# Does the Tele-Zapper Work?



## MicroE (Mar 13, 2003)

Radio Shack has been selling a product called Tele-Zapper. It is supposed to stop telemarketing calls that are made by predictive dialers (those computers that dial your number and then only connect your phone to a live salesperson after you pick up the phone).

DOES THE TELE-ZAPPER WORK?---Marc


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## Empath (Mar 13, 2003)

It does work to a certain extent. It gives the beginning tones of what the phone uses to indicate a disconnected line. The calling computer interprets the tone to mean the line is disconnected and drops the call. It does require a little adjustment in delay if you're using an answering machine. If you speak too quickly after the tone, or if the answering machine starts its recorded message to quickly, it's not as effective.

I hear there are a couple of places on the net that offer a more complete series of tones that can be downloaded, and then recorded onto your answering machine or voice mail.


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## James S (Mar 13, 2003)

I have a friend who has one and he swears by it. But it's quite annoying to people calling him up like me who get blasted by the tones before he starts speaking.

I get no sales calls at all anymore, and I don't have one of these. I simply took the time to tell each and every one of the folks that called to "Add me to your do not call list" you can't say take me off your list or anything else, you have to use those exact words. They are required by law to put you on their do not call list and they can't call you again. It works, they don't. I work at home most days and so got a lot of calls, but a week or so of making it a point to say this to everyone that called and now I get none.

You'll still get calls from political parties and from banks and such companies where you have accounts. You can't stop them, once they have a business relationship with you they are allowed to call you, and your political party is also exempt from this rule. But everyone else has to obey. 

Tell them the above, and wait on the line until they have told you that they have done it. It's worth the work, it works!


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## leddite (Mar 13, 2003)

[ QUOTE ]
*Empath said:*
It does work to a certain extent. It gives the beginning tones of what the phone uses to indicate a disconnected line. The calling computer interprets the tone to mean the line is disconnected and drops the call. It does require a little adjustment in delay if you're using an answering machine. If you speak too quickly after the tone, or if the answering machine starts its recorded message to quickly, it's not as effective.

[/ QUOTE ]

it's becoming the case, apparently, that the magic machines that the telemarketeers are using have been 'taugh' to ignore those tones now; really, to apply "better logic" to defeat your intent. there's a better way i think, see a bit further down (and cheaper too!).

[ QUOTE ]
*James S said:*
I have a friend who has one and he swears by it. But it's quite annoying to people calling him up like me who get blasted by the tones before he starts speaking.

[/ QUOTE ]

yup, they completely, totally annoy the crap out of me.

[ QUOTE ]
I get no sales calls at all anymore, and I don't have one of these. I simply took the time to tell each and every one of the folks that called to "Add me to your do not call list" you can't say take me off your list or anything else, you have to use those exact words. They are required by law to put you on their do not call list and they can't call you again. It works, they don't. I work at home most days and so got a lot of calls, but a week or so of making it a point to say this to everyone that called and now I get none.

[/ QUOTE ]

yeah, that GREATLY reduced the calls for me, except the totally automated ones (which are supposedly illegal), and have no options for callback and/or removal of any kind.

it also helps to have the junkbuster script on hand, and read them the riot act, waste their time, and evaluate if they really truly have a do not call list, that it's permanent, and doesn't expire in 6 months or a year.

also thanx to state and now national level do not call lists, that should help bunches.

[ QUOTE ]
You'll still get calls from political parties and from banks and such companies where you have accounts. You can't stop them, once they have a business relationship with you they are allowed to call you, and your political party is also exempt from this rule. But everyone else has to obey.

[/ QUOTE ]

also, don't forget charities and non-profits. they have little loopholes. like your local fire and police dept asking for money. i believe you CAN stop sa company you have a relationship with by explicity getting on their list. problem is, esp with banks, they sell that stuff, and the affiliates are allowed as well. you have to call them all. or use the thing i'll mention below - works like a charm so far. also: surveys are still allowed i believe.

