How do you handle cold calls for donations on phone?

I dislike all these calls, but I dislike the calls in support of politician even more. Just another example of them exempting themselves from the rules they make for others to play by. If it is a political call, I tell them if 'I receive another call from your client I will vote against them'. For others I tell the to put me on their do not call list.
 
you could probably stop them in their tracks if you asked them in a low, breathy voice:

"I'm really glad you called. What are you wearing right now?..." :whistle:
 
easysurfer said:
1) Caller ID showed the number as "unavailable"

2) The call happened late at night (about 8:45 pm)


...When I said, no, I can't afford it, she said no problem, the donation would only be $15, and is tax deductible...
Click to expand...
The caller ID I have either flags the caller as "Unavailable" or "Out of Area". Either way it tells me it is a telemarketer and I do not answer. I just let the answer machine screen the calls.
Unless they indicate that there is a convenient credit card payment method, or ask you to put a personal check in your postal mailbox or front door for pickup for your contribution, the call was probably legit.
But always unwanted, as far as I'm concerned. :cool:
 
freebird5825 said:
The caller ID I have either flags the caller as "Unavailable" or "Out of Area". Either way it tells me it is a telemarketer and I do not answer. I just let the answer machine screen the calls.
Click to expand...
If I don't recognize who it is on caller ID, I almost never pick up. If it's someone I know (but caller ID doesn't show that), they can start leaving a message for me and I'll pick up.
 
Have Fun

I think you gotta have a little fun. If I do get stuck on a call like that, I tell them I'm really interested and ask if they can hold for a sec. Then I hang up. It wastes a lot of their time. I also like to shred credit card applications and put them into the return envelope so they have to pay return postage.
 
Pete said:
I think you gotta have a little fun. If I do get stuck on a call like that, I tell them I'm really interested and ask if they can hold for a sec. Then I hang up. It wastes a lot of their time. I also like to shred credit card applications and put them into the return envelope so they have to pay return postage.
Click to expand...

I do the return envelope thing for all sorts of junk mail. They should consider themselves lucky; I have one friend who will wrap up a brick, attach the return envelope to the outside and drop it in the mail.
 
Rustic23 said:
I dislike all these calls, but I dislike the calls in support of politician even more. Just another example of them exempting themselves from the rules they make for others to play by. If it is a political call, I tell them if 'I receive another call from your client I will vote against them'. For others I tell the to put me on their do not call list.
Click to expand...


Good one! I'd use this IF I got a human. Instead I'm getting computer calls from politicians in Chicago every election on my CELL, and I don't even live there (just have a Chicago area code on the cell). Frustrating.
Plus, who would be swayed to vote for a politician from a computer call asking you to vote for X:confused: Not exactly that "personal" touch is it?:nonono:
 
spncity said:
But if my university calls me, I'll give them something every time.
Click to expand...

I heard of someone who would usually respond to such calls 'When I go to Sears to buy a fridge, I don't expect them to call me back asking for donations'.

Hang up sounds like a proper response to me... even though the folks are forced or choose the job of annoying and disturbing people at home, I don't think you should be wasting your precious time on listening to them.
 
Pete said:
I think you gotta have a little fun. If I do get stuck on a call like that, I tell them I'm really interested and ask if they can hold for a sec. Then I hang up. It wastes a lot of their time. I also like to shred credit card applications and put them into the return envelope so they have to pay return postage.
Click to expand...

A friend of mine used to do this; and, I thought it was great. She would tell whoever had called that she was really interested; but, someone was at the door so she would be right back. Then, she would set down the phone and go about her business. If she was really in a the mood, she would occasionally pick up the phone to see if they were still on; and, if so, apologize profusely then immediately fain some other task she had to attend before she would be right back. Her record was around 40 minutes. I laughed until I was in tears the first time she told me about this. This was before the days of the official Do Not Call list; but, she was rarely contacted more than once by any given organization.

Personally, I always kept my ringer turned off and would just periodically check my answering machine when I had a land line. Now, I do pretty much the same with my cell phone's voice mail; but, I will occasionally answer the cell if I notice a call coming in and it is a name from my address book (rather than a phone number, unknown, etc.) on the screen.
 
smjsl said:
... even though the folks are forced or choose the job of annoying and disturbing people at home, I don't think you should be wasting your precious time on listening to them.
Click to expand...

Exactly. And if you do engage them, even momentarily, they win. No matter how "right" you are in any argument you present, it will have absolutely no affect other than to anger you. They win because his or her real job is to stop you from hanging up so they can develop a "relationship"... of any kind.
 
I never answer calls I don't recognize with Caller ID and they rarely ever leave a message. If I break that rule, my standard response is to immediately interrupt them and say, this number does not accept any solicitations, please remove me from your list.

