$&% magazine sales calls 2

[HDS]

I have gotten 4 calls from people asking for magazine subscriptions for someone that doesn't work here anymore and the day isn't even half over. This was a problem at the last I worked too. How bad is it for everyone else?

Can these calls really work? I'm so annoyed that I have canceled subscriptions for magazines they asked me to renew.

How can we stop this other than not answering the phone.

 

[MadMango]

Simply tell them you are not interested and to remove your name from their calling list. At least that's what has worked for me in the past.

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[ARenko]

They never seem to remove my number. I used

http://www.donotcall.gov

and it seemed to help. Until recently I still got calls everyday from one particular number - I just lifted the receiver and immediately hung up. That went on for about three weeks (up to a max of 8 times one day), but I haven't heard from them in a month now.

 

[SomptingGuy]

I was getting junk from The Learning Tree people every month for ages.

I sent them an email along the lines of:

"Every month I go through this process, where I get junk from you and I put it directly into the recycle without even looking at it. It would save me time and probably save you money if we put an end to it. By the way, does qwertyuiop1234567890 mean anything to you?"

(Obviously that wasn't my code, but it worked)

- Steve

 

[ctopher]

I just tell them the person no longer works here the promptly hang up.
For the letters with return envelopes...I save them, then stuff them all in a prepaid return envelope and put it in the mail. Repeat the process for each prepaid return envelope.

Chris
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 08 3.1
AutoCAD 06/08
ctopher's home (updated Apr 30, 2008)

 

[Unotec]

I had this kind of problem home with "specialized" telemarketrs that got wind I am in the technical side of the O&G. Caller ID does wonders! My 3yr old is the one that was answering those calls. They have dropped significanlty. If I could just do the same with my e-mail

<<A good friend will bail you out of jail, but a true friend
will be sitting beside you saying ” Damn that was fun!” - Unknown>>

 

[KENAT]

You couuld let your 3yr old type the response;-)

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[Unotec]

I tried, but those are "ghost" e-mail addresses

<<A good friend will bail you out of jail, but a true friend
will be sitting beside you saying ” Damn that was fun!” - Unknown>>

 

[KENAT]

Is it considered assault or similar if you blast an air horn or similar down the phone when they call?

Obviously an airhorn is a bit impractical in an office setting but I'd think there'd be a way to just send load white noise or something.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[MadMango]

I use to have a chunk of A2 that I would perch on the push button. I'd lift the receiver, place the weight on a key and give the telemarketer an earful of tone. Sometimes I would forget about it, and then I'd get emails from co-workers that were trying to call me.

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[SomptingGuy]

Pre-paid envelopes... I'd almost forgotten about those. You get such a kick about stuffing them full of crap and returning them.

- Steve

 

[BillBirch]

Would it be possible to send every spam you get daily back to each individual spammer? For example with fifty spams a day, you send back the fifty to each of the fifty spammers. Nah, dangerous thought - if everybody did it it would clog up the internet.

 

[BRGENG]

take the pre-paid envelopes and tape them to things you want to get rid of. I sent hundreds of landscape bricks to the credit card compaines one at a time. The post office will deliver them and charge the company more money for oversized items. This also works well with old product catalogs, phonebooks, even used office chairs (don't ask, but they took it).

Since the post office charges more we could prevent the price of stamps from going up if we all did this.

 

[KENAT]

BRGENG - Awesome.

What country by the way? I wonder if this is legal everywhere or if some places have some kind of get out clause.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[SomptingGuy]

We (as students) managed to get rid of an unwanted dressing gown (a.k.a. bath robe) belonging to an unwanted and much despised Summer "guest" who was paying the rent of an absent flatmate.

Getting one of these things into a Britsh post box (cylindrical, chest-high red thing with a small mouth) was a real challenge. Eventually we folded it up into a long thin snake and wrapped it in newspaper. No stamp of course, or sender ID, so there was no question of legality. It belonged to the Royal Mail and had a valid recipient's address on it.

- Steve

 

[Gymmeh]

I would love to send chairs pre-paid!

my one job I had women calling the desk and asking for the engineer which last worked their. They would always hang up really fast....

I still to this day do not know why they would call.

 

[msquared48]

Call them back and tell they that you are from the IRS and keep getting these phone calls you don't want. If they continue, you'll have to recommend them for an audit.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[HDS]

DJV

Technically they are exempt from the do not call list because someone gave them the number for something.

 

[mechengdude]

why worry about sales calls at the office? You're being paid.

 

[dbooker630]

What I don't care for is the calls for magazines that have absolutely nothing to do with my field. I barely have time to read the heat treat magazines, and I have no need for electronics evaluation stuff.