by Joyzabel 9 Replies latest jw friends
"This is the core of the whole privacy issue. People tell me this is the No. 1 annoyance in their lives." LIZ FIGUEROA, a state senator in California, on telemarketing calls.
While reading today's NYTs I thought the quote for the day shows that the JW's ARE NOT the center of the universe! And now JW's are doing telephone witnessing! I guess they want to keep up their image of being "most annoying".
Since you're paying for telephone service, you might as well purchase two other features: Caller ID, so that you don't have to guess who's on the other end (and can avoid people you don't know or don't want to talk with), and a 'security screen' feature that filters out 'unknown numbers' and forces such people (usually bill collectors or salespeople) to identify themselves, and again you only answer those calls that you wish to answer.
"Security screen" may go by different names in different areas. My telephone service provider is Qwest, and that screen is called "Privacy Plus" in my area.
My life became peaceful around dinner time once I got this combination of features, which IMHO are well worth the price.
I highly recommend the Tele-Zapper. I bought a phone with this feature (it "zaps" calls coming in from computerized data-banks - which most telemarketers use - and supposedly removed your number from the file.) I used to get annoying calls all the time, and now my phone is sooooo quiet!
Joy,
Telephone witnessing was BIG in Hawaii when I pioneered in the mid/late 80's. It was a way for four people to sit in someone's living room, drink lemonade, read the paper, chit-chat, while you took turns calling secured apartment complexes on ONE phone. You got your time in, got to socialize, and didn't have to be in a hot car all afternoon. It was great!
Andi
LOL Billygoat!! What lazy-ass pioneers you guys were!!! Does that count??? Sheesh and to be pioneering in such a beautiful enviorment!
<shaking head> yep, gotta get that life-saving message out or all will die!!
People tell me this is the No. 1 annoyance in their lives."
What cushy lives they must live!!!
I've got a silent number which means that telemarketers cannot buy my number - it is unlisted. Since I moved to another city a few months ago, only a handful of people have my new number. Silence is golden.
I have caller ID. So whenever I see a private number or a number that doesn't come up, I simply don't answer. That's my screening. If it is a legitimate call, my answering machine works fine for taking the message. That's my method of dealing with telemarketers. Of course, these new gadgets are a cool way to deal with it too, but I was thinking of another low tech way people could try to keep their phone quiet during dinner. They could unplug the phone or turn off the ringer. When I take my cell phone out to movies or concerts, I always turn it off or turn it on vibrate. The same can be done with your home phone. Most friends will know you are unavailable during dinner. If they don't, they can call later if it is important. All the communications technology we have is nice and allows us to be connected 24 hours a day, but it's okay to disconnect if you want quiet for some period of time.
As far as the JW annoyance, I guess I've been lucky. I live in an 8 story apartment building with controlled access. I haven't had a knock from a JW in the year since I left the JW and I moved shortly after I left, so it's not as if the locals know where I live. If they have called, they were probably using a private number, the kind of calls I ignore. I remember on one of the few times I participated in telephone witnessing, they always blocked their number unless calling at the Kingdom Hall. I think some ever blocked when calling from the KH.
In Georgia we have a state-sponsored No-Call list. Telemarketers who call anyway are subject to a $500.00 fine for each call. I hardly ever get a telemarketing call any more, and when I do I just say "c'mon, I'm on the no-call database and you've gotta know that. I'm not gonna report you this time, but if you ever call here again, it's gonna cost you 500 big ones." Then I hang up without ever hearing another word from the caller.
I understand that a move is afoot for the Feds to develop a nation-wide no call database. I hope they do. These people deserve it. One night I got so frustrated with the incessant phone ringing, I said to the guy "you people are just begging for government intervention in your business and I'd be willing to bet you're going to get it before all is said and done." He said they figured that was in the works and that they were trying to make as much money as they could before they were shut down.
Anyway, see if there is a no-call database in your state. Ours costs five dollars for two years. I have a problem with there being a cost, but five dollars I can stand in order not to have to deal with telemarketers.
I do the same thing, Francois.
In here Canada, eh, we simply need to tell them, "No thank you and never call here again", and that is it. They never will, b/c of Canadian Law. Unfortunately, not a lot of people know about it....
They used to try to get around it by saying," Oh, you have to call this number to get off the list...", to which I just laughed and told them to do it.... and they had better not call here again. Never heard from any of them again!
Shamus
I'd have to admit, telemarketers are highly annoying.
The Tele-Zapper I heard, works like a charm.
I was also told by someone who works @ a telemarketting firm, that when you receive a call, and you notice that when you pick up to say "Hello" and you don't hear anything initially, it's probably a voice activated calling program. You have to say "Hello" the second time for it to prompt the telemarketer to rattle of their spiel.
She told me: if no one responds upon the first "Hello", hit the [#] on your phone 1 or 2X. It messes with their computerized dialing.
I have done this a couple of times, and it seems to have worked. I press the # key once or twice, then hang-up.
Recently I had a telemarketer who DID NOT/WOULD NOT listen.
I hung up on her.
"Is Mr. or Mrs...Dumbo there?" , "No, I killed them sorry".
