# How many telemarketing calls does the average US household recieve in a day? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 13, 2005, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-telemarketing-calls-does-the-average-us-household-recieve-in-a-day/335445 "2005-12-13T18:07:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Queuing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Queuing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queuing)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-telemarketing-calls-does-the-average-us-household-recieve-in-a-day/335445/41 "2005-12-14T16:36:40Z")
> [@jrfranchi](#): > > What is your limit, would 3 calls between 6pm and 7pm as you are trying to eat with your family be to much? > Would a call on Sunday night at 8PM during the SuperBowl maybe anger you? > Not many people have mentioned 10 calls but many have listed 2-5 per night. > I found this completely unacceptable. > Would their still trying to pitch you after saying “No Thank you” get on your nerves. > > Jim OMG! I am in no way defending the practice of telemarketing. I am trying to understand why it is such a problem. It seems the hatred for this practice goes so far that if anyone dares to ask a question about the practice that isn’t immediately followed by a stream of insults and curses they must be ‘one of them’. Freaking relax people. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-telemarketing-calls-does-the-average-us-household-recieve-in-a-day/335445/42 "2005-12-14T16:45:51Z")
> [@Queuing](#): > > OMG! I am in no way defending the practice of telemarketing. I am trying to understand why it is such a problem. It seems the hatred for this practice goes so far that if anyone dares to ask a question about the practice that isn’t immediately followed by a stream of insults and curses they must be ‘one of them’. > > Freaking relax people. Believe it or not those were real questions I had for you. Would you care to answer them? I see were my post had some carry-over anger in it, but it wasn’t directed at you. I agree “most” people don’t get 10 calls a night. But I felt even 2 calls a night was too much. I still hate the evil political calls leading up to every election and they are usually a machine message. You are right though this is an issue that upsets people. I remember about 3 years ago that there was a poll for most hated professions. Telemarketers beat out Politicians and Lawyers. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Queuing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Queuing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queuing)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-telemarketing-calls-does-the-average-us-household-recieve-in-a-day/335445/43 "2005-12-14T17:00:32Z")
> [@jrfranchi](#): > > Believe it or not those were real questions I had for you. Would you care to answer them? > I see were my post had some carry-over anger in it, but it wasn’t directed at you. > > I agree “most” people don’t get 10 calls a night. > But I felt even 2 calls a night was too much. > I still hate the evil political calls leading up to every election and they are usually a machine message. > > You are right though this is an issue that upsets people. I remember about 3 years ago that there was a poll for most hated professions. > Telemarketers beat out Politicians and Lawyers. > > Jim Sure I would love to answer them. Yes to all, but I probably wouldn’t answer the phone during the SB (particularly last years, go Eagles 🙂 ), and when I answer the phone and it is a telemarketer I just say “sorry not interested, please put me on your do not call list, thank you, goodbye” Don’t even know if Canada has a do not call list. None of this matters though. If you truly do recieve 2 calls a night then I can understand the hatred, and would probably feel the same way. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-telemarketing-calls-does-the-average-us-household-recieve-in-a-day/335445/44 "2005-12-14T17:17:03Z")
> [@Queuing](#): > > Sure I would love to answer them. Yes to all, but I probably wouldn’t answer the phone during the SB (particularly last years, go Eagles 🙂 ), and when I answer the phone and it is a telemarketer I just say “sorry not interested, please put me on your do not call list, thank you, goodbye” Don’t even know if Canada has a do not call list. None of this matters though. If you truly do recieve 2 calls a night then I can understand the hatred, and would probably feel the same way. Thanks, sorry again for any bleed over anger. Strangely this is a charged issue. More from the other thread however. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-telemarketing-calls-does-the-average-us-household-recieve-in-a-day/335445/45 "2005-12-14T17:19:13Z")
> [@Queuing](#): > > Yes to all, but I probably wouldn’t answer the phone during the SB (particularly last years, go Eagles 🙂 ), . I don’t watch sports and definitely not the SB but I can see reasons for getting legit calls during it…a friend calling to say “Did you \*see \* that?” And I can also see how you might inadvertently pick up the phone without looking if you are watching. Not to mention that SB is often a reason for people to get together, so why wouldn’t you answer the phone if someone was running late, or whatever? I’m not saying I don’t understand why you don’t answer the phone, I’m just pointing out there are plenty of reasons \*to \* answer it. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-telemarketing-calls-does-the-average-us-household-recieve-in-a-day/335445/46 "2005-12-14T17:23:24Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I don’t watch sports and definitely not the SB but I can see reasons for getting legit calls during it…a friend calling to say “Did you \*see \* that?” And I can also see how you might inadvertently pick up the phone without looking if you are watching. > > Not to mention that SB is often a reason for people to get together, so why wouldn’t you answer the phone if someone was running late, or whatever? I’m not saying I don’t understand why you don’t answer the phone, I’m just pointing out there are plenty of reasons \*to \* answer it. Exactly, I was expecting it to be a friend out in Chicago that said he might call during the game. (He did later). Jim ---
**Author:** ![Queuing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Queuing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queuing)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-telemarketing-calls-does-the-average-us-household-recieve-in-a-day/335445/47 "2005-12-14T18:39:29Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I don’t watch sports and definitely not the SB but I can see reasons for getting legit calls during it…a friend calling to say “Did you \*see \* that?” And I can also see how you might inadvertently pick up the phone without looking if you are watching. > > Not to mention that SB is often a reason for people to get together, so why wouldn’t you answer the phone if someone was running late, or whatever? I’m not saying I don’t understand why you don’t answer the phone, I’m just pointing out there are plenty of reasons \*to \* answer it. Oh sure, of course there are. Nor would I ever try to defend telemarketers by saying you don’t have to answer the phone. That is a silly defense. However, in last years SB no way I would have answered the phone, and if a friend of mine who wasn’t at the SB party tried to call me and I somehow inadvertently answered the phone (not sure how you inadvertently answer a phone however) he better be telling me that he won the lottery and since I was such a good friend throughout the years he was going to split it with me. Note: This rule also applies when Canada is playing in the Olympics, world juniors or world Cup, and when the Leafs are in the playoffs knocking the sens out AGAIN. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-telemarketing-calls-does-the-average-us-household-recieve-in-a-day/335445.md?page=2)