Is it illegal to be abusive or threatening to a telemarketer that calls your home?

If you are being plagued by telemarketers, its a safe bet that your phone conversations are being recorded, by the telemarketer. any and all words, of a threatening nature, can be used against you in court. some telemarketers are calling you for more than a product purchase, some are looking for a lawsuit as described above. the invention of caller i.d., has at least given the homeowner, an idea if a telemarketer is calling. if you do not recognize the incoming call, do not answer. they will not leave you a message, its traceable. If all else fails and you do not have caller i.d., buy a whistle. most telemarketers wear telephone headsets in their ear. a blast from your whistle, will send a defeaning message. i guarantee that headset will be coming off their head and down on the floor.

Abusive is fine, threatening is not. If you make a threat, you can be assured you are being recorded. As much as I HATE being called by telemarketers, I try to always remember that the person on the phone doesn't OWN the company. They are merely trying to make a living, and while I would just as soon see them find a DIFFERENT way to make a living, I just hang up on them quickly. The quicker I hang up on them the quicker they call someone else. To whoever got a call about Visa cards and gas credits last night at about 8 pm.. You are welcome... I hung up on them at 7:59.

It is dafematory to be abusive to anyone and even if the person calling is unneccasary for u then also you could be sued if that person goes to the court with some allegations like mental harresment so it is better simply to say no or just ignore that caller by putting some music on for a little long time

Harassment is harassment in any venue. Despite what you feel about telemarketers they, under the law, have the right to call you; and you never have the right to threaten them. Are they annoying? Yes. But, try to control your temper. Also, to actually be put on their "no-call" list, you have to tell them you want to be on it. Don't just hang up--they'll call back later. Say the words, "Please place me on your no-calls list" and their right to call you is taken away. If they do, then they're in violation of civil law. And, now you have the right to sue.

it's not illegal. i've been a telemarketer before and i would get into an argument with the rude customers. =) most telemarketers bite their tongue and i was the one that didn't.

its immature to be abusive or threatening.

no, you're all wrong. they are calling you. they have placed a call to your phone number. you can say anything you want to them... ANYTHING. i will tell them things about their mother they never knew. i tell the women how i want to video tape us together having unprotected anal sex. i tell the guys i will cut their throats and kill their entire families. they want to drag me into court, bring it on. they CALLED ME. i pay for my phone line, not them. i will say whatever i want as long as this shhit continues. don't be afraid to say what you want. these morons should have found other work if they can't handle what we say to them. it's good that they record this stuff. let their idiot bosses and the other morons in corporate hear it. let the fool who called you feel as small as the cockroach they are so they will evenually quit that job that annoys so many of us.

When the telemarketer tells you which company they are representing, you can tell them what you think of their products and where you can stick them. Most telemarketers are overseas in Asian countries and are contracted out to ring you up just as you're serving tea by many different companies. So I don't know what international laws would be broken if you insult the person. Personally however I think there is little value and getting into a personal attack. They get paid next to nothing to be abused all day. The strongest "comeback" would be that you have taken note of the company they are ringing on behave of, and will make sure that you never purchase anything sold by that company ever again.

Instead of being abusive you should do what I do, say "Can you hold on a minute? I'll be right back" the put the phone next to this song, and see how long they stay on the phone...