The Bright Side of Medicare Telemarketing Calls

Telemarketing calls used to be annoying, but fun.  Caller ID tipped you off as to what was coming and the idea was to have something ready that was funny and obnoxious while also wasting a lot of the caller’s time.

There are many websites dedicated to collections of hilarious ways to respond to telemarketers.

Sadly, technology changed this and the majority of calls are now coming from computers.  That means the caller cannot appreciate your brilliant wit.

Then, something changed.  I am approaching 65 and Medicare, complete with all of its potential scammers.  This makes me a target.  Initially, you would think I should be afraid.

I’m not!

Very early in the process, it became obvious the good old days were back!  The calls are coming from REAL PEOPLE!  In the background is a cacophony of voices from whatever horrible telemarketing sweatshop they are all working in, trying to loop hapless Medicare recipients into the scam of the day.

Also, the calls tend to come in on your landline, if you still have one of these.

The first time I realized the fun was a few weeks ago.  The caller greeted me by my first name, as if we were old friends.  Without much thought, I responded, “I didn’t give you permission to call me by my first name!”  It was more an expression of annoyance on my part.

The response, however, was beyond gratifying.  He repeated my complaint back to me as a question and was clearly insulted and suddenly angry.  He continued with a series of angry phrases, along the lines of “who the F— do you think you are?  I don’t need your permission!”  It cracked me up and I laughed. This made him angrier.  He started yelling in another language and he finally disconnected the call.

“This is fun!” I realized.

I can’t wait for the next call!!!!

Side note: This is not without risk.  Fifteen years ago, I was called by a Cox Communications telemarketer after 10 PM and I expressed anger that they were calling so late.  The caller responded by signing me up, without my permission, to a very expensive Cable TV package that took days and many phone calls to cancel.

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