OHOHOHOH or we would answer and say "(insert last name) mortuary, you kill em will chill em for only a buck" :) they would NEVER call back, it was super creepy and wonderfully hilarious.

My cousin used to answer "Joe's Morgue, you stab 'em, we slab 'em. I still threaten to use it.

My husband usually says "Really? Tell me more!...." then puts the receiver on the table and goes back to the living room to watch TV. I rarely talk on the phone. (3 teenage daughters)

Aussie Quilter - that is absolutely TOO funny. I laughed until I cried. I wish I had the wherewithall to do something like that! On a more serious note, think of "unidentified callers" this way: THEY know who YOU are, but you don't know who they are. That puts you at a significant disadvantage. I just check the ID when the phone rings, and if I don't recognize the number, I don't answer. If I miss calls, too friggin' bad. Do I care?

we get these at work also---most will stop after you tell them you are not interested, but we have had a few that are really perisistant. If they call back more than twice, after being told that we are not interested then when I answer, I tell them that I wish to speak to a manager or supervisor---since they are being recorded, they have to get them or it could mean their job. I then tell the manager/super that we have told his company several times that we are not interested and to not call us again and since they will not listen, the next time they call, we will be filing harassment charges against them since we know who they are. Works everytime.

I've got a different technique for "survey takers," who are in fact usually push-pollers for some politician, or trying to sell something. My conversations usually go something like this:

Caller: This is (name) from (organization). We're taking a survey today about (whatever). Can you answer a few questions for us?

Me: Sure, let me get a paper and pencil.

Caller: You won't need a paper and pencil, it's just a few questions.

Me: Yes, I need to get your billing information. Ok, I've got it. Where do I send the bill?

Caller: What do you mean? It's only a couple of questions.

Me: Well, it'll be cheap for you then, I only charge 100 dollars per question.

Caller: We don't pay you for taking our survey.

Me: Why not, you interrupted my dinner, and I'm a professional survey-taker, my answers are valuable. You don't think I'm going to do this for free, do you?

Usually they're gone by this time, but if they aren't, I start negotiating with them on price.

With practice, you can do this without busting out laughing as you do it. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

BTW, I keep my national do-not-call registration and my state do-not-call registration up to date. Some telemarketers just ignore that, others, like anything vaguely related to anything you've ever bought or signed up for (like credit cards) and political calls, are apparently exempt.

add non-profits. They are exempt too.

A coaches whistle will work.

have a quite loud whistle next to your phone. the next time they call, give it all to them! they might just listen then! my grandma did this to prank callers all the time when i was young. we all knew when she got the whistle out to cover our ears! lol