> I don't understand the obligation people feel to engage in unsolicited meetings and conversations.
If they get you on the line, you're going to fight against a professional liar on an uphill territory made of cultural norms and basic politeness. Turns out disengaging from a conversation isn't easy. But how do they get you on the line in the first place?
Like anyone, you probably have frequent periods of time when you have a lot of errands in progress. Maybe you've ordered a bunch of things on-line, booked a trip, just sent documents to your accountant, and posted your car for sale. Any of these can face roadblocks that generate a phone call. In such periods of time, you'll be more likely to pick up that unknown number calling in, because maybe it's one of the vendors calling with an issue that can either be resolved in 30 seconds on the phone, or 2 days via e-mail.
For the bad actors (marketers), it's a numbers game. Personally, I also don't take calls from numbers I don't know... except whenever I run any kind of errand remotely, which is when they usually manage to catch me (only for me to wait until they tell me what they want, at which point I hang up).
I do this to some extent. Usually if they get me on the line, I have them wait, then come back after a few minutes, then have them wait, pretend I can't hear them well, pretend I don't understand their questions, etc. It's a bit of a burden, but kind of fun. But really my reasoning is that if they weren't on the phone with me, someone who won't fall for their scam, they would be on the phone with someone more likely to fall for their scam, so better me waste some of my time and have a little fun than the next person losing a bunch of money to a scam.
If you answer the call at all you will be put on the "Answers calls" list and sold to the next company. It's a way of cleaning calling lists from dead numbers.
>. In such periods of time, you'll be more likely to pick up that unknown number calling in, because maybe it's one of the vendors calling with an issue that can either be resolved in 30 seconds on the phone, or 2 days via e-mail.
I haven't picked up an unsolicited phone call or answered the door in 25 years and I never had a problem with it.
If they get you on the line, you're going to fight against a professional liar on an uphill territory made of cultural norms and basic politeness. Turns out disengaging from a conversation isn't easy. But how do they get you on the line in the first place?
Like anyone, you probably have frequent periods of time when you have a lot of errands in progress. Maybe you've ordered a bunch of things on-line, booked a trip, just sent documents to your accountant, and posted your car for sale. Any of these can face roadblocks that generate a phone call. In such periods of time, you'll be more likely to pick up that unknown number calling in, because maybe it's one of the vendors calling with an issue that can either be resolved in 30 seconds on the phone, or 2 days via e-mail.
For the bad actors (marketers), it's a numbers game. Personally, I also don't take calls from numbers I don't know... except whenever I run any kind of errand remotely, which is when they usually manage to catch me (only for me to wait until they tell me what they want, at which point I hang up).