The One Sentence to Get Telemarketers Off the Phone
Having a phone automatically means receiving calls from telemarketers. Registering on the Do Not Call list helps a little but what about the ones who call anyway?
Is there a way to get them off the phone and stopping them from contacting you in the future?
The answer is yes.
Ask them this question:
“CAN YOU MAIL ME OUT YOUR PRIVACY AND OPT-OUT POLICIES, PLEASE?”
The very simple question indicates you are serious about not being contacted and now that you have requested it, the company is under obligation to send it to you. If they don’t send it to you, they are liable for further action.
Your request of their privacy and opt-out policy also means you have a hard copy of your request to not be contacted, a record of the date you requested the policy, when you were called, and when you requested to be taken off the list.
If the calls still continue after your request, you can take further action against them.
WHILE WE’RE TALKING ABOUT PHONE CALLS, if you are getting a lot of phone calls from an unknown number in a foreign country, think twice before picking up or calling back.
If you don’t know anyone in Latvia or Africa, don’t answer the phone or call back.
The scam is called “wangiri”, loosely translated from a Japanese word that means “one ring and cut”.
The scammer hopes you call them back because you’ll rack up a hefty bill as the number you are calling is a premium line similar to the psychic hotlines and sex lines that cost you a small fortune.
PROTECT YOURSELF
- Ignore any unexpected missed or received call from an international number you don’t recognise
- Block the number of any repeated missed calls
- Block international calls on mobiles used by children so they don’t accidentally call
Scammers prey on the vulnerable, so when in doubt, don’t answer the phone.
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