I will have to admit the calls have decreased since we signed up but there is a catch.

A lot of these telemarketers, especially the charities, all use the same outsource company for their solicitations. But you have to ask to be removed from each charity's list. They won't take you off completely. Which is a pain.

We get caller ID as part of our digital phone service. I won't pick up anything that says 'Private Caller'. If they won't tell me who they are, I don't want to talk to them. Invariably they don't leave a message.

We've also had the same issue with a company calling us repeatedly (thank you caller ID) and not leaving a message. If they do call when we're home, they get ignored. Obviously they're some kind of telemarketer disguised as a 'research company'.

I say that the do not call lists work, to a certain point. But as companies get more creative then we're back to our old methods of either blowing a whistle into the phone and/or hanging up as soon as they start their pitch. Obviously asking them to remove you from their list isn't going to work.