Damn telemarketers (story and rant)

jtav2002 · Mar 15, 2013

isu2014 said: ↑

That's why I don't even answer unknown numbers. If they don't leave a legitimate voicemail, I consider them fake.
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Yep. I never answer unknown numbers unless I am expecting some kind of call. Otherwise it goes to VM. If its important they will leave one.

MTgirl · Mar 15, 2013

Next time note the date, time, number, person, and company then tell them that you will be reporting them for harassing, repetitive calls and will continue to do so if they call back again. Then file a complaint with the FCC. They'll stop calling http://www.fcc.gov/complaints

I used to get tons of annoying calls on my land line even though I was on the do not call list...so much so that I got rid of the line.

Whoever had the phone number before me never paid a bill in their life either and I would get 3 or 4 calls a week from collection agencies. I got frustrated one day and called a couple of them back (they had left messages) and told them that they had the wrong number and needed to update their records and remove my number. I also gave them the names and numbers of other businesses and collection agencies looking for these same people. Miraculously the all of the calls stopped shortly thereafter...maybe they all joined forces and finally tracked the people down

Fenwick1993 · Mar 15, 2013

joneill03 said: ↑

Now that's freaky. My mother in law still gets mail for her husband who passed away IIRC in 2005.
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Yeah, it sucks to have to explain it every time, too. It's kinda like she's died all over again.

maineah · Mar 16, 2013

Most phone co have a service that requires a number (press 1 now) robo calls can't press one. They charge like $4-5 for the service it does stop them. I have done all the .gov stuff it does not work they can't stop them if they are no in the US.

Rich91710 · Mar 16, 2013

OP, at some point in the past, the employee likely used the company phone number and address for a shipment of some sort from an online vendor.

I used to have things shipped to the office all the time when my wife was working, and the shippers want the receiver's contact number.

I still get an occasional call on my city cell phone from Canadian pharmacies (call centers in India) trying to sell Viagra to Lee-Oh-Nard... who retired 4 years ago.
There were about 12 different numbers that used to come in regularly, and I but the 6 most frequent of them on call-block.
Those I couldn't call-block, I'd deafen using a traffic whistle.

CantSitStill · Mar 16, 2013

Unfortunately... You'll never get rid of any of these people. If they make 1000 calls a day and one dumbass bites, they have made their money.
At my business, if I'm not busy, I Always put them on hold for the correct person, come back with "Maintenance! This is Bob! Oh, wrong department. Hold on. "
The more time they spend on each call, the less they make. I know it's small and petty, but it makes me feel better.

wrmathis · Mar 16, 2013

6spdtaco[OP] initial post: ↑

I cannot believe how far these companies will go to screw people over.

Here's the story:
I have been getting calls all winter long from unavailable numbers asking for one of my employees. It is always someone who I can barely understand because of an accent or poor phone connection. They ask for the employee, always butchering his name. Oddly enough the employee is almost always unavailable or has the day off. One time my employee was around so I gave him the phone, interested in what these people had to say. After a brief conversation he politely stated he was uninterested and to please not call again. No surprise, just a telemarketer trying to sell some bullshit. This was about a month ago.

Last week the calls start again.
Telemarketer: "Hello, is Joe Smith available?"
Me: "What is this in regards to?"
Telemarketer: "Is Joe Smith there?"
Me: "If you can't tell me what this is about, I can't give you any information."
After a few more lines of BS I told them to stop calling and hung up.

So now on to today.
I get a call from an 800#. Again looking for the same employee. I say he isn't here. The woman asks for his personal phone number. I say "absolutely not". I then ask for their name, phone number, and reason for calling. The woman actually gave me her first name, #, and company name.
She made sure to use the company's abbreviated name CPD. I could barely make out what she said, and asked two more times what the company was. She wouldn't give me the full company name, just CPD.

Somewhere in the mind numbing conversation I gave the person my first name. This is where it gets interesting.

I get a call 5 minutes later from my employee. He told me someone called him and said I had given them his cell phone #. They also said I had recommended him for a $25,000 loan! He was furious that this "company" had his phone number.

After convincing him that I would never give out his personal information to anyone, I told him I was going to call them back and complain. I dial the number the woman gave me and get to a directory for CPD, Custom Pay Day. After a few minutes on hold I get someone and immediately ask to speak to their supervisor. Without question, I get transfered(get compaints much?). A few more minutes on hold and another person picks up. I calmly ask if they can help explain why someone from their company would create lies about me. Without hesitation, the woman calmly and politely asks for more details.(I think she has experience with irate people...) I explain the situation and she asks if she would like me to have her call him back to apologize. WTH, don't call him again!

I tell her that it is completely inappropriate to use my name to assist with their solicitations. To use me as an excuse for possessing someones number and calling them is ridiculous. The telemarketer even told me that they already had my employees phone number before calling me. They basically were just phishing for a name to use to deflect blame for their unwanted calls.

F telemarketers. Feel free to call Janine of Custom Pay Day for some money at 800-383-4025 because apparently they are desperate to give people loans.

And sorry for rambling.
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call them and pull the same scam they do. troll them harder than they are trolling you

6spdtaco · Mar 16, 2013

All great ideas and suggestions. My troll is getting stronger with every call.

kai38` · Mar 16, 2013

Some where I gave my name out as Harry Ballsack III & I get calls all the time, if I'm out making a delivery and bored I like to mess with these idiots.
They are so F'n stupid they will actually ask for me by "name" I' usually ask then to repeat the last name a few times & if they giggle I give them a blast for laughing at my family name., I'll ask them to repeat some thing then say not that part the other part get them to replete it over n over. It makes the miles go by fast.

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Damn telemarketers (story and rant)

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Damn telemarketers (story and rant)

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jtav2002 Kenny Fuckin Powers

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MTgirl too many frogs, not enough princes... Moderator

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wrmathis Dark Lord of the Sith

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