Call it poetic justice.
Call it karma.
Call it whatever you want. Just don’t call back.
Last night we got another call from a telemarketer. After my last little incident, I was looking for a chance to redeem myself. I answered the phone and a polite sounding gentleman on the other end of the line asked if Mr. Bybee was there.
“This is Mr. Bybee,” I said.
“Mr. Bybee, this is Jim calling on behalf of your local volunteer firefighters. Mr. Bybee, we want to thank you for all the support you’ve shown us in the past. You’re always so generous to help us out and it’s time for our annual fundraiser again and I was just wondering if it’d be all right if we get your pledge letter in the mail to you. Is that all right?“
I was very polite when I said, “Actually, we’re on the ‘Do Not Call’ list, so could you please remove our name from your list?“
Long pause. “Uh…I guess. But don’t you want to help?“
“It’s not that we don’t want to help. In fact, we’ve helped with a couple of these things in the past.” (Lane, I wasn’t about to tell him that I’d heard these kinds of calls were bogus. But I was thinking it.) “It’s just that we’ve received about a dozen of these same calls over the last month or so. Last week it was the state troopers. The week before that it was somebody else. In fact, I’m pretty sure you guys have already called here once. And all that annoys me, because we’re not supposed to receive solicitation calls in the first place.“
Another long pause.
“You know what I’m sayin’?“
“I guess.“
“So, can you please take me off your list?“
“FINE!” Click.
He hung up on me.
Jim, calling on behalf of our volunteer firemen, sounded a retaliatory shot on behalf of every telemarketer who’s ever been hung up on over the years.
I can only imagine how satisfying that must’ve felt. And now, my penance is complete.
already & not yet 
Aren’t they exempt from the “Do Not Call” list
Best part of this post was the Ghostbusters reference at the beginning.Don’t worry about it. He’s just upset because telemarketers are just the new age lepers…
I don’t know. What’s the point of a “Do Not Call” list if I’m gonna keep getting calls?
I do think the “Benevolent” and “Charity” groups are exempt from the do not call list. Also exempt from the do not call lists are anyone who you have solicited information from or bought things from (such as if you bought a tv from best buy, they could call you since you are a consumer of their products).But, regardless, with the whole emergence of email and other technology, you’d think they would come up with a less annoying way to contact you.
Is that why they always ask you for your phone number at Best Buy (or other places) when you check out? I never give them our number. I also never take them up on their offer for those free magazines. A friend of mine agreed with what you said, that those places are bogus. She had a relative that told her those places keep like 90% of the funds they raise; only about 10% goes to the cops or firemen.
I just wonder if their calls are “timed”. I have been hung up on by the State Troopers and the Fire Fighters. I would love to help any and all, but we do have a family to care of. I really wish that we did not have to have a house phone anymore. I really liked not having one.
I suppose we could always unplug it. I never knew they hung up on you, too. That surprises me. You’re way nicer than me!
Actually, Jason, the reason they ask for your number at Best Buy and Circuit City and places like that is because of the Patriot Act. The idea is that if something purchased is used in a crime, they can track the person down that way. A friend of mine that works at Circuit City told me that one time.
Well, there goes my plan to use the new Usher CD in an elaborate world-domination scheme.