# recorded sales calls

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recorded-sales-calls/43250>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 29, 2000, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recorded-sales-calls/43250 "2000-11-29T20:30:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![taddycat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@taddycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taddycat)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2000, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recorded-sales-calls/43250/1 "2000-11-29T20:30:53Z")

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Does anyone actually buy anything when they get a call from a machine with a recorded sales call? I can see buying from a person (although I don’t) making a telemarketing call, but a machine? I guess some people must buy, or no company would use them.

Has anyone on this board ever known anyone who has made a purchase or given money to a company using the mechanized calls?

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**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recorded-sales-calls/43250/2 "2000-11-30T00:30:17Z")

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Sory, can’t help. Not only have I never purchased anything sold via a recorded phone message, I’ve never even stayed on the line long enough to find out what was being sold.

Hmmm. Sure hope someone responsible for those automated systems is reading this.

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**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recorded-sales-calls/43250/3 "2000-11-30T04:01:35Z")

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That’s _illegal_!

Try [www.junkbusters.com](http://www.junkbusters.com).

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**Author:** ![Manlob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Manlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manlob)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recorded-sales-calls/43250/4 "2000-11-30T04:37:07Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Rocket88 \*  
> \*\*I’ve never even stayed on the line long enough to find out what was being sold.  
> \*\*

It is a good idea to stay on the line for recorded sales calls, since they sometimes leave a phone number which you can use for distribution to other telemarketers. Sometimes they even leave a toll free number, in which case they are charged for every call they receive. If they don’t leave a number, automatic dialers usually take messages so you can give them a piece of your mind.