Originally posted by PayItForward
This advice is a bit late.

If anyone rings our house and I don't recognise the voice. I ask/insist on knowing who is calling from what firm, before I tell them if me or Steve is in. If the company is unwanted like double glazing sales man. I ask them how they got our number (as it is ex-directory) and I want to speak to their manager.

It's your phone, you don't have to answer their questions. I am always polite but firm. It is understandable that our phone has been crossed off loads of sale lists and we are hardly getting any sales calls now. Hurrah
That is what I do as well. At the first or second question I ask, they are more than likely to just hang up. However, if I recognize that this is a telemarketer, I just say, *I am not interested, and hang up.* Also if any charity calls asking for a donation, I politely say that I do not make donations through telephone solicitation. I don't care how worthy the organization may be. I never want my name to get on a list of people who respond to this type of solicitation.