No means no, even if you're the phone company I'm stuck with.

[vakkotaur]

A few nights ago I answered the phone and started to get a spiel about offerings from the phone company I already have for local call, long distance (but never use as that's what Vonage is for) and DSL. I hung up on them, saying that I already did business with them. Of course, they know that, as it lets them exploit that loophole in the No Call List law.

Monday evening I got a call and checked the caller ID. It was listed as an 800 number so I was suspicious. I did answer, but said nothing. And I heard absolute silence. No office background, no call center background, no ambient noise at all. Eventually the call was dropped as the automated dialer system didn't get a signal.

Last night I got another call, which also showed as an 800 number. I answered again, and waited a bit. Then I said something like "quantum physics" and that was enough to trip the automation to switch and the spiel was on. When there was a pause and I was asked about things, I replied that I was just about to call and cancel their service. A moment of stunned silence was music to me. "Why? Switching to cell?" "Well, $TELCO keeps calling me whenever I'm in the middle of something." It is claimed that I am now on their own Do Not Solicit list, but really, how stupid does someone have to be to call a customer and sell at them when they are on the state and national Do Not Call lists? Doing business with them because they are the only choice in town does not mean I'm inviting them to sell at me.

I halfway expect I'll get another call tonight despite the claim. I'm not sure if I'll answer it and squawk about that, or just let it go to the answering machine.

Comments

[borderpilot.livejournal.com]

you should have just continued to say "quantum physics" throughout the entirity of the phonecall.

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

If they call again, that or close to it might just happen.