Telemarketers calling Cellphones (1 Viewer)

[Linda Thompson]

John and Jesse:

http://www.tommabe.com/

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

LOL, yep, that's him, Linda, I didn't realize there was a second volume out, i've got to pick that up.

 

[Christ Reynolds]

but the telemarketers have a RIGHT to be able to call us! :rolleyes

that "argument" is my favorite.

CJ

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

I don't know how it is in other area's, but in my area if a telemarketer calls and you anwer, there will be a 2-3 second delay of silence before they start talking, this is how one can tell it's a telemarketer thus giving you a chance to hang up.

Doesn't matter, though, I usually hang up on them anyway, I don't permit a strangers BODY to come into my house without my consent, why would I allow their VOICE to do so?

 

[Devin U]

True dat.

But one thing to be careful of with your cell is text messaging. Alot of companies are advertising things like "just text fun to 12345 and get a new joke every day
" and stuff like that. What you dont realize is they will charge $1 or more everytime they send you a message, sometimes 4-5 times a day. They seem to be targeting these things at kids especially. So if you give your kid a cell phone, make sure they are not doing stuff like that.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

That has nothing to do with where you are, and everything to do with the kind of equipment the telemarketer is using. Many use what is called a "predictive dialer" - it calls you and puts you on hold while all the salesfolk are still yacking at others. The theory is that the sales agent's time is valuable - the company is paying him or her. They don't want to waste paid time having their agents listen to your phone ring for twelve times before you get out of the shower. And they don't want anybody listening to a phone that isn't answered at all, so they're programmed to disconnect after "x" number of rings and not to put your call into the queue until your phone goes off hook. Your time isn't valuable to the company, so they'd rather waste it putting you on hold than waste their agent's time. If you've ever picked up the phone and heard a recorded voice ask you to stay on the line for an important call, you've heard from a later-generation predictive dialer.

The more sophisticated ones also "listen" to see if it has been picked up by an answering machine or routed to voice mail, in which case it will terminate call.

But if you do pick up, the system connects you to the first agent who hangs up. It is like the automatic call distribution systems in in-bound call centers, but it works in reverse. (I used to work for a company that manufactured and sold phone systems. The one I worked for refused to spec or sell predictive dialers. If a customer really wanted that functionality they'd have to go to a third party and we would not support or integrate that equipment, as we would with voice mail, ACD systems and other add-ons. My boss hated predictive dialers with a passion.)

BTW, your hanging up the phone does not terminate the call immediately. It will disconnect in a few seconds on its own.

In addition to being on the NDNC Registry, I pay a couple of bucks a month for a service from my phone company called "privacy director". Any call that comes in with the caller ID data blocked is directed to a recording which asks the caller to identify him/herself. The system records the answer, puts the caller on hold and then calls my house so I can listen to the voice and decide whether to accept the call or hit "call reject". Call reject plays a recording that gives the required warning that I am on the Do Not Call Registry and that the caller will be fined if they call again. Sometimes legit companies that I do business with block their caller ID info, so if the Privacy Director message voice says "So and so from X bank" or "Jill from City Furinture to schedule your repair" I accept the call and they stay on the line. But I never have to listen to the other ones that slip through despite the Do Not Call list, and I hardly ever get telemarketing calls on either my home or cell phones.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

My God, Joseph, your post represents the lenghts that people go to and the technology they will employ to try and get my money, I don't know whether to laugh or be pissed.

Also, whether or not they don't disconnect right away after I hang up doesn't matter, all I know is after I hang up I don't have to listen to them, and if they call back I will hang up on them again.

 

[Paul D G]

My company's HR department send those types of emails to all employees. To me that's even more annoying than some friend doing it thinking they're trying to help.

There's this chick named April who used to have my cell phone number and she clearly has a lot of financial institutions after her ass for whatever reason. Not a week goes by where I don't get a call for her. Usually when I explain the situation I get asked if I know how to get in touch with her. Idiots. I'd change it but I figure it'll all end eventually.

Last time I moved and got a new number it used to be some roofing company's number and I'd get calls on a daily basis because the number is in the phone book, or someone was calling about an old work order. Got it changed.

And years ago, after getting a new phone number, this old lady would call me frequently looking for her grandson and just couldn't understand that it wasn't his phone number anymore. In the end I looked it up for her.

-paul

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

A friend of mine used to have a number that was one digit off from a pizza joint near him. Friday and Saturday nights in particular were hellish. Ultimately he had the number changed, but towards the end he gave up on trying to argue with people and just started taking their orders and telling them about non-existent specials like a free liter of soda with a large pizze.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Jeff D Han]

Hey Paul-

How long have you had your current number previously
assigned to the April deadbeat? I think the calls I still
get are from collection agencies looking for a deadbeat
that had my number 4 years ago. Unfortunately the only way
to get away from some people is to keep changing your number
until you don't get harassed anymore.

 

[Paul D G]

Jeff - I've had this number for about a year. I used to get several a week, now I get one about every two weeks. I keep meaning to ask how to spell her last name (I can't make it out the few times I've had vm left) and offer to track her down for them. then I can give her number out to everyone who calls.

Just the other day I got a text message for her. ("Kobe 81! MVP MVP MVP MVP!") THAT pissed me off because I had to pay to receive that. I thought of a whole array of wonderful messages I could text back but ultimately decided against it.

-paul