A neat anti-telemarketer trick

I recently was pointed to an article from Wired that describes how the three-tone signal used by the phone company for disconnected lines can be an effective tool against telemarketing autodialers. I scrounged around for one of my nephew’s toys, a gadget that records 30 seconds or so of child’s chatter on a chip and plays it back. I recorded the special signal on the device…
Now, whenever I see “Unknown caller” on my caller Id box, I hit the playback button on the gadget as soon as I pick up the phone and I am rewarded each time with a dial tone. Very satisfying. It’s only a matter of days before I have to do some explaining to a puzzled friend on the other end of the line since it isn’t just telemarketers who come up as “unknown caller.”

Of course, I am sure that this is only a temporary reprieve. They soon will alter their strategy to circumvent such devices.

It’s cool while it lasts, though.

How is this better than just picking up the phone and then hanging it up immediately?

If they think your phone’s disconnected, then your number gets removed from the call list.

I think.

Hey, minor7, I keep trying to call you but there’s this tritone thing like your phone’s out of order. Pay your dam bill, will ya?

Some, many most, of the equipment telemarketers use automatically detect the number as out of service, and take it out of its calling queue. I’d put it on my answering machine’s outgoing message but I’m out of work and hoping for calls from employers someday and I don’t want my message to sound weird.

Ahh, yes… telemarketers.

After receiving a number of sales calls for Mrs. Mars the other day, I told the next one who called that “No, she’s dead. Her head exploded after being called too many times by telemarketers.”

The poor guy could only get “uh, ok” out as a reply. Heh.

Ah, I get it now. That’s what I get for replying on a Monday morning before my second cup of coffee.

that should be “maybe most”, not “many most”

When I first got my current phone number, I was plagued by calls for a guy named John Tyler. After at least two calls a day for a month, I called the phone company, and started putting people on a harrassing calls list.

Calls for Mr. Tyler slowed down to just one every two weeks, but after six months I was still getting calls for the guy. So I started telling every single person who called that Tyler was dead. Had just committed suicide. Was omigawd having a heart attack get off the phone so I can call 911!

After a year of this calls for Tyler slowed to one every 6 weeks, and two years ago they stopped altogether. Then I moved, and managed to keep my same phone number.

And got another call for John Tyler yesterday :confused:
“Tyler. He’s been dead for years. I’ve had this number for five and a half years, ever since he jumped off the building. Maybe you should rethink this whole scam business you’re in if the only phone list you can afford includes the names of people who died in the 20th century.”

That worked.

I feel it beats the hangup for a few reasons:[ul]
[li]I have the slight chance of having my normal calls reach me (especially since only “unknown callers” get the treatment).[/li][li]As far as the telemarketers go, no human wasted their time with me. I don’t really want to be a pain to someone who is just putting in their eight hours since I know they have heard it all anyway. The machine simply hangs up and never attempts to connect my line with a live person.[/li][li]As mentioned by others, there is that vanishingly-slim chance that my number will actually be flagged as dead![/li][li]It’s so satisfying to hear my simple poorly-replicated three-tone signal automatically kill them.[/li][/ul]

A family member passed away fourteen years ago, and we put in a change of address to direct his mail to our house to make it easier to tidy up his affairs. To this day I still get credit card offers and other exciting junk in his name. I suppose I had better not fill out one of those card offers…

I always pick up the phone. When they ask a bunch of questions I say “oh, you want me to go get him? Just a moment.” Then I set the phone off to the side and go turn on the TV. About 30 seconds later I get back on and say “just a moment, he’ll be right here.” then I go sit down to the tv. A minute later I go back to the phone (if they’re still on the line) and repeat the process. I’ve had one last 5 minutes before hanging up. :smiley:

The best trick yet is Indiana’s “No-call List Law.” All I had to do was go to the AttyGeneral’s web site and register. After a few weeks, the calls just stopped.

Just FYI, The 3 tone trick is exactly what that “TeleZapper” gadget you can buy at Radio Shack does.

Years ago before the telezapper and when I still lived w/ my parents, my sister use to get all calls throught the night. That really pissed me off so I (lets say my number was 333-4444)

1 called untill I got a intercept message (disco tri tone) for 333-#### (where #### are any 4 digits that got me a disco’d number) - and recorded it.

2 Called untill I got a intercept message for ###-4444 - and recorded that

3 merged the 2 so I got a intecept message for 333-4444.

4 Hooked up a switch to cut off my sisters phone and cut on my answering machine.

5 Had the greatest feeling when the calls were answered at 2 AM by my recording, excpet for the feeling once they stopped.

Tennessee also has a “Do Not Call” list, which can be signed up from the state gov. website. Unfortunately, political calls don’t count as sales solicitation, so I still get those. Tonight should end those for a while.

StG

That wouldn’t bother me. But I thought of another possibility.

I want to try re-recording my message as, “Hello, one moment please”, a few seconds of silence, then my normal message. I’d make the silence long enough to get the live operator. This would divert them and delay their annoying the next person. If everyone did this, it would slow them down substantially.

Uh… you guys do know you can just tell them “Please take me off your list” and you’re name is out of their system right?

I used to work as one of hell’s minions (for about a week or so), whenever we were told to take the name of the list, we placed it on the “T.O.L.” sheet. T.O.L. standing for “Take off list”. At the end of the day the sheet is crumpled up and thrown away. I’m pretty sure it’s against the law for them to keep you on the list or to send your info to another telemarketing company if you tell them to take you off of it.