Not being able to see someone works
both ways.

Your dilema is caused by the many faceless 'number withheld' morons who call us as we're sitting down to our spaghetti bolognese at 7.30 PM wanting to sell us Windows, then putting the phone down on us when we're less than enhusiastic, but apparently interpreting that as 'Seems interested, call again tomorrow'.
( Not Pineapple anymore, Fri 3 Sep 2010, 11:05, 3 replies)

i now enjoy getting these types of calls...
...i try to be as massively enthusiastic about the product as i can conjure up, theatrically so. they are initially buoyed by the positivity and i try not to make it sound sarcastic, i use phrases like 'that sounds awesome, tell me more!' and 'unbelievable! how can you do that for so little?'. sometimes i decide that for comedy effect to answer their questions with responses that don't make any sense at all and asking them to repeat what they said 15 times in a row... make a game of it and it doesn't annoy you any more...

or sign up to the telephone preference service and get no calls like this...
(Ross McBingobangobongo bingobangobongo, Fri 3 Sep 2010, 12:30, closed)

.
Actually I don't even have a phone connected to my land line now, I just use my mobile. I don;t even know what my home number is, but then nobody else does, apart from marketers.

The other way to get rid of them is to just say 'No, sorry, not interested. But while you're on, can I tell you about Jesus?'. Doesn't stop them calling back, of course . . .
( Not Pineapple anymore, Fri 3 Sep 2010, 13:59, closed)

I think we should invent something
involving a rape alarm and a power amp wired to the phone. That should teach them. Probably illegal though.
( idonthaveafunnynickname Drink-Aware? Sure. I'm aware I want another drink., Fri 3 Sep 2010, 12:51, closed)

No court would convict

( Hdjejjwsjdjjf LOOK, Sat 4 Sep 2010, 1:22, closed)

One phone with hands-free plus one cordless phone with hands-free
The throbbing wail that results depends on the distance between the two phones, but it's probably as loud as a phone can get.
( eXOBeX, Mon 6 Sep 2010, 2:11, closed)

the original poster...
...clearly works in an inbound call center though...
(bomb, Wed 8 Sep 2010, 11:58, closed)