Unfortunately, the do not call law makes an exception for charity calls and surveys so they can call with impunity. I just assume the risk of fraud is too great to deal with these types of solicitations. How do I know they are legit, even if I were interested.
 
No thank you. Please take me off your list.
Click...
 
For any junk calls, I like to immediately mute the sound (from my end) and put the call on speaker phone--I figure that has at least a little financial impact in that it keep the person from calling someone else for a minute or two, and maybe the time on the line costs them (I know it probably doesn't, but I like to pretend).

There are some hilarious comments in the boiler room at the other end sometimes.

Occasionally I get a call that starts like this:

me: Hello?
caller recording: Please hold while your call is transferred. [wait, I didn't call them!]
me: (mute/speaker technique outlined above)
 
I enjoy a little banter with them. First, I will ask if they are a professional fund raiser. Usually, the answer is yes. I will then inquire as to what percentage of my donation they will keep as a fundraiser and what percentage goes to charity. They are required to give you this info. If the newbie on the other end doesn't know, I'll press the question until he gets someone who has the answer. Don't be surprised if the fundraiser is keeping upwards of 70%. After putting them thru the paces, I'll politely say no thank you. My recollection is that these calls are permissable as late as 9PM. And one final thing . . . I'll instruct them to put me on the 'do not call' list, something they must do by law.
 
Hershey102 said:
First, I will ask if they are a professional fund raiser. Usually, the answer is yes. I will then inquire as to what percentage of my donation they will keep as a fundraiser and what percentage goes to charity. They are required to give you this info. If the newbie on the other end doesn't know, I'll press the question until he gets someone who has the answer. Don't be surprised if the fundraiser is keeping upwards of 70%.
Click to expand...
In my experience, the ones claiming to represent police and fire benevolence associations are the worst in that regard. Many of them have administrative costs of nearly 80%. Yet they try to make it sound like they are like the usual police and fire charities, the kind that locally hold the "fill the boot" drives with off-duty firefighters collecting for local charities and such. No thanks.
 
We get very, very few unwanted calls. Years ago, it used to be a big problem. But for the past few years, they are almost non-existant.

We really haven't done much intentionally to stop calls, but pleasantly the harrassment is near zero.

1. We have one landline and two cell phones. We give the cellphone numbers out to only friends, relatives and others we want to hear from or to have access to us.

2. Our landline number is unlisted. We do give it out for business use. Example: ordered a new over-the-range microwave from Sears last week. Gave them the landline number for the installer to call. We have an answering machine on the landline and keep the ringer turned off except when we're expecting a call. Example: I'll probably turn the ringer on the day the microwave installer is due to show up.

3. All three phones are on the do-not-call list.

4. Before I started using the answering machine as a screener on the landline, we did ask to be put on charitable organizations' do-not-call lists when they called.

Not sure if anything we're doing is responsible, but with the exception of a couple of political computer calls (quickly deleted from the answering machine) at the last election, we just don't get bothered.

It's a pleasant change.
 
I'm sorry but I have decided to give to only one charity so I can make a significant impact. Your charity is not that one. And please take me off your call list as I don't take charity requests over the phone. If they persist after that...click..errrrrrrrrrr.
 
If I see on the caller ID that it is a telemarketer or charity call I am not interested in, I answer the phone "Fire Department" or "Library" or "your town jail". They apologize for having the wrong number and almost never try again.
 
mark500 said:
If I see on the caller ID that it is a telemarketer or charity call I am not interested in, I answer the phone "Fire Department" or "Library" or "your town jail". They apologize for having the wrong number and almost never try again.
Click to expand...
"9-1-1, what's your emergency?" :LOL:
 
mark500 said:
If I see on the caller ID that it is a telemarketer or charity call I am not interested in, I answer the phone "Fire Department" or "Library" or "your town jail". They apologize for having the wrong number and almost never try again.
Click to expand...
Oh, I loooooove this one. :cool:
My devious mind is going at full steam here... :whistle:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

jollystomper
Financial Advice Columnist falls for $50K scam
4 5 6
Replies
134
Views
11K
Koolau
Koolau
S
Fraudulent Chase credit card call
Replies
23
Views
2K
freedomatlast
F
Midpack
  • Poll
Poll: How Many Scam Cold Calls Do You Get Per Day?
2 3
Replies
59
Views
2K
GenXguy
GenXguy
PaunchyPirate
Helping an elderly parent stay on top of their financial accounts
Replies
24
Views
999
1242Vintage
1
M
New Car Dealer REQUIRES Financing
2 3
Replies
62
Views
4K
Aramis
Aramis

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom