LIFE HACK: The 11 magical words that will get a telemarketer off the phone.

Telemarketers have a job to do. They are also not easy people to get off the phone when you really want to be, say, doing anything else than hearing about insulation.

Whether they’re asking about your current phone plan, or gauging your interest in getting life insurance, these phonecalls can be challenging. The worst part? The best telemarketers are like Energiser bunnies that never say die.

They’re persistent. And for the most part, they can be somewhat annoying.

As soon as you think to yourself, “Oh, how very lovely! My life has been blissfully uninterrupted by questions about my water and gas bills!” – BAM – a telemarketer calls and keeps you on the line until your afternoon and entire week is ruined. I swear, telemarketers are psychic. They are secret psychics.

You only need to watch this clip from The Simpsons to feel the emotional trauma of having a telemarketer call (post continues after video).

Never fear, the people of Reddit have a fail-safe solution on how to get rid of the pesky callers for good. That’s right, your afternoons will be telemarketer free forevermore. Unexpectedly, you have a dude called ‘Metal-Phoenix’ to thank.

The trick? Saying these 11 magical words.

“Can you mail me your privacy and opt-out policies, please?”

But why, oh WHY does this work, Metal-Phoenix?

“It tells the calling telemarketer that you are serious about not calling you again. As soon as you request those items, they are supposed to actually mail them to you. If they don’t, there are other legal steps you can take that can let you yank money out of them.”

You see, Frustrated Reader, the special request to see the company’s policies also means you have a record of the date they called you. And recorded info = GOOOOOOD NEWS if said telemarketing company decide to be total jerkwads and violate your request to not be called again.

“Once you make this request, they get a certain number of “Oops, you’re really not off our call list” accidents within a year. (I think the limit is once, somebody chime in here). If they violate that, you can yank money out of them.”

There’s no need to raise your voice, or stir-up a temper. Asking for the company’s opt-out policy instantly shows them that you know your stuff and should not be messed with.

It’s so simple. It’s so effective.

Somebody hand this man a beer.

What are your experiences with telemarketers?

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