I've signed up for all the "Do Not Call" lists, yet still the phone rings.
I'm not a phone guy. Unless it's a relative or a close friend, or someone calling with good news, I want nothing to do with the phone. One, I just don't like talking to people I don't know, and two, I'm bad at saying no. So when they call asking for donations to this that or the other thing, I'm more likely than not to say yes, even though I don't want to. For example, a major charity called a few weeks ago asking if they could count on me for a pledge of $40.00. More specifically, they said "Mr. Dunne, we know we can count on you this year. Can we put you down for a pledge of $40?" So already, if I say no, I'm letting people down. They're counting on me! Okay, yeah, go ahead.
Let me note that the only reason I even answer the phone is because I have kids in school, and I'm assuming the one time I don't answer is when the school is actually calling for something.
Anyway, so I agree to this and a few days later the pledge card arrives in the mail. Now, it's just after Christmas and there are bills to pay so I set it aside, fully intending on honoring my commitment, just not that freaking second. Five days later I get a call from the charity, reminding me about my pledge and wondering if I could please send that in. Now, this annoys me slightly, because I have to answer the stupid phone again and there was a sort of credit card collection tone to the woman's voice. Pissed off, the pledge goes to the bottom of my "to be paid" pile. Four days later another call. At five minutes to nine. (I was expecting a different person. Although I beg and plead with people to please use my cell number, they don't.)
Then, on three consecutive nights, phone calls from the same charity leaving messages on my answering machine.
Okay, now, you're getting nothing. The pledge card has met the shredder.
I should note that at one point I asked if there was a way to pay online. It's a major charity and, well, 2006. She reacted as if I had asked to pay with holographic coins.
Their latest tactic, and I've noticed this a lot among telemarketers, is to use your first name as if they know you. I'll answer and they'll say "Owen?" I'll say yeah, thinking it's someone I know, and then they launch into the pitch. My newest technique is to wait until they're a few seconds in, then I'll say "Oh no, I'm Owen Jr. I think you want my dad." I'll get all teenage and nasally.
I used this technique the last time the charity called. After I told them I was Owen Jr., I told them that my dad wouldn't be able to call them back for awhile because he was in the hospital with the very disease they were collecting for.
Now, I only hope I haven't seriously fucked myself up, karma-wise. But they ain't calling anymore.
6 comments:
Caller ID works best for us. We don't answer any numbers that come up as Unkown or 800-xxx-xxxxx.
There's a couple of simple ways to get your name removed from the telemarketing lists. First, record the "We're sorry, but the number you dialed" recording that the telephone company uses and put it on your answering machine. Those first three beeps will trigger the autodialers that the telemarketers use and your number will be tagged as Out of Service. This will get you off the call lists and get your friends to call your cell phone. Anyone that hangs on for the beep knows what's going on and you can pick up after you hear their voice. Second, if you happen to answer and find yourself talking to a telemarketer, ask them what kind of underwear they have on. Usually, you can hear the wind whistling past the phone as they hang up. If they stay on the line, go no further than that question. Ask no other questions, give no other information. Tell them it's a requirement before you'll talk to them. Usually, they'll mark your number as a hostile (and somewhat strange) contact and they'll take your name off their list. They pay for each name and get a refund for each bad number. The companies that sell the names don't like giving refunds and will drop you if they have to refund money on your number very often.
Fortunately I've never had to eal with them.
Heh, just got one. Here's a new rub. The guy starts off by saying "Mr. Dunne, I'm calling in reference to your credit card ending in 4323." Now, I would imagine alot of people don't know their credit card numbers, so this is a clever little intro. Problem is, I know my credit card numbers from online shopping and bill paying. I don't know what the rest of the pitch is, probably for another credit card or something, because I said "I don't have a credit card with that number." There was a bit of silence then I hung up.
AFAIK in the USA the 'no call list' is legally binding, and the company can be fined a large sum of money for harassing you hen your number is on the no-call list.
Up here in canada though, we have no such thing, which really sucks. I've taken to simply hanging up on calls from people I don't know. If it comes up as 'Unknown Caller' or '1-800-xxx-xxxx' etc i simply dont pick up, or i pick up and hang up right away. After my boyfriend got hung up on multiple times because of his phone number coming up as 'unknown number', i started picking up, and saying 'hello?' if the response is not immediate, i hang up, as the majority of times when it takes longer than 3 seconds or so to give me a response of one sort or another is more often than not an autodialer and the person on the other end is a telemarketter. I work as Directory Assistance and i have this personal policy: If you cannot answer the phone YOU DIALED (or your company, in the case of autodiallers) within 3 seconds, you get hung up on (in my case its '(company opening phrase here), how may I help you?' i wait two seconds, 'hello?' and whether or not theres background noise, joe schmoe talking to his buddy, whatever, if theres no response then, i hang up. We're allowed to.
Anyways, random tangeant there. I just hang up on telemarketters, some surveyors i'll do, but ive been pranked by a friend of mine before: "Hello rthis i9s the city of (insert my city of residence here) doing a general survey, would you like to answer a few questions?" i went 'ok.' and my friend started asking me perverted questions until i hung up. Apparently he does this for fun. I have strange friends.
I don't have a landline, and my cell phone is on the Do Not Call list.
There will be HELL to pay if I get any calls from telemarketers.
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