Never answer unfamiliar numbers, 95% of them are criminals.

Get an answering machine that tell those remaining 5% that their number will be blocked if they don't leave a message stating their concern.

Every couple of weeks blacklist those numbers in your router.

Enjoy the silence for a couple of days until that scum get new numbers.

True enough, it doesn't absolve them...but said solutions might offer you some needed peace and quiet.

Nice anecdote, made me chuckle it did.

What, you don't buy your phones in packs of 12 like near everyone else? ;)

Don't go and get a new number either. The telcos recycle numbers, so you might end up with a number associated with way more scammers than the one you originally had.

I had a wireless modem which got its SMS inbox inundated with messages like that. Fortunately since the modem never "rang", they were easily ignored, but imagine if it was associated with another mobile!

If they spoof the caller ID, then they are probably not "telemarketing" but some kind of scam calls, like those pretending to be from a Microsoft support and want to install a trojan on your computer and get your online banking details.

Yes there is a difference between telemarketing and scam calls. If I get a proper telemarketing call, I usually say quite early in the call, kindly but firmly, that sorry I am not interested, and hang up the call. Not making any stupid excuses like that I am quite busy right now etc. because then they just say they will call back in 30 minutes when I am not as busy.

It is still their ("legit") work so I am not going to behave like a dick towards them. In a way I pity them that they have such a shitty job, I would rather sell my ass than my voice in telemarketing. Pays better too.

If it seems to be a scam call, then I don't say anything and just hang up. Better luck next time, buddy.

Considering you called the caller an "a-hole", I am not surprised they reacted negatively to you too. Not saying you shouldn't have used the a-word if it indeed was a scam call, but still understandable from the other side. He is just trying to feed his kids that he doesn't even have!

Not sure if it is an European-wide thing, but at least here you can tell the operators that you don't want telemarketing calls, after which the legit telemarketing calls will stop. But the scam calls won't because naturally they don't care of such restrictions.

The legit telemarketing calls can be quite sleazy sometimes. A relative a mine, who is too nice to say "no" firmly to telemarketers, bought a tablet and a data SIM subscription for it, with a monthly payment. She got the wrong impression that she'd get the tablet for free, which wasn't the case.

I got a similar call from the same phone operator and I also got an impression at first that I would get a free Android tablet if I continued my current mobile phone subscription with them, but I noticed the monthly payment would be higher than what I have now so I asked why was that, and then it became clear the point was that on top of my current subscription, I would order an additional data SIM and the Android tablet for an additional monthly payment.

Quite sleazy and I almost fell for it, luckily I was awake and realized it was not just the continuation of the current mobile SIM subscription but an additional "service" and fee on top of it.

Plenty of other legit jobs out there in a number of countries. Perhaps they should learn to plumb...

I don't want to be an asshole to legit telemarketers, I feel they are still real people with a pretty shitty job which are not really trying to scam you (because it would be illegal). They are not worse than say the salesman in a home appliance store who is trying to sell me a more expensive model of a dishwasher than I really need or some extra insurance for the washer that I don't really need due to our extensive consumer protection laws.

Scam callers are a different thing though, but there the safest option is to hang up ASAP.

Also as said, if you don't want telemarketing calls, at least here you can tell your operator to forbid them, after which the legit telemarketing calls will stop. Scam calls won't.

EDIT: I checked it and it is not actually your phone operator to whom you tell to block telemarketing (and other marketing), but anyways...

https://www.kkv.fi/kuluttaja-asiat/markkinointi-alennukset-ja-hinnan-ilmoittaminen/suoramarkkinointi/suoramarkkinoinnin-ja-puhelinmyynnin-kieltaminen/

I just don't have any reason to be mad at them or anything, anymore than the home appliance store salesman trying to sell me an extra insurance to a dishwasher. In both cases I just say firmly sorry not interested, and that's that. They steal maybe 5-10 seconds of my precious time there.

If after that they still try to convince me to accept it anyway, sure then I might get annoyed, but that doesn't usually seem to happen, they understand when I firmly say no.

To each his own I guess. I just feel it is more hassle for me to try to be dicks to them like keeping the line open and wasting their time because then I can't receive calls etc.

I don't do either, listening and declining or holding them on the line. I just don't answer...voicemail takes care of it all.
My point is this: most who get such jobs likely know how annoying such calls can be to people. If someone chooses to be in such a profession when they have other job options available, then there's a very good chance that they are ok with annoying people. As such, I feel little sympathy for the majority of them or if others choose to annoy them back.

I am on such a list that forbids tele marketers to call me and there is also a law in Germany that says I have to give consent before I get called by telemarketers. So I'm 99.99% sure that all calls are either from scammers or from telemarketers who try to scam me or don't respect the law.

So I don't really feel guilty in stealing their time. I even tried to tell them I won't buy anything in the past and they either reacted in a very rude way or even insulted me.

Fair enough. If they don't respect the block lists, then they get no sympathy from me.

The thing is for me, is that I don't accept that it is okay for folk selling stuff, to either visit my home or call me, not without a prior invitation or past business with them. That includes folk pedaling religion, asking for donations, etc.

And on top of that, my phone is on the Do Not Call register, so anyone calling is not worthy of respecting, because they should have checked.

I see my home as a private residence, a safe haven away from the world. And I see my personal mobile phone in the same light, mostly just for family and friends to contact, and those I have given prior permission to, or in the case of some emergency or something important.

I am not so adamant about not contacting me by post, because I can peruse that at my leisure ... or not. That is, aside from the wastage of paper and ink, so I'd rather not be contacted at all ... I will do the contacting myself at need.