Do Telemarketers Cause You Extreme Anxiety?

[Tribulations]

It depends on my mood but on the days I am feeling extra mischievous and good, I will screw with them. Download a soundboard and play reponses when they say something, my favorite is the Charlie the unicorn soundboard. Or I will speak in a foreign language, that usually confuses them. Or I will answer and leave my phone by a subwoofer and blast loud music.

Needless to say I don't get many telemarketers who call me. My girlfriend had problems with telemarketers until I screwed with them. She doesn't get many calls anymore either lol. On my bad or mellow days, I don't even bother answering. Love me some caller id that's for sure.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

A ringing phone sets me off. My phone is always on silent, not on vibrate mode.

When my PTSD was first diagnosed, a ringing phone set off my hypervigilance. The hypervigilance is a lot better, so I guess old habits just die hard.

And when I was going through a federal loan discharge due to disability, the "city" (I'm sure you can figure out which bank I'm referring to) would call me every single day to make sure I could pay my private, non-discharge eligible loan on time, even though I never had a late payment. Yes, it bordered on harassment and I had to change my contact number because of it. (How can it be legal to harass good standing customers every day like that?!?) I'm sure you can understand why I hate a ringing phone! All that harassment gave me a financial mental complex as well. At least my loan was sold in toto to another company that has never called me in over two years. At least they know how to treat good customers, thank god.

So no, you're not alone.

 

[Tribulations]

I didn't even think about posting that, great point Scaredoflonely. I almost always have my phone on mute too. I wonder how many of us here do that, it's pretty interesting how many of us have the same habits.

 

[Orglethorp]

My cell phone is almost always on silent. Every time the house phone rings it startles me. I'm the only one in the house (6 people) who doesn't answer it, but then again, I'm also the only one who has never given that number out to anyone, so the call will never be for me.

Edit- That's at the place I rent during the school year, just to clarify. I do have to answer the land line phone and thus deal with telemarketers when I'm home for the holidays/summer.

 

[Upside Down Eagle]

Download a soundboard and play reponses when they say something, my favorite is the Charlie the unicorn soundboard. Or I will speak in a foreign language, that usually confuses them.

Oh man, that is genius. I have to try that the next time. Last time, I was already feeling totally (...swearword), when they rang the door. They were not exactly telemarketers but people from an electric company who wanted me to switch companies, while it was not even my house. I felt so confused that I told them okay (even though I completely disagreed). We had to go through a bunch of papers, I was standing there with few clothes on and it was freezing cold with the door open...should've told them to get the hell out of my porch, but I wasn't feeling real assertive. Next time better...

Where I live now, they come ring the door asking for donations. When I tell them I don't have any cash money (usually true) they act completely dissapointed. Now I'm just ignoring it when somebody rings the doorbell ^^

 

[Tribulations]

Radise I am pretty sure if you put a no soliciting sign up they can't do that legally. You should look into that.

 

[NurseDawni]

I have a gated driveway...so I know if someone is coming in...they have to take the chain off and I can hear it (as can my dog) from the house. I live far enough from town that solicitors don't often come to my door anyway. I had a sign on my gate at one time with a pic of a dog on it that said "I can make it to the fence in 3.5 seconds, Can you?" that was very effective until someone stole it...

 

[BloomInWinter]

Telemarketers are like free therapy opportunities to practice our assertiveness skills on. First, I say no thank you. If they persist, I interrupt, and say 'please put me on your do not call list. Goodbye.'

It took me forever to do it, but now I no longer feel like I owe them precious minutes of my life. Of course, now no more call. But I can do this on the phone now as necessary.

Small battles like these have greatly increased my belief in my ability to handle normal life more effective.

 

[Fart Smella]

I'm on the Australian 'Don't Call Register' but some calls still get through.

I have two angles of attack when taking a call from a telemarketer.

1. I charge $90 per hour or $15 per 6 minute increments. I'll be glad to facilitate you if you let me know where to send the bill.

2. Do you understand/speak English ? .... well FO !!!