had the story of a comedian who started calling telemarketers in the middle of the night to wake them up. Now, Dave Barry has apparently told readers to call a telemarketing firm that was complaining that the "Do Not Call" list violated their constitutional rights to bug people (which amendment was that one again?). It appears the recommendation has had its intended effect. The telemarketing firm has stopped answering their phones, and says the calls have been costly. They don't seem to note the irony of the situation, of course. Funny, they originally complained that the "Do Not Call" list would force them to cut jobs - and now they're complaining that all these calls from Dave Barry's readers are costly because of "staffing issues". Shouldn't they be celebrating? All these calls are helping them keep their staff employed.
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  1. identicon
    Uncle Phone Pervy, 15 Sep 2003 @ 7:22am

    Amusing myself

    I just tell tele-marketers that I'm in the middle of compulsively masturbating and that if they would like to speak dirty to me about the product they are selling I would be happy to listen intently to their pitch.
    They usually hang up before I can ask them to wait for me to get my buttplugg inserted.

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Oliver Wendell Jones, 15 Sep 2003 @ 8:53am

    Re: Amusing myself

    Or you can let them get about 60 seconds into their pitch and quietly mumble "I'm not wearing any underwear". They will often times stop and ask you to repeat yourself, and then you say "Are you wearing any underwear? Tell me about it..." and then they'll hang up.

    Although I did have one lady one time start telling me about her underwear...

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 15 Sep 2003 @ 10:32am

    Re: Amusing myself

    I once had a guy tell me that he appreciated my humor because his job sucked and I was the funniest call he had had all day.

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    alternatives, 15 Sep 2003 @ 5:07pm

    Ob. reaction to telemarketers

    Here is one telemarkers response to a call-ee. Sprint calles wanna be SPRINT customer Asshole

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    Ura Toole, 18 Sep 2003 @ 12:34pm

    New Number


    The number Dave Barry published has been disconnected.

    The new phone number for the American Teleservices Association is 1-500-866-4272.

    [ link to this | view in thread ]


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