They'll learn eventually

[Mr Hero]

I love those responses in the first post! I used to get car warrenty calls, which is odd because I don't see well enough to drive. I would love to try one of these responses next time I get a call.

[wagegoth]

Testing calls? What are those?

The autodialers ring numbers in order to see if they are in operation. So they would ring, usually, until either the call went to voicemail or someone answered, then they hang up. Since I'm a secretary, I have multiple numbers on my phone, and I could hear additional phones on the floor ringing, and all the calls were coming from the same number.

[ralerin]

For some calls, I picked up the phone and hit the # key repeatedly and then hung up. For others, I picked up the phone and said nothing until the other person spoke, until I told them "sorry, we do not donate to charities, especially those who solicit over the phone. We don't do surveys either. Don't call again". Click.

[Ryooshi]

They are called test calls? The bane of my existence. I get calls from them sometimes five times a day. Different numbers all under 'toll free service'.
I find it upsetting that no one can stop these calls, even if they are harassing. At the worst we were getting them six times and as late as 9:30 pm.

[Primer]

Lately, I've taken to telling the "Credit Card Services" callers that I don't have a credit card, but y'all have just given me an idea. They want to reduce my interest rates? Fine, but to do that, they would have to pay me. I pay off my balance every month, so my effective rate is 0%. Now, to go come up with a script...

[Ben_Who]

After an ocean of sales calls to the business number from a variety of different places, my mother once answered the business line, "Hello, Sue's Whorehouse, it's a business doing pleasure with you. How many in your party?"

That, apparently, cut the calls by about half. Of course, I only have her word for it.

[fireheart]

After an ocean of sales calls to the business number from a variety of different places, my mother once answered the business line, "Hello, Sue's Whorehouse, it's a business doing pleasure with you. How many in your party?"

I will have to remember that for my friend

Variations on that could involve your local strip club

[HappyFun Ball]

I had a roommate with a really deep, booming voice who'd answer the phone when he was sure it was a telemarketer "Maggie's whorehouse, Maggie speaking."

[Evandril]

I'm active duty military, and once had a insurance salesperson promise to offer me a lower price for my medical insurance...They weren't happy when, after getting them to confirm they would definitally be able to offer me a better deal, I asked them how much they were going to pay me. After ALOT of hemming and hawing, and me seriously playing the 'you promised x!' card, I let 'em off the hook...For some reason, they haven't called back yet

I did get a 'refinance your morgage' call at work...they declined my offer of determining how much the entire base was worth