"your political party is also exempt" ... well, MY political party would
never fake caller id, nor call 5 times a day, with no way to get them to
stop, cease and desist. i had three different phone company "operatives" trying to hunt down the jokers being paid to advertise a politician a while
ago, and they came to the conclusion that "these were bad times".

target.com -> search "screen machine"
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/601-2116243-7081733?asin=B00006HCIL

http://www.spectrumresearchinc.com/products.htm -> screen-machine
http://www.spectrumresearchinc.com/products_sm.htm

my local target sold those recently for $14 (now sold out there; was $50-60),
i'm expecting other targets to be clearing them out. they seem to be the
perfect gadget to make telemarketers GO away. thank goodness.

the basic gist is that you get to say your piece, without having your phone
ring, and only those people who are authorized ring through. in theory,
if someone unauthorized rings through, they've agreed to a binding contract
and you can own their asses. if you can find them.


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## saunterer (Mar 13, 2003)

Just re-record your outgoing message on your answering machine to include a Sit tone at the beginning of your message. (Basically what the telezapper does anyway.) Be sure to tell friends/family to expect this so they don't think your number has been disconnected.

Grab it here -> http://www.sandman.com/sounds/sit.wav

Have it play the Sit tone first, wait a second or two, then have your "sorry we are unable to..." message continue.

Pocket the ~$45 and buy more lights.


-- Chris


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## leddite (Mar 13, 2003)

[ QUOTE ]
*saunterer said:*
Just re-record your outgoing message on your answering machine to include a Sit tone at the beginning of your message. (Basically what the telezapper does anyway.) Be sure to tell friends/family to expect this so they don't think your number has been disconnected.

Grab it here -> http://www.sandman.com/sounds/sit.wav

Have it play the Sit tone first, wait a second or two, then have your "sorry we are unable to..." message continue.

Pocket the ~$45 and buy more lights.


-- Chris 

[/ QUOTE ]

more lights are always good...

problems ... more and more telemarketeers are ignoring the sit-tone
sequence (their new aquisition algorithm ;>) AND more annoying, it still
causes your phone to ring, and the machine to pick up and do "stuff".

i tried it for a while, and pure automated calls just left me messages
anyway. bah.

i'd rather my phone not ring at all unless a live authorized human is
calling me.

but i still want more lights /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


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## saunterer (Mar 14, 2003)

So true. But I did this for about 2 months (just loved it when the unknown caller ID's would display and would giggle like a girl when the sit tone played and call disconnected) and it filtered out about 80% of the calls. This was just a temporary thing. All that I wanted to accomplish with this, was to get off their databases that are sold and bought like we buy/sell lights.

But on a good note, my home number now is not being sold to some other telemarketing company because their database is reflecting that I've been disconnected. Plus I saved ~$45.

And finally Kansas has a do-not-call list and I haven't received a telemarketing call in months. Or until the telemarketers find a loophole in the rules. 

--Chris


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## highlandsun (Mar 16, 2003)

Cool, I'll have to go look for one of these. I got a TeleZapper two years ago, before they started doing TV commercials. It seemed to work at first, with the number of calls steadily dropping, but lately I've been noticing more and more calls on my Caller-ID display from repeat callers.


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## lightnix (Mar 16, 2003)

Here in the UK we have a thing called the Telephone Preference Group. All you have to do is register with them and telemarketing people are not allowed to call you /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif In fact, anyone with a telemarketing department has to route their calls through a system which tells them which numbers are barred - Heaven /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif A similar system exisys for junk snail mail and I believe there is something planned for spam as well.


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## The_LED_Museum (Mar 16, 2003)

I saw an "expose" about the Tele-Zapper on KCPQ-13 TV here last summer, and the people who tested it claimed it worked. 
Of course, I'm on a dial-up internet account that's up from the time I get up to the time I hit the sack, so telemarketers only get a busy signal if they try to call me.


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## snakebite (Mar 16, 2003)

most of the predictive dialers now ignore sit tones.
for awhile i had so many telemerketers calling on my data line that i would leave the modem on in auto answer mode.
funny to hear the hello hello? mixed in with modem screech.
they soon tired of this and it is rare to get any call on that line.


