Posted by hchickpea on January 17, 2008, 3:35 pm
Ever since getting the new phone number in Alabama, our lines have
been plagued with telemarketers. Once we got on the DNC registry, the
local businesses seem to have stopped, but the pre-recorded calls from
"Heather, from account services" and "Your vehicle warantee is about
to expire" are becoming as much of a pain as we had in the bad old
days.
I've filed a complaint with the FCC, since it appears that the FTC is
doing squat to stop this type of problem. Realisticly, filing a
complaint with the local cops, like the phone companies want people to
do, is bullshit. A lot of the problem appears to be coming from 207
area codes, VOIP gateways, and other essentially un-traceable (by the
consumer) numbers.
TIme for me to get a boat airhorn, dust off my info on incoming call
filtering devices, and start bitchin to tv stations and the like.
Unless this is stopped soon, it'll get a lot worse.
Posted by sarge137 on January 17, 2008, 4:19 pm
On Jan 17, 1:35 pm, hchick...@hotmail.com wrote:
> Ever since getting the new phone number in Alabama, our lines have
> been plagued with telemarketers. Once we got on the DNC registry, the
> local businesses seem to have stopped, but the pre-recorded calls from
> "Heather, from account services" and "Your vehicle warantee is about
> to expire" are becoming as much of a pain as we had in the bad old
> days.
Absolutely correct. To say nothing of the charities and political
action groups which are exempt from the DNC registry. A deliberate,
but ridiculous exemption in my opinion. Some of those outfits are
bigger crooks than the telemarketers.
> I've filed a complaint with the FCC, since it appears that the FTC is
> doing squat to stop this type of problem. Realisticly, filing a
> complaint with the local cops, like the phone companies want people to
> do, is bullshit. A lot of the problem appears to be coming from 207
> area codes, VOIP gateways, and other essentially un-traceable (by the
> consumer) numbers.
Also absolutely correct. The FTC is the agency which is ostensibly in
charge of this problem, but they're simply ignoring it. They may have
assigned a few people to it because they have to, but clearly it's not
real high on their priority list. The phone companies referring
complaints to the local police is simply a mechanism to get you off
their lines without admitting they can't/won't do anything for you.
Unless the call is originating locally your local police have no
jurisdiction and can't do anything about it, even if they want to. At
best they forward your complaint "for action deemed appropriate" -
which is most likely shredding or circular filing.
> TIme for me to get a boat airhorn, dust off my info on incoming call
> filtering devices, and start bitchin to tv stations and the like.
Anonymous call rejection is part on the caller ID service provided by
my local phone company. People who block their calls don't even ring
my phone. They get a recording telling them how to unblock their line
and call me back. Activating that feature has reduced the kind of
calls you refer to substantially. Only a few of my friends actually
block their lines, and don't mind adding a few key strokes to the
number when they call me. No legitimate business would ever block
it's line. My caller ID is in my handset so if it's unknown, out of
area, or I don't recognize it, I just let the answering machine
answer. About 99% of the time when the recording comes up, they hang
up. Every once in a while I'll answer one those calls just to screw
with them. It's amazing how long they'll stay on the phone if they
think you're going to buy or donate! And, I've performed a public
service - they've lost the opportunity to pester at least three or
four other people while I'm playing with them.
> Unless this is stopped soon, it'll get a lot worse.
I share your pain, but don't count on the government to stop it. We
have to protect ourselves. These calls are made because they work,
and will stop only when people stop answering, or unceremoniously hang
up.
Regards,
Sarge
Posted by George Grapman on January 17, 2008, 5:22 pm
sarge137 wrote:
> On Jan 17, 1:35 pm, hchick...@hotmail.com wrote:
>> Ever since getting the new phone number in Alabama, our lines have
>> been plagued with telemarketers. Once we got on the DNC registry, the
>> local businesses seem to have stopped, but the pre-recorded calls from
>> "Heather, from account services" and "Your vehicle warantee is about
>> to expire" are becoming as much of a pain as we had in the bad old
>> days.
>
> Absolutely correct. To say nothing of the charities and political
> action groups which are exempt from the DNC registry. A deliberate,
> but ridiculous exemption in my opinion. Some of those outfits are
> bigger crooks than the telemarketers.
>
>> I've filed a complaint with the FCC, since it appears that the FTC is
>> doing squat to stop this type of problem. Realisticly, filing a
>> complaint with the local cops, like the phone companies want people to
>> do, is bullshit. A lot of the problem appears to be coming from 207
>> area codes, VOIP gateways, and other essentially un-traceable (by the
>> consumer) numbers.
>
> Also absolutely correct. The FTC is the agency which is ostensibly in
> charge of this problem, but they're simply ignoring it. They may have
> assigned a few people to it because they have to, but clearly it's not
> real high on their priority list. The phone companies referring
> complaints to the local police is simply a mechanism to get you off
> their lines without admitting they can't/won't do anything for you.
> Unless the call is originating locally your local police have no
> jurisdiction and can't do anything about it, even if they want to. At
> best they forward your complaint "for action deemed appropriate" -
> which is most likely shredding or circular filing.
>
>> TIme for me to get a boat airhorn, dust off my info on incoming call
>> filtering devices, and start bitchin to tv stations and the like.
