Dear Leonard: Hang Up on Telemarketers

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Dear Leonard: Hang Up on Telemarketers

I find it hard to hang up on anyone calling me on the telephone, even people calling to sell me something. Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised with an item and sometimes I just feel stupid for buying something that either doesn’t work or I will never use. The calls have increased considerably. I tell the callers that I’m not interested, but that just seems to make them work harder to sell me their product. Any suggestions?—D.F.J., Alexandria, VA

Dear DFJ,
My suggestion? “It’s Shrewd to be Rude—Hang Up!” Learn NOT to be so considerate of the telemarketer at the other end of the line. If you feel you just can’t hang up, lay down the phone and walk away. Telemarketers hate to talk to “dead air.”

The only thing you should say to the telemarketer is “please do not call again.” The telemarketer is then legally obliged to place your name on a “Do not call” list. If the same firm calls you again within a year, report them to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) toll free hotline (1-877-382-4357.)

You can collect $500 from that organization if you successfully sue. Under the law, it is illegal for that firm to call you again once you asked to be placed on the DO NOT CALL LIST (DNC).

The main reason for the increase in your phone calls is primarily because you purchased products from telemarketers in the past. Your name is a hot and valuable commodity and gets sold to other telemarketers. To substantially cut the number of calls you receive, fill out a form online at http://www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offtelephonedave. Or send a letter stating that you do not wish to receive telemarketing calls, including your name, address and phone number, to: Telephone Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, PO box 282, Carmel, NY 10512. If you receive a call after that, you can bet it’s questionable.

But be especially wary of any callers claiming to represent a state or Federal Trade Commission “do-not-call” registry asking for personal information such as a Social Security, bank account, or credit card number—supposedly to verify if you are on the list (no legitimate do-not-call list needs those numbers). This is a scam, and cons will use your personal information to run up debts in your name and withdraw money from your accounts.

Protect yourself. Hang up.

Leonard Burchman is president of Voice of the Elderly (VOTE), a private, non-profit organization that works to protect seniors from scams. If you have a question about a suspected scam send it to: The Social Security & Medicare Advisor, 4688 Spotswood Trail, Barboursville, VA 22923-8909. Or you can e-mail Mr. Burchman at Leonard@newsletter.tscl.org. Please do not send Social Security numbers or Medicare Explanation of Benefit Statements.

To learn more about senior scams, see “Double Scanning Credit Cards” at http://www.tscl.org/NewContent/101605.asp.

November 2002