Unwanted cell calls

Here's what's happening. I have a pre-paid cell phone and with some regularity I'm getting calls that trace back to various communications companies/cell phone dealers. Why would they be calling my number?

No messages but it seems like a ping to see if the phone is active. Of course on a pre-paid monthly like this, each call nails me. :scowl:

Whenever I receive unwanted calls, especially on my cell phone, I act surprised and interested and then I ask the person if I may ask a question and they always say yes so I proceed to ask them for their home phone so I can call them and disturb them at multiple times during the day and night. This at least usually gets a laugh out of them and then straight to the do not call list for that particular company. Doing this may cost you a little up front for the dialogue but it seems to stop the calls.

Here is an interesting way that a man dealt with his telemarketer problem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv3UCvxUh8E
It seems real, but then again you never really know for sure what is real on the internet.

Mjolnir said:

Here is an interesting way that a man dealt with his telemarketer problem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv3UCvxUh8E
It seems real, but then again you never really know for sure what is real on the internet.

Click to expand...

I nearly pissed my pants while checking out that link!

Thanks for posting that.

I remember that tape, funny on a landline for sure.

On a pre-paid account like this, it's costing me $$ to play. Since the calls are from cellular resellers, I wondered what the reason is for the call. They cannot offer a different service contract so I'm at a loss why it's occurring. ??

RA40 said:

No messages but it seems like a ping to see if the phone is active.

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I don't quite understand ... so you're not getting actual calls, but your call record shows calls with time charged?

asdalton said:

I don't quite understand ... so you're not getting actual calls, but your call record shows calls with time charged?

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Yes.

I don't think that you have any option but to call the cell phone company and try to get the problem fixed. If they can't/won't help you, then you should stop renewing your service.

call the prepaid service and ask them why they are selling your number to companies so they can profit from them draining your call time down to nothing. Sounds almost like a scam to me.

...sounds like sprint/nextel/boost mobile to me.... lol i wish my poor nextel hadn't got bought out :mecry:

I have two good friends who are very knowledgeable about the cellphone industry. (One used to own his own cellphone store).

Both told me not to get prepaid. Way too many headaches and hidden fees with prepaid.

If your credit is good enough for a regular cellphone, consider signing a contract. If not, perhaps you have a friend or family member who'll be willing to sign up for cellular service under their own name. Then, you pay the bill every month.

When some nut-job kept calling the cellphone I had gotten for my mom, I politely asked the lady why she kept calling. She said that it had been her cell number until recently. Okay. . . Doesn't really explain why she kept calling, or even why she called the first time to begin with. There was clearly something wrong with her. I made one phone call to T-Mobile customer service, and they changed the number on my mom's cellphone. Just like that.

Not sure if that can be done with prepaid. But that would seem to be the easiest solution to the problem.

saabgoblin said:

Whenever I receive unwanted calls, especially on my cell phone, I act surprised and interested and then I ask the person if I may ask a question and they always say yes so I proceed to ask them for their home phone so I can call them and disturb them at multiple times during the day and night. This at least usually gets a laugh out of them and then straight to the do not call list for that particular company. Doing this may cost you a little up front for the dialogue but it seems to stop the calls.

Click to expand...

When a telemarketer calls my cell, the second I realize it is a telemarketer I say "Excuse me, this line is for emergency calls only" in the most serious and official sounding voice I can manage. Then I hang up immedietly.

...I have no idea if this works to deter anyone, but it's fast (and fun!).

If I get a tmarketer or charity or pol on my cell I blister their ears. I'm not normally like that, but they know they are calling a cell and it's illegal to do so. They deserve it.

The SO has Virgin Mobile prepaid after ATT for 15 years and it works quite well for her. $20 every 3 months because she doesn't use it all that much. I still have ATT and am happy with it.

The National Do Not Call list works for cellphones too. It takes a couple months to filter through all the companies but it stopped all the sales calls to my home and cellphone.

http://www.donotcall.gov