Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Everything Else => Topic started by: BobA on December 15, 2002, 10:40:04 am
-
I hate telemarketing so I was looking for a circuit to generate the disconnect tones rather then pay for a nameless telemarketing zapper. During my search I found that a knowledgeable person has posted a web site with WAV files so now I don't have to build the circuit. Apparently these tones are actually sold on Ebay. Much like those who sell other free ROMS etc.
Here is one site that seems to explain the process well. These tones and your answering machine give you a free telemarketing killer.
http://home.attbi.com/~dakine/defeat.htm (http://home.attbi.com/~dakine/defeat.htm)
Thought the people in this forum would be interested in the simplicity of this process.
PS I used the single tone and have not had it on the machine long enough to tell you how well it works yet.
BobA
-
My brother did this with his answering machine and said the number of telemarketers leaving messages has dropped to zero. I haven't bothered myself because I don't get very many in the first place.
-
I have been using the tone for about a week now and it does make a difference. The calls have not dropped to zero but they have reduced by about 50 percent. I suspect that leaving it on for a month will get rid of all of the computer dialed calls but there are still a number of manually dialled calls.
I have call display so I have tagged most of the telemarket numbers with an identifier on my call display unit before I tried the tone. This did not stop the calls however as they kept calling but this trick seems to work great. Since I have call display I can visually screen all my calls when I am home and let the answering machine zap those that I do not recognize. Regular calls do not even hear the tone as I pick them up before the answering machine triggers.
Overall I will give the method my recommendation. Give it 4 stars out of 5 for performance and 5 out of 5 for cost.
BobA
-
4 weeks now and last week I got only 1 telemarketing call. My opinion is it works.
BobA
-
Nah I enjoy telemarketing calls...
When they start their sales pitch.. I say with great enthusiasm.. "HEY THAT SOUNDS GREAT, I'm real interested but can you hold on a minute someone is at the door"
then just set the phone down on the coffee table and see how long they wait :P
-
I get too many nuisance calls also, I don't even answer the phone anymore. A month ago I added the zap tone to my answering machine, the callers hang up right away sometimes. I'm not sure how well it works because I don't know how good my recording of the tone is. Those sneeky telemarketers will probably wise up and need more than one tone to fool their machines soon.
-
BobA-
Thanks for the post. I did this right before Christmas....the difference was noticeable right away...but my wife and I thought the reduction in calls was due to it just being after the holidays. I wanted to be as objective as possible. Well, it's been almost a month now and our calls have dropped to nearly zero...from at least 2-6 per week to maybe 2 since trying this. It works great b/c we have caller ID and let any "blocked" or "Unknown" go to the machine. Before, we were just put back in the queue to be recalled, now it seems like we're "free". Thanks for sharing.
-
Cool info. Thanks!
-
You guys do know there is an easier way?! There is a do not call list. Get on that. No telemarketing calls ever. Except one from my credit card company. I told them I was on the do not call list. They apologized and never called again.
Free and works better. You phone does not even ring. The telemarketers was not what bothered me but the phone ringing at dinner time or while I was watching tv or playing a game etc.
-
Yes, but you have to trust that they are putting you on the do not call list. This method does required your phone to ring....once. Then the computer calling is told the line has been disconnected (by the signal). So no more calls...and I can control that happening, unlike the list.
Glad the list has worked for you though, and thanks for sharing....I'm sure a lot of folks don't know about that.
-
Glad it worked for someone else.
Re: the Do Not Call List. I don't think the legislation is as good in Canada so there may not be a Canadain Do Not Call List. I would like to hear from any Canadians who know if there is one.
BobA