# I hate being phoned by a recorded message! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 22, 2005, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-being-phoned-by-a-recorded-message/305009 "2005-05-22T23:52:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2005, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-being-phoned-by-a-recorded-message/305009/1 "2005-05-22T23:52:03Z")
For some reason I got a spate of calls yesterday (Sunday) afternoon where I answered the phone and was met with a recorded message telling me about a “special deal”. All I had to do apparently was wait in the queue until one of the operators got to me to tell me all about the details. Not surprisingly I hung up straight away each time. How can this type of marketing device be of any benefit to the companies that are trying to sell their goods? Surely the vast bulk of people hang up? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-being-phoned-by-a-recorded-message/305009/2 "2005-05-23T00:14:00Z")
The bad thing is that even though you have hung up, you didn’t sever the connection. I got a call last week trying to sell me a burial plot. I hung up and picked up the phone about 30 seconds later and the message was still playing. This is supposed to be illegal, but no number appeared in the Caller ID, so I couldn’t report them. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-being-phoned-by-a-recorded-message/305009/3 "2005-05-23T01:22:54Z")
[Stephen Hawking voice]Please hold for an important post by Casey1505…[/SHv] ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-being-phoned-by-a-recorded-message/305009/4 "2005-05-23T01:51:48Z")
Oh, yes. “Please hold for an important message from \” If it’s so important then give me a live person right from the start, shitwit. ---
**Author:** ![inkleberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@inkleberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkleberry)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-being-phoned-by-a-recorded-message/305009/5 "2005-05-23T07:10:58Z")
We get those all the time. The worst is when they suck up minutes of answering machine time. If you can’t bother to actually have a human call me, I can’t bother to stay on the phone and hear what you have to say. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-being-phoned-by-a-recorded-message/305009/6 "2005-05-23T07:20:15Z")
**Cunctator** , why are you such a robophobe? ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-being-phoned-by-a-recorded-message/305009/7 "2005-05-23T07:21:02Z")
> [@](#): > > If you can’t bother to actually have a human call me, I can’t bother to stay on the phone and hear what you have to say. Well, to be fair, I don’t bother to listen to the human callers either. ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-being-phoned-by-a-recorded-message/305009/8 "2005-05-23T11:14:00Z")
I’ve started getting these recorded calls recently and they’re always from American women. Surely that doesn’t make any sense? Or are these originating from the UK? I’m never sure of the best policy to deal with it, At present I put the phone down and let them get on with it. Then after a couple of minutes I listen in to see if they’ve gone. I hope I’m wasting their time and money but I’m not too sure about that. A pox on them all I say. It’s made me get in touch with BT to get my number made ex-directory in the hope all this will stop. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-being-phoned-by-a-recorded-message/305009/9 "2005-05-23T11:38:08Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > **Cunctator** , why are you such a robophobe? He’s [uninsured.](http://snltranscripts.jt.org/95/95foldglory.phtml) ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-being-phoned-by-a-recorded-message/305009/10 "2005-05-23T11:45:22Z")
> [@Vetch](#): > > I’ve started getting these recorded calls recently and they’re always from American women. Surely that doesn’t make any sense? The Recorded Voice Industry must be participating in some sort of cultural exchange program. All of my bank’s ATMs speak with the voice of a British woman. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-being-phoned-by-a-recorded-message/305009/11 "2005-05-23T11:47:31Z")
> [@Vetch](#): > > I’ve started getting these recorded calls recently and they’re always from American women. Surely that doesn’t make any sense? Or are these originating from the UK? > I’m never sure of the best policy to deal with it, At present I put the phone down and let them get on with it. Then after a couple of minutes I listen in to see if they’ve gone. I hope I’m wasting their time and money but I’m not too sure about that. A pox on them all I say. > > It’s made me get in touch with BT to get my number made ex-directory in the hope all this will stop. go to [The telephone prefernce service](http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/) website. After i registered my phone number these types of call dried up completely. I highly recommend it, and it’s free. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-being-phoned-by-a-recorded-message/305009/12 "2005-05-23T12:22:24Z")
I get the odd one saying , in an American accent, that I have won a holiday in Florida. I am signed up to the Telephone Preference Service but I have the feeling that, because the call presumably originates from outside the UK , that it is not covered by them. ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-being-phoned-by-a-recorded-message/305009/13 "2005-05-23T13:01:32Z")
> [@Rayne Man](#): > > I get the odd one saying , in an American accent, that I have won a holiday in Florida. I am signed up to the Telephone Preference Service but I have the feeling that, because the call presumably originates from outside the UK , that it is not covered by them. Yes, I’m signed up to the TPS service too. A lot of my junk calls have stopped but not these ones, as **Rayne Man** says perhaps overseas callers are not bound by this agreement. **One and Only Wanderers** your turn will come, they _will_ catch up with you one day. ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-being-phoned-by-a-recorded-message/305009/14 "2005-05-23T13:44:42Z")
> [@Rayne Man](#): > > I get the odd one saying , in an American accent, that I have won a holiday in Florida. I am signed up to the Telephone Preference Service but I have the feeling that, because the call presumably originates from outside the UK , that it is not covered by them. Same here. Bastards. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-being-phoned-by-a-recorded-message/305009/15 "2005-05-23T15:30:34Z")
About once a month we get a recorded message from the US Postal Service letting us know that there are positions available near us, and that we shold fill out an application for a rewarding career. Or something. I’ve never listened to the whole message. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-being-phoned-by-a-recorded-message/305009/16 "2005-05-23T22:29:43Z")
Back in 2000, I came home one day to a blinking light on my answering machine. It was a recording from George W Bush’s mommy asking me to vote for her little boy. Right, that one sure convinced me. ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-being-phoned-by-a-recorded-message/305009/17 "2005-05-24T01:24:26Z")
Our _school_ - mandated by the county - does this all the damn time. We have an annoying, smug, self-righteous principal (doesn’t everyone?) with the most annoying voice so hearing “Good evening this is Beep Beeper” after you have heard is diatribes all day makes one want to engorge on water hoses full of squids blood. What makes it worse is the fact that we get multiple ones - just this evening we recieved _atleast_ 5. Cheeky bastard.