>
> Anonymous call rejection is part on the caller ID service provided by
> my local phone company. People who block their calls don't even ring
> my phone. They get a recording telling them how to unblock their line
> and call me back. Activating that feature has reduced the kind of
> calls you refer to substantially. Only a few of my friends actually
> block their lines, and don't mind adding a few key strokes to the
> number when they call me. No legitimate business would ever block
> it's line. My caller ID is in my handset so if it's unknown, out of
> area, or I don't recognize it, I just let the answering machine
> answer. About 99% of the time when the recording comes up, they hang
> up. Every once in a while I'll answer one those calls just to screw
> with them. It's amazing how long they'll stay on the phone if they
> think you're going to buy or donate! And, I've performed a public
> service - they've lost the opportunity to pester at least three or
> four other people while I'm playing with them.
I have anonymous call rejection also. Every so often I still see
"Unknown number". I never answer and they never leave a message so I
know it is telemarketers.
At times, I do what you suggested even getting to the point of giving
them the start of a credit card number before telling them another call
came in. Five minutes later I return and ask if many people hang up the
phone on them. When they say,yes" I explain that those people did them a
favor and allowed them to find another victim whereas a person like me
with no intention of buying prevented them from calling potential
victims. I then hit the mute button and listen to them curse. Even
funnier when they think no one heard them. One call like that can ruin
their day.
Another tactic is simply telling them you like to know who you are
doing business with and asking for the company name and address. They
often ask me to hold and I say, "sure, I know that is a tough question".
If you can determine they are in your state you can threaten them
with small claims court. I have done this 7 times. Each time I
threatened to sue for $500, offered to accept $100 if sent within three
days and told them that after suing I would not settle for less than
$250 plus costs to settle beforehand. 5 companies promptly coughed up
$100 and the other two the higher amount after I filed.
If a 5 percent of us did that it would put a real dent in their
practices.
>> Unless this is stopped soon, it'll get a lot worse.
>
> I share your pain, but don't count on the government to stop it. We
> have to protect ourselves. These calls are made because they work,
> and will stop only when people stop answering, or unceremoniously hang
> up.
>
> Regards,
> Sarge
Posted by hchickpea on January 17, 2008, 6:10 pm
On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 22:22:22 GMT, George Grapman
> Another tactic is simply telling them you like to know who you are
>doing business with and asking for the company name and address. They
>often ask me to hold and I say, "sure, I know that is a tough question".
> If you can determine they are in your state you can threaten them
>with small claims court. I have done this 7 times. Each time I
>threatened to sue for $500, offered to accept $100 if sent within three
>days and told them that after suing I would not settle for less than
>$250 plus costs to settle beforehand. 5 companies promptly coughed up
>$100 and the other two the higher amount after I filed.
> If a 5 percent of us did that it would put a real dent in their
>practices.
George, these aren't legit companies that are calling, that is part of
the point. These are criminals who are trying to get credit card
numbers so they can commit credit card fraud. I've tried getting
information, but as soon as they get a question that lets them know
they could get caught, they hang up. I've scoured the net and no-one
seems to have been able to have any success in finding an address or
even legit call-back number.
When it is a legit company, your tactic can work. When it isn't, and
the call is untraceable, and the phone company and government don't do
anything about it, it shows the absolute powerlessness of them to
thrwart penny-ante hackers and criminals, much less terrorists.
With the number of calls reported on the net, all with the same M.O.,
what is going on is an organized ring of crooks making a mockery of
the system. Unfortunately, it takes high-tech tools and access to the
system to find these assholes, so the consumer is S.O.o.L.
Posted by George Grapman on January 17, 2008, 6:58 pm
hchickpea@hotmail.com wrote:
> On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 22:22:22 GMT, George Grapman
>
>> Another tactic is simply telling them you like to know who you are
>> doing business with and asking for the company name and address. They
>> often ask me to hold and I say, "sure, I know that is a tough question".
>> If you can determine they are in your state you can threaten them
>> with small claims court. I have done this 7 times. Each time I
>> threatened to sue for $500, offered to accept $100 if sent within three
>> days and told them that after suing I would not settle for less than
>> $250 plus costs to settle beforehand. 5 companies promptly coughed up
>> $100 and the other two the higher amount after I filed.
>> If a 5 percent of us did that it would put a real dent in their
>> practices.
>
> George, these aren't legit companies that are calling, that is part of
> the point. These are criminals who are trying to get credit card
> numbers so they can commit credit card fraud. I've tried getting
> information, but as soon as they get a question that lets them know
> they could get caught, they hang up. I've scoured the net and no-one
> seems to have been able to have any success in finding an address or
> even legit call-back number.
I understand. There is little you can do about the true scammers other
than ignore them or waste their time. I recent got a slew of recorded
messages telling me I had been approved for a loan. The "apply "option
only got me automated prompts asking for my checking account details.
Yesterday A caller wanted my credit card number. I asked if she would
give it to stranger and she tried to convince me that lacking a
signature no one could use the card. When mentioned internet and phone
purchases acted as if she had never heard of them.. They called back
today and I explained to the lady in great detail what her voice was
doing to me. She hung up.
>
> When it is a legit company, your tactic can work. When it isn't, and
> the call is untraceable, and the phone company and government don't do
> anything about it, it shows the absolute powerlessness of them to
> thrwart penny-ante hackers and criminals, much less terrorists.
>
> With the number of calls reported on the net, all with the same M.O.,
> what is going on is an organized ring of crooks making a mockery of
> the system. Unfortunately, it takes high-tech tools and access to the
> system to find these assholes, so the consumer is S.O.o.L.
>
>
>
XML site map
> been plagued with telemarketers. Once we got on the DNC registry, the
> local businesses seem to have stopped, but the pre-recorded calls from
> "Heather, from account services" and "Your vehicle warantee is about
> to expire" are becoming as much of a pain as we had in the bad old
> days.