How to Avoid Telemarketers

The sun is setting on another massive day. People are all starting to go inside for the night, some enjoying a nice glass of wine, lively chatter, good company, oh its just so lovely or if you’re one of the lucky ones, it’s hit arsenic hour at your home.

The kids are doing a great job at sending you via the express lane to the looney bin, and you’re frantically trying to get dinner cooked with your youngest now apparently unable to stand on their own legs and now need your leg as a prop to hold onto so they don’t fall into the abyss also known as the floor. You’re are now seriously eyeing off the white wine vinegar”¦ hey its close enough right, it has wine in the name?!

Dinner is served, you finally get a chance to sit down and relax for a moment in time, and there it is.

The soul destroying sound of the phone ringing.

You try to ignore it but it just keeps ringing.

Telemarketers are the bain of so many people’s lives. Just imagine going to work day in and day out knowing you are going to cop some serious abuse but still chasing that elusive sale. Any compassion towards them goes straight out the window though when you feel like they have rudely intruded.

What – NOT to do (but some are funny!)

Sure, you can give them a lesson in cuss words, or simply just hang up. Some let the telemarketer give them the spiel and then tell them they will have to think about it, that they don’t have any money at the moment, or let them know you ‘Can’t talk now as you’re busy’. That will stop them from calling again you showed them right? WRONG!!

Did you know that by interacting in any way can be seen as a reason for the telemarketer to mark your number as one that should be followed up at another time? You answered the phone, they know the number is live. You said you’ll think about it that’s a sure sign that with a bit more work they can convince you that holiday is just what you need. You said you have no money they will keep trying until you do.

Other ways I’ve hears people try to dissuade them from calling include:

Handing the phone to kids and telling them it is Santa (which is mean!)
Asking them seductively ‘What are they wearing’
Blowing a whistle down the line (that could be assault – don’t do it!)
Engaging them in a ‘personal’ conversation. Including ‘Where are you?, Are you on Tinder?’

So What do you Do About Them?

So what can you do to stop telemarketers from calling you? Most importantly you need to register on the ‘Do Not Call Register’. This register is managed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). It is a secure database where you can list your number to avoid receiving unsolicited telemarketing calls. Once you have registered your details with this service they will be kept permanently there is no need to renew registration at all.

You should notice a significant drop in calls after a month. By registering with this service it will stop Australian AND overseas telemarketers from calling your number.

If you are still receiving telemarketing calls after registering your number, note down the time and date of the call, the number on which it was received (your number) your phone service provider and details of the call. These details can be forwarded to Enquiries and Complaints section of the ACMA to follow up. These telemarketers are breaking the law by calling a number that is on the Do Not Call Register.

Other things you can do include:

Get Rid of Your Home Phone

Ditch your home phone – and don’t answer calls from unknown numbers on your mobile phone.

If you DO answer the phone….

Ask them to remove you off the list immediately. Wait for confirmation. Tell them outright, ‘I do not want to receive these calls’.

Be firm and say ‘No’

Be perfectly clear you are not interested. Don’t say ‘This isn’t a good time’ or ‘I’m busy at the moment’ because all they hear is ‘I might have a chance, I’ll call them back.’.

But…….

Certain organisations are still allowed to contact numbers listed on the register including registered charities, political parties and educational institutions.

If you are not happy about receiving calls from any of the exempt organisations you can in fact simply request that your number is taken off their contact list.

Now that your life has that annoyance taken care of and you are telemarketer free you will have more time to sit down and really enjoy the family dinnertime chats like ‘I don’t like this’, or ‘It’s too hot’ or ‘why do I have to eat this?!!’ *sigh* – where is that wine at?!

Do Not Call Register contact details:

www.donotcall.gov.au

Phone: 1300 792 958 (enquiries and complaints)

How to Avoid Telemarketers