how to prank a telemarketer

[Frank McGrath]

When the telemarketer calls, If the call makes it thru my screening, Caller I D, I just say, Look I'm in a hurry, could you you leave your home phone number and I'll call you at home later. I have used this many times. I usually get hung up on. but their number never shows up on caller I D again.

[Graham]

I sometimes interrupt by asking for a credit card number. they say what? I say - look, I'm self employed, I charge $55 per hour, I'm happy to talk to you, can I start with your credit card number for billing please?

That sometimes gets the point home.
I long for the bright and wonderful day when there will be no more spammers and no more telemarketers.

[Will]

This is one I heard a little while ago.

"Hello?"
*pause*
"No, I'm sorry, he's dead."
*click*

I thought about using the line that I was dead, but I was afraid that suddenly all my accounts (bank, utilities, etc.) would be closed!

[macgreggor]

I sometimes interrupt by asking for a credit card number. they say what? I say - look, I'm self employed, I charge $55 per hour, I'm happy to talk to you, can I start with your credit card number for billing please?

Being self-employed I may have to use that one Graham. Thanks!

Greg (macG)

[Jerry]

Tom Mabe is hilarious.

He does one with a steam cleaning company that is awesome! It involves getting A LOT of BLOOD out of the carpet and curtains and walls and ...

Great stuff.

That one was great. I also liked the one where he pretended to be drunk, and tried to get the telemarketer to bring him some beer

[RockyR]

I always get the ones at work:

"May I speak to the Owner/person in charge of.../manager/etc"

I respond with: "If you can tell me the person's name you can speak to them and if not, I'll hang up on you." That's when they start with "well, I was just calling..." CLICK.


The other favorite is when the person says "Can I speak to" and I respond with "tell me if this sounds like me hanging up." CLICK.


The way I feel about it... if you're in the BUSINESS of bugging people for money, you deserve to be hung up on once in a while.