Annoyances

None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.

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If you only read a few

Let calls from unknown numbers go straight to voicemail instead of picking up.
People who need to reach you can still leave a message.
7 people, independently
Answer unknown numbers with a 'MoviePhone' style automated greeting ('For English press 1...') to confuse callers.
Calls may stop completely after doing this for a week.
- You might miss calls from employers or bosses who have new numbers.
- Answering and speaking can flag your number as 'active'.
one person who lived it
- Use absurd or inappropriate scripted responses to confuse telemarketers.4
Politely request removal from calling lists rather than being rude or yelling at the agent.
Agents follow scripts and risk penalties or job loss if they deviate; rudeness may cause them to mark you as interested but busy, whereas courtesy encourages compliance.
- Some callers operate solo scams targeting the elderly and may not follow standard protocols.
7 people, independently
Answer the call, immediately mute your microphone, and stay silent until the caller hangs up to mark yourself as inactive.
Silence may reduce spam calls by marking the number as inactive or frustrating the caller into blocking you.
- Do not end the call yourself, as this signals someone is present.
4 people, independently
- Answer unknown calls and immediately mute your microphone.2
If you answer a telemarketer call, one approach is to pretend to sob or claim a recent family tragedy to discourage future calls.
This tactic reportedly stopped calls for weeks or months in some instances.
- This is based on individual anecdotes of faking distress.
2 people, independently
- Take up outlandish conversations or ask personal questions while ignoring the pitch to waste the telemarketer's time.3

call, caller, calls, answer26

Keep telemarketers on hold indefinitely while you carry on with other tasks.

Ask legitimate telemarketers to place you on their Do Not Call list.
Legitimate companies can be fined $15,000 per instance if they call again after being requested to stop.
- You must make the request yourself; it is not automatic.
one person who lived it
Do not answer calls from unknown numbers; let them go to voicemail and Google the number.
Answering marks you as someone who answers their phone. Googling the number often flags it as a telemarketer, allowing you to block it.
one person who lived it
Tell callers you are 16 and need to check with your mom.
One person reported this results in the fastest hangups.
one person who lived it
Block entire phone exchanges (area code and prefix) if spammers only change the last four digits.
Exchanges and area codes take longer to change than the last four digits.
one person who lived it

21 more on this

Wait approximately 10 minutes after an unknown call to see if a voicemail is left.
If someone really wants or needs to reach you, they will leave a voicemail or text you.
one person who lived it
Blast a high-frequency tone down the line to disrupt the telemarketer's headset.
The noise can be disruptive enough that they do not call back.
2 people, independently
Tell the caller that the person they are looking for has died and ask them not to call again.
This makes the situation uncomfortable for the telemarketer and may get you removed from their list.
- Some callers may react rudely or aggressively.
- It can cause issues with legitimate services like banks if they assume fraud.
3 people, independently
Answer with a corporate greeting to make the caller think you are a business so they remove you from their list.
They will never call again if they think you're a business.
one person who lived it
Remind the caller that you have previously requested removal from their list and ask again.
Reiterating the request may result in fewer calls.
one person who lived it
If the dedicated mute control does not work, press every button in the right-hand column from top to bottom until the noise ceases.
- Some pumps cannot be muted no matter what button is pressed.
3 people, independently
Do not answer unsolicited calls.
Answering flags the number as a valuable target, potentially increasing the volume of spam calls.
- Spammers often spoof numbers with local area codes.
2 people, independently
State clearly that you do not consent to the call being monitored or recorded.
It may cause confusion leading them to terminate the call.
3 people, independently
Keep telemarketers on the line as long as possible.
Telemarketing relies on volume; keeping them talking increases their operational costs and disrupts their metrics.
- One user noted this wastes your own valuable time.
3 people, independently
- Keep telemarketers on hold indefinitely while you carry on with other tasks.4
Pick up the phone, say 'yes, wait a minute please,' and then play elevator music to bore the caller into hanging up.
Callers usually get tired and hang up.
one person who lived it
Block email senders instead of replying 'STOP' to unsubscribe requests.
Replying proves the account is active.
one person who lived it
Be cautious about ignoring all unknown calls if you are expecting important job-related calls from unknown numbers.
You may miss important calls from people whose numbers you do not yet know.
2 people, independently
Do not press any buttons or speak during robocalls.
Interacting confirms a live human is present, which can connect you directly to scammers or increase your number's resale value.
one person who lived it
Listen briefly to the pitch before hanging up, as hanging up immediately may trigger the company to call you back.
Hanging up immediately signals the offer was not given, which prompts companies to click a button to call back.
one person who lived it
Recognize that the Do Not Call list is ineffective against operations using faked Caller ID and commercial PBX rentals.
It is difficult to obtain damages from callers using these methods.
one person who lived it
Avoid saying 'yes' during conversations with telemarketers.
Shady companies may record and edit conversations to make it sound like you agreed to buy something.
one person who lived it
Set your voicemail greeting to a Special Information Tone (SIT tone) to potentially trigger automatic removal from calling lists.
The tone might signal the system to remove the number.
one person who lived it
Sit silently on the phone without muting until the caller disconnects.
Bots typically disconnect within a few seconds.
one person who lived it
Hang up immediately without arguing or engaging with the caller.
Engaging requires more effort than necessary.
2 people, independently
Waste telemarketers' time by creating elaborate stories, looping conversations, or claiming you found a better offer elsewhere.
This prevents them from scamming other vulnerable people.
one person who lived it
Hang up immediately upon detecting a scam call without engaging or educating the caller.
3 people, independently

Write to local gas station owners to state you will stop buying fuel there due to pump advertisements.
Local owners may listen to customer feedback.
- This applies to local owners, not large corporate chains.
one person who lived it
If you already own the product being sold, show the salesperson your existing installation to deter further contact.
The salesperson may stop calling after seeing you are not a new prospect.
one person who lived it
If you dislike loud ad screens at gas stations, choose a different station or refuse to pump there.
6 people, independently
Start calls with service providers by explicitly stating you do not want to be sold anything.
One Comcast employee stated that starting with 'please don't sell me anything' removes their obligation to pitch, whereas pitching first and being rejected negatively affects their performance metrics.
one person who lived it