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## shankus (Mar 16, 2003)

What, Exactly, does the screen machine do? I read a lot of reviews on target's website, and the product descripiton, and I still have no idea....


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## leddite (Mar 17, 2003)

[ QUOTE ]
*shankus said:*
What, Exactly, does the screen machine do? I read a lot of reviews on target's website, and the product descripiton, and I still have no idea.... 

[/ QUOTE ]

this is what happens:

o a call comes in
o the unit typically will snag it on the first ring, unless you need
the caller-id pass through, your phone WILL not ring, your answering
machine will not pickup.
o it plays a greeting tone (not a sit as far as i know)
o it will then play a message; default, or anything you want
but basically it should say:
o if you are a telemarketer/solicitor: put me on your no call list
o if you are a charity, non-profit, and so forth: put me on your no call
list, send me physical paper mail instead.
o if you are friend, family, or *invited business guest* press *5* to
continue. if you are a solictor and press *5* you will be liable for
$1500 per call in a court of law.
o that is all
o automated machines typically just hang up, if they are monitored by a
human, they should will put you on the no call list; bottom line: your
phone doesn't ring.
o charities will send you junk mail via mail if that was your request.
o friends/family/etc will make your phone ring.

that's about it. your phone will NOT ring, unless someone performs a
deliberate step of pushing another button to make that happen. presumably
a telemarketer COULD program their machiens to do that, but then they are
technically liable to you (esp if the message is a worded as a contract)


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## Lurker (Mar 17, 2003)

The screen machine sounds like a powerful tool, but the cost is the annoyance to your legitimate callers. I don't want to call my friends and family and get a recording that I have to press menu buttons to get through. That's what I call my bank for.

I have used the telezapper with great success. I have it set to the lower setting which only emits one short beep similar to the beep an answering machine emits to signal the recording mode. This does not delay a legit call or annoy a legit caller (very much - not as much as a screen machine would). If people notice it at all, they ask what it is and think it is neat and want one for themselves. 

It has reduced my telemarketing calls to almost zero. If one very rarely gets through I ask to be put on thier "do not call list" and that takes care of it. Putting a recorded beep on your answering machine message would probably be the next best strategy, but that wouldn't work when you answer the phone before the answering machine picks up or when you switch over to call waiting (the telezapper works in those situations). Still, to save the $20 it is worth it and would work well enough to get you off of the lists eventually. If you have voicemail, you will need to go with the recorded beep method.

I have not noticed any diminishing effectiveness of my telezapper yet. The predictive dialers may figure out their way around it eventually, but by then the laws may be better and/or there may be new telezappers available. Frankly I don't know why our lawmakers allow these idiots to make one more legal call.

If you are interested in getting a telezapper, I'd give it a thumbs-up. To be honest, I think it is overpriced for the minimal amount of technology involved, but still well worth it for the benefits it provides. 

I tried using only the "do not call list" request method for a long time and had very good success when I used to answer my phone all the time, but then I got married and moved and changed my telephone habits to letting the answering machine screen all the calls. The telemarketers started calling again. Eventually they got to the point that they would hit my answering machine over and over again every 10 minutes or so sometimes. That was when I got the telezapper. The only problem is that it doesn't work against my sister-in-law's incessant calling.


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## leddite (Mar 17, 2003)

[ QUOTE ]
*Lurker said:*
The screen machine sounds like a powerful tool, but the cost is the annoyance to your legitimate callers. I don't want to call my friends and family and get a recording that I have to press menu buttons to get through. That's what I call my bank for.
...
The only problem is that it doesn't work against my sister-in-law's incessant calling. 

[/ QUOTE ]

well, the advantage for me, is that my phone doesn't ring, at all, unless
it's a "real call". after the first time, real callers know to just whack
the 5 button. not too bad all things considered for the sound of silence.
for $14, worth every penny.

also, most people who REALLY want to call me, do so during the day on my
work phone, or if i'm out and about, the cell phone. the home phone is
strictly for my convenience, certainly not the marketeers :>

for your sister in law, all i can suggest is caller-id and not picking up,
or perhaps a technology solution that fakes a disconnected # :>


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