[motdean]

With the increase in robocalls over the last several years despite being on every "Do Not Call" list imaginable, I've taken a new tact that I believe frustrates them as much as their calling frustrates me.

When I see an out of state call, (and have the 30 seconds) I will now answer it with a simple "hello" or background noise to trigger the live person.
I then put the phone on mute. Usually a speaker comes on and goes through their introduction, followed by a question. I leave the phone on mute and allow them to ask the question several times.

I had one guy stay on for over two minutes telling me that he couldn't hear me.

I figure they have already annoyed me, so why not take up some of their time as well. Also, since they probably have a limited number of lines, if I am tying one up, it prohibits them from dialing someone else on that line while they are on with me.

By the way, I am not overly concerned about them doing something nefarious with me, as it is a phone provided by my employer.

Any other ways you handle them, other than not answering?

As they say, fun on a budget.

 

[eggfly]

With the increase in robocalls over the last several years despite being on every "Do Not Call" list imaginable, I've taken a new tact that I believe frustrates them as much as their calling frustrates me.

When I see an out of state call, (and have the 30 seconds) I will now answer it with a simple "hello" or background noise to trigger the live person.
I then put the phone on mute. Usually a speaker comes on and goes through their introduction, followed by a question. I leave the phone on mute and allow them to ask the question several times.

I had one guy stay on for over two minutes telling me that he couldn't hear me.

I figure they have already annoyed me, so why not take up some of their time as well. Also, since they probably have a limited number of lines, if I am tying one up, it prohibits them from dialing someone else on that line while they are on with me.

By the way, I am not overly concerned about them doing something nefarious with me, as it is a phone provided by my employer.

Any other ways you handle them, other than not answering?

As they say, fun on a budget.

I’ve said things like I’m so glad you called, please tell me more. When the “windows computer” guy calls I tell them I only have apple products. Or my favorite, I ask if there mom is still sore from our date last week (not exactly my wording). That one gets under their skin fast. I had to stop my childish behavior as the kids are big enough to ask “dad, what’s a _____________”. Not a good conversation piece at dinner with their mom glaring at me.

 

[Luv2hunteup]

I very rarely answer those calls but when I do I tell them that I don’t have my hearing aids in. I ask them to speak up to the point they are yelling. I constantly ask them to repeat what they are pitching but only louder. Usually they hang up on me. It’s very entertaining.

 

[Gamekeeper]

"Buenos dias"
Red button

 

[Petronius]

I put the phone on speaker phone, then play them some favorite Bollywood hits from Youtube. The younger Indian chaps seem to like it.

 

[6Speed]

It's rare I get one anymore. The way I fixed it was to get a live person on the phone and tell them to not use their speaker phone. When they put the real phone in their ear, I hit them with a 2 second blast from the air horn I keep next to the phone and hang up.

I guess the word got around because they leave me alone now...

 

[david boyko]

I like to mess with them in many ways. I get some of them to the point they start calling me names. Then I ask them if that is how they are supposed to talk to a potential victim. They hang up and I won't hear from them for a while.

 

[Sin_X]

I was just in a conversation about this here at work. A bunch of us make it a game to see how long you can keep them busy or start swearing at you.

 

[motdean]

I was just in a conversation about this here at work. A bunch of us make it a game to see how long you can keep them busy or start swearing at you.

I see an MSF challenge coming! I like it......

 

[motdean]

My son was a Freshman in high school during the last Presidential election. He would run to the phone to answer it when they would call to take polls. He was calm and cool talking to them. He posed as a vacuum salesman and actually spent over 10 minutes with a pollster trying to sell him a vacuum.

It would have been a great call to record.

Unfortunately, college called, so we won't have that luxury this time around.

 

[MiketheElder]

I answer with a heavy foreign accent. Or maybe in Japanese. Sometimes I pick up the phone and stay silent. Usually in a few seconds I get a hangup.

 

[retired dundo]

I like the credit card ones.I pretend Iam real old and when they ask for card number.I tell them I use a walker and can they wait my card is another room.Wait about five minutes tell them can you call back tommorow so I can waste your time I don’t Evan have a card.I get cussed at a lot

 

[6Speed]

I answer with a heavy foreign accent. Or maybe in Japanese. Sometimes I pick up the phone and stay silent. Usually in a few seconds I get a hangup.

Sometimes I answer in German and try to carry on the conversation with them. They ask the questions in their version of English and my answers are in German. They don't get it and it cracks me up. My wife just laughs and shakes her head...

 

[eggfly]

One of my favorite, Tom Mabe pranking a telemarketer.

 

[WALLEYE MIKE]

I take a much calmer approach. I don't answer numbers I don't know or are not in my phone.

 

[Fishndude]

I take a much calmer approach. I don't answer numbers I don't know or are not in my phone.

This, plus block the number, since they use fake numbers that actually belong to some other poor victim. If you play silly games, they will just sell your number to countless other immoral solicitors, and you'll just get more calls.

Everyone who calls me from an unknown number, and doesn't leave a voicemail, gets blocked.

 

[bobberbill]

After 4 rings my house landline goes to my printer/fax machine. Long enough for the caller ID to show the number. If I recognize it before 4, I answer. If not, goes to the fax. Most robo's will flag fax lines. Rarely do I get robo calls anymore. Caller's that know us ping the cell #'s.

 

[plugger]

A friend of mine, with a pretty off-color sense of humor, would pretend to be a phone sex line. He didn't discriminate between male and female. He would try to get a credit card number.

 

[Oldgrandman]

One of my favorite, Tom Mabe pranking a telemarketer.

He's been around a while, he is hilarious!

If I answer and there is a human:
Repeating 'scammer' over and over, or I'll laugh nonstop, screw with them any way I can think of. It's mostly recordings these days.
I love it when they get mad enough to start calling me names, I tell them thanks for the laugh and that I got what I wanted out of the call.

 

[hungryhollow]

One thing Congress could do to help me would be to pass laws to stop these calls.