A buddy of mine sent me a recording he made today when a telemarketer called him. His tactic won’t stop telemarketers from calling, but it sure is funny.

I found a more serious approach to stopping telemarketers on junkbusters.com
This information was originally provided by http://www.junkbusters.com/script.html. I’d like to thank them for compiling this data. To learn more about stopping telemarketers, please visit the junkbusters website.

Every time you get a call you consider junk, just ask the questions in this script. If they answer no, you may be able to sue them. Be sure to put your phone number on the National Do-Not-Call registry by visiting http://donotcall.gov or by calling 1-888-382-1222.

1. “Are you calling to sell something?” (or “is this a telemarketing call?”)
2. “Could you tell me your ful name please?”
3. “And a phone number, area code first?”
4. “What’s the name of the organization you’re calling for?”
5. “Does that organization keep a list of numbers it’s been asked not to call?”
6. “I would like my number(s) put on that list. Can you take care of that now?”
7. “And does the company you work for also make telemarketing calls for any other organizations?” (If they answer no, skip the next question.)
8. (If yes) “Can you make sure your company won’t call me for any other organization?”

You may need to ask to speak with a supervisor if they sound lost. When you’re ready to let them off, you might close with “Is it clear that I never want telemarketing calls from anyone?” and just say goodbye. If you feel like making them pay, keep going:

1. “Will your company keep my number on its do-not-call list for at least ten years?”
2. “And does your company have a written policy that says that on paper?”
3. “Can you send me a copy of it?”
4. “What’s your supervisor’s first and last name?”
5. “What’s your employer’s business name, address and main telephone number?”
6. “Are you calling for a tax-exempt nonprofit organization?”
7. “Is this call based on a previously established business relationship?”

That should help you, if you’re still suffering from Telemarketer hell.

Update: A budy send me this link. It details an alternate way to stop telemarketers. Very nice!