I really need to rant. Over the past 2 months, my wife and I received 55 unsolicited articles of junk mail from Capitol One Visa alone! On the back of the reply envelopes is a barcode with my address. Inside the envelope is a disclaimer saying that it is mail fraud to use the envelope for other than it's intended purpose, vis a vis returning the entire envelope to them with a note saying "no thank you". The jist- "we'll keep sending this trash to you, but we'll prosecute if you send trash to us". Over the past three weeks, my wife and I have been getting calls EVERY afternoon from long distance carriers (whats new, right?) What's different is that when I reply to take me off their call list they retort quickly(as if to wedge their foot in my door) "BUT this call was generated randomly and not from a call list!" This is as if to say "I got you now!" The only thing they hear is "Click!"<br><br>I have always had the policy of politely dealing with telemarketers because the voice on the other end at least has a job, which is a step up from many, but this new brand of agressiveness is absolutely apalling! Just needed to vent. Andy.

HI Andy,<br><br>I can absolutely sympathize with you. For the past several years I have been telling every single telemarketer that calls to put me on their do not call list. However, I would still get several call a week. I recently purchased the telezapper device http://www.telezapper.com/ and the calls have stopped almost completely. It is great but I don't see why I had to spend $50 just for the privilege of not being hassled in my own home. ;-(<br><br>

When telephones were first invented, many Victorians were against the idea of having them in their homes. Not because they were luddites, but because they considered it a really odd idea to allow some stranger to (effectively) 'appear' in the middle of your house and demand a conversation! I have much sympathy with their view.<br><br>Personally, I let voicemail swallow any call that caller id doesn't recognise. I don't get disturbed, and if it really is important, they'll leave a message.<br><br>However, this didn't help last time I was in the USA (I live in Britain). I diverted my home phone to my cellular, so important calls could get to me. I went to New York, and the flaming telemarketers decided that then would be a *really* good time to start calling. Because of the time difference, I was getting calls at really odd times. And worst of all, I was paying an additional international call charge for the privilege of forwarding their voice across the atlantic! "Excuse me, I'm in New York, this call is being forwarded, and I'm paying for an international phone call." "Oh, it'll only take a couple of minutes to ask you some questions!"<br><br>grrrr

There is a Postal Form ( I believe it is called 2000) for the return to sender at their cost of any unsolicitied materials you find offensive. What you find offensive is YOUR CALL. I did this to great effect during the last Presidential election. I always STUFF any prepaid return envelopes with as much trash as I can fit. Just obliterate any and all references to you. I doubt if their scare tactic about prosecution amounts to diddly anyway. As for telemarketers, remember, time is money. Unless you expect an important call, KEEP them on the line. Get stupid, ask them to repeat the information. Get personal. compliment their sexy voice( if it's a guy, talk about this terrific leather fetish bar you'd like to take them to.) Once you've tied them up for several minutes, just hang up.

I am against spam, junk mail and telemarketers as much as anyone but..... I have had to take a job as a telemarketer and so have a somewhat different perspective. For the spammer I think a denial of service attack - er - auto replying to all of the spamm a few (hundred) times to be certain that they get the message may cost them directly and therefore punishes the offending individual. The postal form and the extra weight likewise for the junk mail though I am not sure of the legality of either. OTOH, the poor schlub that you keep yakking on the phone is losing commision talking to you and it isn't his fault that your number came up or that the company he works for asks him to make calls. it may be the only job he can get. The company is also slowed down somewhat by your dalliance but there might be ways to cost the company without costing the schlub that took that job. OTOH if the lose enough commisions the might just be forced to go to work for McDogBurgers and that might leave the telemarketers without employees - Oh Yea they already use pre-recorded messages to tell you that you are elligable to win...... so they don't need the poor schlub - he's already working for McDogBurgers.

> auto replying to all of the spamm a few (hundred) times to be certain that they get the message may cost them directly and therefore punishes the offending individual<<br><br>That probably won't work. Spammers usually 'spoof' the address from which the email is sent. You'll be bombarding, at best, a non-existent address (and you'll receive "cannot deliver" messages for each attempt). At worst, you'll be inadvertently spamming some unsuspecting innocent who just happens to share the email address that the spammer has used.

When I get a telemarket call I ask the caller to hold on just a second, then I put the phone down. I am not sure how long they stay on the line, but they are never there about a half hour later when I go and put the phone back on the hook. <br><br>Robb

Your post really surprised me--I reread as sampling of your posts and if you ever had to work as a telemarketer, there is something very very wrong with our economy. <br><br>Robb

Brad, I have to apologise. I've been squeezed into various employment holes a rat would snub. Realising there is a living person on the other end of the phone, computer post or freeway gridlock is a failing of society and common courtesy.

ayyyup!<br><br>minime's alterego