Community Forums

Dennis123 · 07-24-2020, 04:16 PM

I tell them in a straining voice that they have to hold on because I'm taking a crap. They hang up

Linda Bohr · 07-25-2020, 12:26 AM

One time my uncle got a call from someone selling cemetery plots. He carried them on for a long time before he finally told them that he was just a poor old man and he was going to let the county bury him. Did they think he needed to buy a casket for that kind of funeral and if he did, could they tell him if the county had a used one he would lease for an hour? Then before they could answer, he asked them how much would it be for one hour. When they tried to tell him there wasn't a casket, he pretended like his hearing aid was acting up and he held the phone close to the answering machine and it would whistle like a microphone does. He would apologize and tell them he couldn't hear them, until I could hear them shouting at him. My uncle was laughing so hard he could hardly keep from rolling off the sofa. They finally hung up.

hewebb · 07-26-2020, 05:25 AM

We never answer the house phone. If important they will leave a message. On cell phone if you are not in my contact list I will not answer it. Again, if important they will leave message. When I receive a call that is not in my contact list and no message is left I block that number.

Wrktfsh · 07-26-2020, 05:40 AM

I don’t answer the phone unless I recognize the number. If it’s important they can leave a message.

baraff · 07-27-2020, 01:09 PM

Got rid of the landline at least 10 years ago.

If they're not in my mobile phone address book they go to voicemail.

Problem solved.

GoneToTheDog · 07-28-2020, 02:36 PM

Sometimes, when I can see it is a number I don't recognize, I answer in a slow, steady, clear voice with:

"Thank you for calling the local Sperm Bank. Would you like to schedule a deposit, or will this be a withdrawl today?"

Works every time.

GiselleOrchi · 07-29-2020, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSHappyCampers

I bought one of the VERY loud referee whistles that came in yesterday. I just had a call and when I determined that it was a telemarketer I blasted him for about 5 seconds with that whistle and hung up. Hopefully he will take my name off his call list!

How is that not more annoying to you and your family? My mom tried that more than a few decades ago. My dad and I hid the whistle from her.

It's been years since we got telemarking calls for several reasons:

no landline (and if we had to have one for 911 reasons, I'd leave the ringer off)
don't answer numbers I don't recognize.
never, ever give out my phone number. Only my husband and my provider have the real number. I have a couple of Google Voice numbers. Those have spam protection (and I can block any caller, of course). I'm also very hesitant to give any number, even GV to anyone ever. I always ask, "why do you need one?"

This was years ago, but the trick that worked the best with a sham company was with a real human. They were calling me illegally for a fake debt. They couldn't fully block the number, so I knew it was them AGAIN. I answered the phone in a sad voice. I told them I was my (non-exsistent) sister, and "she" told them I had died and had "to leave to go make funeral arrangements." They never called back.

MSHappyCampers · 07-29-2020, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GiselleOrchi

How is that not more annoying to you and your family? My mom tried that more than a few decades ago. My dad and I hid the whistle from her.

It's been years since we got telemarking calls for several reasons:

no landline (and if we had to have one for 911 reasons, I'd leave the ringer off)
don't answer numbers I don't recognize.
never, ever give out my phone number. Only my husband and my provider have the real number. I have a couple of Google Voice numbers. Those have spam protection (and I can block any caller, of course). I'm also very hesitant to give any number, even GV to anyone ever. I always ask, "why do you need one?"

This was years ago, but the trick that worked the best with a sham company was with a real human. They were calling me illegally for a fake debt. They couldn't fully block the number, so I knew it was them AGAIN. I answered the phone in a sad voice. I told them I was my (non-exsistent) sister, and "she" told them I had died and had "to leave to go make funeral arrangements." They never called back.

That's a new one! Never heard that before. Whatever works......

Bob_C · 07-29-2020, 10:10 AM

For walk up door to door salesman, I just tell 'em this is a rental.....

MSHappyCampers · 08-03-2020, 10:26 AM

Well, the whistle worked great, but it's really hard on our ears! We now just lay the phone down and continue whaever we were doing, watching TV, etc., and wait for them to get tired and hang up! We'll see how that works!