For several weeks once I wrote down all the information I could get from my phone, plus date/ time, etc and filed a complaint on the national do not call site. Then I discovered no one does anything with all that info. It is for statistical purposes only.

On our state(Mass) do not call site I can file a complaint which apparently is an actual criminal complaint. I didn't do that then but I'm at the point of doing it soon.

Those calls are so irritating.

I have learned that if you stay on the line about one minute, it tell you that if you do not wish to have any more calls,
press (& then it tells me which # to press). I have not had a call since I have done this with several calls.
Marilyn

Ditto for sure on that one.

I use only a cell, no land line. Any "private", 800#, or other number I don't recognize is allowed to go to voice mail. I can check the call in a few minutes and if it's something I need to take, I can call them back or listen to the message. Been on the no-call-list for years and I *never* have sales calls!

Jan in VA

Once when I was in my mid twenties (which was before answering machines and caller ID, I was awakened at 8am on a Saturday morning by the phone ringing. Now, I was a little more wild back then and had been out extremely late with my girlfriends. I raced to the phone as I had older parents. When I answered the phone, a very perky women greeted me. (She OBVIOUSLY had not been out until early morning with her friends!). She was selling cemetery plots. After about 30 seconds of her speel, I interrupted her and told her if she ever called my number again at 8am on a Saturday morning, she was the one who was going to need a cemetery plot! There was dead silence on the other end of the phone and I hung up. Never heard from that company again!

I usually just let the answering machine get the call. Sometimes, I hit the talk button, lay the phone down and continue on with whatever I'm doing...watching tv, washing dishes, sewing. Then I eventually hang up the phone. Sure has relieved my stress level to do this. haha I think I said this on here the other day, if they ask for my husband, I tell them I'm just the housekeeper and they hang up on me! haha

I've got a couple of companies that call a lot. I getting rudder and rudder. It leaves me upset.
According to my husband, the companies are local but they've moved the call center off-shore so the call protection plans can't be enforced. And NO I DON"T WANT MY DUCTS CLEANED.
MaryKatherine

Our friends/family call us at our cell phone #s.
Except for calls from our doctors, the only calls I received on my home phone were telemarketing. Why pay for that?
So I gave our doctors my cell phone # and decided to have the home phone disconnected. As of May 22, I will have no home phone #.(in this area you have to wait 30 days to have your home phone disconnected)

My husband also used to have fun with these callers.
Now he limits himself to political calls. He can tell who they are and which way they are leaning and answers the opposite of what they would like.
I hate all these calls. Even the charities. If I want to donate money (which we do) then we contact them; they don't have to call us.
We get a lot of calls from states! Caller ID will say, "State of Florida" or "State of Oregon". I never knew a state could talk or make a phone call! I wonder what their voices sound like, since I don't pick up! ha-ha

By the way, Ranger, they are now calling cell phones!

Even though I am on the "DO NOT CALL LIST" I get several calls a day....and it's my fault! Banks, credit card companies, insurance companies, etc. have the right to share my information unless otherwise advised.

To opt out I have to send "Cease & Desist" letters to every company where I have given my information. The notifications come perhaps once a year and are in small print stating the privacy policy of the company and specific address of where to send a cease order. The notices come separately or with a lot of papers along with a bill.(Information has been sold numerous times already.)

Contests and online ordering also have a box somewhere on the form to check if more information is desired or if you would like to receive special offers from their partners.

I've done this to myself and now I have to live with it!!!!!