I have been receiving those annoying telemarketing calls for some time now. My number is on the national DNC list, I have asked to be taken off, and I have tried erotic conversations with the live people on the other end. Nothing seamed to work. Sure they would stop calling for a couple of weeks but then it would start back up. Each time a different number in a different state. What a total pain.
I spend countless hours searching the web for a solution when one day I found the most brilliant solution. Here is what I found.
When the computer call you number it waits for you to say hello, listens for a voicemail message or simple just hears it ring. All these are signs of a live number. What the computer call is also listening for is the tone and beeps of a disconnected number. That way it will drop your number from its database of numbers.
SOLUTION:
Download or record the disconnected beep tone. Play it back thru your speakers with you phone held up to it when you are recording you voicemail message. When the telemarketing computer calls send it to voicemail and it will hear the disconnected number tone / beeps. Your number will be removed from their list.
Now this might take a few times but I have not had a call in 3 weeks.
Tone can be heard here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_information_tones
Has anyone else had this problem or another solution?