How to Ask Telemarketers to Stop Calling

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Last Updated: November 3, 2022 References

Telemarketing calls can be a major irritation. There are steps you can take to help limit the number of unsolicited calls you receive, but it is difficult to completely cut them off. If you do get unwanted sales calls, it’s important to stay calm and ask the caller to add you to the company’s internal “do not call” list. They are required to do this if you ask. You can then take further steps to reduce your chances of getting calls.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Talking to the Telemarketer

1
Don’t hang up straight-away. Often you will be able to tell very quickly if the person calling is a telemarketer, and the temptation will be to just hang up immediately. If you want to get him to stop calling you, however, it’s important that you answer the call and talk to the caller. Calls that are unanswered are generally rescheduled to be repeated later on.
- Hanging up without saying anything is sometimes misinterpreted as a child or unaware family member answering.
- This can prompt the telemarketer to call you repeatedly until you answer.
. It can be incredibly annoying to get frequent telemarketing calls, especially during dinner or at an awkward time, but it’s important that you stay calm and are polite to the caller. You might be dealing with an unscrupulous company or caller, but remaining polite is the best way to deal with it.^{[1]
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3
Find out about who is calling. When you get a call, allow the caller a few seconds to say why they are calling. Don’t jump in straightaway saying “put me on the no call list”. Ask some questions to establish exactly who is calling you.^{[2]
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- Note down all of this information as well as the time and date of the call.
- Having this information will make it easier to follow up and make a complaint if the calls keep coming.
- By law, the caller must tell you whether or not it’s a sale call or if they are calling on behalf of a charity, as well as what they are selling or if they are asking for a donation.
- If the caller doesn’t answer your questions directly it could be a scam and you should hang up.
4
Say you want to be placed on a “do not call” list. Once you have gained all the information about the caller and the company they are calling for, you should go ahead and ask politely and calmly to be placed on the “do not call”. All telemarketing firms are required by law to have an internal “do not call” list. To avoid any potential tricks with the wording make sure you explicitly say “Please place me on your internal do not call list”, and then wait to make sure it is understood and acted upon.^{[3]
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- Often, companies subcontract their outbound work to another company. If you just ask for X Company (the company the telemarketer is calling on behalf of) to stop calling you, that will stop just one company from calling. Ask the telemarketer what company employs them. Ask to be placed on that “do not call” list as well
- Be sure to find out how long it will take to be added. Some firms only update these lists quarterly so it could be a few months before you are officially on it.
- You can also ask for a copy of the company’s “do not call policy”, which they are required by law to provide for you upon demand, and at no cost to you.^{[4]
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5
Be assertive. Saying you want to be placed on the "do not call" list should prompt the telemarketer to act on this, but he may keep trying to work on you and change your mind. If this happens, it's important that you are assertive and firm, without being rude or aggressive. Repeat the request, and make sure you say it firmly.
- Say "Please put me on your do not call list," rather than asking more passively "could you put me on your no call list, please?"^{[5]
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- Framing your request in this way makes it more assertive. Be sure you speak clearly and don't mumble.
- If he continues to ignore your request, you should politely insist and ask to speak to his supervisor.
- If you are told no supervisor is available, don't take no for an answer. You have a right to complain and there should be someone available.^{[6]
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6
Record any further calls. After you have told a company not to call you and asked formally to be placed on their internal “do not call” list, they have a legal right to phone you one more time. If this happens, don’t be annoyed, but do make sure you record the time and date of the call, as well as the name of the caller.
- Remind him that you are on the “do not call” list and any further calls in the next twelve months would give you the right to sue.
- If you do receive any further sales calls from this company, make sure you record all the pertinent information.^{[7]
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- You can submit a complaint via the government website: https://www.donotcall.gov/
7
Do not interact with robocalls. If you get a robocall with a recorded message, you shouldn’t try to interact with them in any way. The message might say something like “press 6 to be put through to an operator” and you might think this is a chance to be ask to be added to a “do no call” list. In reality, pressing a button will likely just lead to you receiving more robocalls and sales calls.^{[8]
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Trustworthy Source

Federal Trade Commission
Website with up-to-date information for consumers from the Federal Trade Commisson

Go to source}
- Hang up immediately, and consider contacting your phone company to see if they can block the number. Be aware that the phone company may charge you for this.
- Telemarketers change caller ID information frequently, so if you successfully block one number you might still get the same calls from different numbers.^{[9]
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  Trustworthy Source
  
  Federal Trade Commission
  Website with up-to-date information for consumers from the Federal Trade Commisson
  
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Taking Steps to Prevent Future Calls

1
Don’t give out your phone number. Telemarketing companies have to get your number from somewhere to call you, so the first step towards lessening the likelihood of getting these calls is to avoid giving out your number. If you are listed in the phone book, telemarketers will find your number there. You can request that your landline is not listed in the phone book. You can take further step to limit your exposure, such as:
- Trying not to enter your phone number when you are completing any online forms, as much as possible.
- Make sure you don’t have your phone number printed on your bank cheques.
- Be wary of free contests or sweepstakes that require you to supply your phone number.
- Always try to call local numbers rather than toll-free or 900 numbers.
2
Sign up for the National Do Not Call Registry. If you live in the US, consider signing up for the National Do Not Call Registry. This is a free service that can help you to reduce the unwanted sales calls on both your cell and your landline. You can sign up easily online by visiting https://www.donotcall.gov/register/reg.aspx. Alternatively, you can call the Federal Trade Commission and sign up over the phone.
- After you have registered, be sure to verify your registration on the website here: https://www.donotcall.gov/confirm/Conf.aspx.
- Telemarketers should stop calling within 31 days of you registering.
- This won’t stop all unwanted calls, and is not applicable to charities, surveys and polling companies, and companies you have done business with in the past.
- If you live in the UK, find out about the 'Telephone Preference Service' or 'TPS' for short, by visiting the website: http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/.
- This is a national database of numbers that have opted not to get marketing or sales calls from companies.
3
Determine if your state has a “Do Not Call” list. In addition to the national registry and the internal lists of companies, some states have further laws to help prevent you receiving unsolicited telemarketing calls. If your state has rules than are more restrictive than the federal rules, the more restrictive ones will override the less restrictive ones. The federal laws represent the minimum, and your state may go further.
- Since the introduction of the national registry, some states have merged their rules with the national ones, but others remain different.
- To find out what the rules are in your state, visit the website of the Direct Marketing Association.
4
Block numbers. If you keep getting calls from the same numbers, you should contact your phone company to ask them about blocking these numbers. There may be a fee for doing this, and its effectiveness is limited by practices that deceive the caller ID on a phone. You may be able to block calls from “private” or withheld numbers.^{[10]
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- You can buy electronic devices to attach to your landline to help prevent robocalls.
- You can also now download apps onto your smart phone that work to reduce the number of automated telemarketing calls you get.^{[11]
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- Some of these are free, but be sure to read the reviews first.
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How can you do this in the UK?

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There is a different article for that called, "How to Remove Yourself from Telemarketing Lists (UK)".

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How can I prosecute the offending telemarketers when they change their phone numbers?

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It's not going to be worth your time or money. The payout is $1500. You'll spend more than that on legal fees.

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How can I stop the harassing phone calls?

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Ask to be placed on the "Do Not Call" list.

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Warnings

Even if you are on the National Do Not Call list, charities, non-profits, and companies that you've done business with in the past can still call you. You'll need to tell these companies directly not to call you anymore. Also companies that do research and surveys that do not solicit or sell anything are allowed to call you as well.

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