7 Tips for Avoiding Annoying Robocalls

We've all been through it: despite placing our phone number on the National Do Not Call list, we still receive unwanted phone calls soliciting everything from a newspaper subscription, to carpet cleaning. While registering on the do not call list is an essential first step, numerous companies do not abide by its rules and others are exempted from it, for various reasons. If you feel the calls are not warranted, you can file a complaint with the CRTC. But remember: charities you've supported in the past, companies you have a relationship with, and newspapers are all permitted to dial you up whenever, for whatever reason.

While there is currently no foolproof way for consumers to stop these calls except for changing telephone numbers, we've pulled together seven steps you can take to prevent the calls from coming:

They're obviously not foolproof, but they're better than nothing...

1. Keep your number to yourself – Any time you divulge your telephone number to a retailer, financial institution or other business, it is a tacit invitation for them to call that number or sell it to a third party. Robocaller databases may be augmented by telephone numbers sold by a third party.

2. Tell companies you use to buzz off
As I mentioned above, it's not illegal for a business to make marketing calls if you have a relationship with them. So read the terms and conditions for your purchases and services carefully. Buried in those agreements might be a clause agreeing to these annoying calls.
If you find out too late that you agreed to their spam, you can still stop it by specific request. (I just haven't because I'm both lazy and amused by the fact they haven't given up after two years of no response.) Call them, keep a record of the date you made the request, and follow up with the CRTC if the business keeps harassing you.

3. Hang up right away
Often a marketing call will begin with a second or two of silence. When you hear that tell-tale sound, (or lack of sound), just hang up. It's rude and ther's no reason to stay on the line, since you know what's coming. "There is nothing to gain from attempting to reason with the people behind the calls," the BBB says. You can try to black the calls through your service provider, but many of these Caller ID numbers are falsified anyhow.

4. Don't press numbers
In the past, many people have recommended certain number combinations or the pound key to delete yourself from a robocall registry. Here's an example that appeared on the productivity blog Lifehacker. But does pressing the right numbers actually get you taken off the list? The BBB says no, you're actually making it worse: "By pressing a number, you are confirming that someone is actually responding to the call, and you will likely receive more of them." This seems like something that maybe would've worked at some point, but scammers have gotten smarter and improved their systems.

5. Get on Canada's Do Not Call List
Sign up for the national Do Not Call List (DNCL). Whether you have a cell phone or a landline, this free service will block your number from law-abiding solicitors for as long as it's on the list.

6. File a complaint
If you've been on the Do Not Call Registry for a month or longer and still get calls, file a complaint with the DNCL. This may seem like a waste of time, but it doesn't take long and sometimes enough complaints can get policy changed. – that's how most robo-calling got banned in 2009, and it probably spurred the FTC's decision to hold a summit in October. Sometimes it fines violators. If the call comes from an identifiable business, you should also report it to the Better Business Bureau.

7. Block political calls
Election season brings more telemarketing than usual, and these calls are excluded from the do-not-call rules. In the U.S. citizen groups are trying to get the calls banned, but in Canada there is no such movement so far. In the wake of the recent robocall scandals one might hope that a campaign would get going.

RELATED ARTICLES:
How to Fight Telemarketers Who Hide Their Numbers
Treat Unknown Callers as You Would Strangers