Do you get annoying calls from solicitors and creditors?

[cool user name]

Next time you get one, turn up the music on your stereo to as high as it can go, grab your phone, hold it up to the speaker and pick up.

Keep it held there until you're sure the person at the other end has lost their hearing.

This has been a public service announcement brought to you by me.

Working to make this world as uncomfortable for everyone else as much as possible since 1972.

That is all.

[Midlodemocrat]

1. A whistle works better.

Not that I would know.

[cool user name]

2. LMAO ...

Is it a calm, cool and collect whistle? Like a cavalier whistle while walking through the woods type whistle?

Are they saying, "Hello, hello?" while you continue to snooper a tune?

[Midlodemocrat]

4. No, a police type whistle.

Guaranteed to burst their eardrums.


Not that I would know.

[cool user name]

5. You're evil and I love it!

[AlCzervik]

3. these work well.

[petronius]

6. As funny as that is, I really don't think the people who are actually

doing those crappy jobs are the ones who deserve to be punished. I jsut hang up, or don't bother to answer...

</self-righteous stick-in-the-mud>

[trof]

7. Right. Just hang up. They never call back.

[petronius]

8. If I get repeat calls, I'll answer, tell them to stop calling, and hang up

Combined with the DNC list I really don't have a problem. No matter how annoying it is to get called, tormenting a low-paid wage-slave is hardly the answer...

[skygazer]

9. That's what caller ID and an answering machine are for

Do you really think the low-paid employee who's getting their ears blown out are the ones who thought this up?

Are you the person who comes in my grocery store and harasses the employees, thinking you're funny?

[cool user name]

10. Why, gee, yes ... I go to your grocery store and do that.

:wtf:

[Manifestor_of_Light]

11. i get lots of em

But they are all pre-recorded calls, or else just a bunch of clicks. Totally unable to get back at them.

I hardly ever get a phone call from anybody I give a damn about anymore.

[sarge43]

12. Having been on the other end of those calls (Hey, I was broke),

don't be cruel. Those people aren't to blame and getting nasty with them won't stop the calls.

Either take the time to insist your name be removed or gently hang up.

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

13. Well, not ALL callers are nice.... some are downright abusive!

Especially collection agencies. I had a terrifying experience not long ago. These people called me, when instead they were looking for someone completely different. The only thing we had in common was our nickname (which can go for either gender, sort of like Chris).

Unfortunately, I was stupid enough to give a little too much personal information, such as my full name. For whatever reason, they assumed I was this person they were looking for (when originally this person was obviously male), probably because we were living in the same state, though I pointed out that I had just moved there a few years prior and, apparently, the one they were looking for was a much older person.

In a matter of an hour, they found and called: (1) my in-laws and (2) my parents (easy to do, when my full name -not the nickname- is unique). Both were told I was going to be arrested in a matter of seconds if I didn't pay money I owed them. The caller in both cases described himself as 'agent' to my in-laws and as 'detective' to my parents.

Then I get another call, from 'detective Bill' who says they are ready to arrest me and possibly even deport me! Of course, I am not that naive. So I start asking questions as to what police or state authority this person is a 'detective' with and under what authority, especially since I was not the person they were looking for.

Since I was working in a law firm, I had one of my lawyer bosses listen in just because the whole thing was so surreal.

By doing some detective work myself, I found out this collection agency was often found to be in violation of existing laws. Since they were headquartered in Florida, I filed a complaint with the Florida Attorney General and later I received an affidavit to sign. It seems that this company was being sued.