Creative ways to deal with telemarketers

- Answer the phone. As soon as you realize it is a Telemarketer, set the receiver down, shout or scream, "Oh No!!!" and then hang up.

- Tell the Telemarketer you are busy at the moment and ask him/her if he/she will give you his/her HOME phone number so you can call him/her back. When the Telemarketer explains that telemarketers cannot give out their HOME numbers you say "I guess you don't want anyone bothering you at home, right?" The Telemarketer will agree and you say, "Me, either!" Hang up.

- Ask them to repeat everything they say, several times.

- Tell them it is dinner time, BUT ask if they would please hold. Put them on your speaker phone while you continue to eat at your leisure. Smack your food loudly and continue with your dinner conversation.

- Tell the Telemarketer you are on "home incarceration" and ask if they could bring you a pizza.

- Ask them to fax the information to you, and make up a number.

- Insist that the caller is really your buddy Leon, playing a joke. "Come on Leon, cut it out! Seriously, Leon, how's your mom?"

- Tell them you are hard of hearing and that they need to speak up... louder... louder...louder...

- Tell them to talk VERY SLOWLY, because you want to write EVERY WORD down.