Today I receive a call from a company claiming to verify information for a visa credit card. This young lady calls me to verify my name address ect. I asked her what credit card she was refering too. She told me they area clearing house for many credit card companies. At this point it dawns on me, I didn't apply for anything recently. All of my credit cards are atleast 2 years old, with the exception of Providian, its 4 months old. I play along to see exactly what company she represents. She transfers me to some guy. He tried to fast talk me to get me to accept this credit card. I stopped him mid sentence and asked who he represents. He said, "First National Bank of Marin". I told him I wasn't interested. I went a step further and told him to "delist" my name from their data base and I want written confirmation that this has been done. I know once I ask for a "delist" they must comply as per the Federal Regulations. Once upon a time I was a supervisor for a telemarketing company. It seems that the sub prime credit card companies are working overtime to beef up their portfolios
Those kinds of calls are always computer generated, so while I might get one such call from somebody like them, I never get the second one. That's because my little Radidio Shack magic box puts out a tone every time somebody picks up the phone here and the tone tells any computer that might be on the other end that this phone number is no longer in existance and tells the computer on the other end that it should remove this number from it's data base. You don't really notice the results at first, but it's really not more than about a month or so after you install the little gidget that you just don't get many of those computer generated sales calls anymore.
There's a gal on the Motley Fool boards who is something of a Telemarketing Avenger. She keeps careful track of every TM as they call her, makes note of where they have broken any applicable laws, and then sues them in Small Claims Court. Every single one. If they call her, automatic, they get sued (is she related to you, Bill?). Anyway, here's a link where you can find a summary of her posts and links to all of them. She goes into quite a lot of detail. http://boards.fool.com/Message.asp?mid=13980745 Just a thought.
Quixote: Well, I just don't know now. That gal just might have an interesting idea there! After all, you don't owe that collection agency that just called you, now do you? I mean, you don't have any contract with them and they sure aren't performing any service for you so they must be making a telemarketing call. Like CheleChele says, HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM????? LOL
MARIN COUNTY Hi chelechele That is what we laugh about out here in California. Marin County is the richest county in the US - right across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. Sausalito, etc, very wealthy area! When I first saw the ad for FNB of Marin, I thought - gosh, some bank across the bridge in Marin is offering cards? Then I read the ad - and they are not even in CA! I think they are in NV. hope you are great! dogman
Hey Bill! Question...I read your description of the Radio Shack box...what does it do to voice calls when people call you for a regular conversation? Does it work with DSL? Finally, how much is it and what is the product name? many thanks. Later - dogman
It don't do anything to voice only calls that were not dialed by a computer. Voice callers just hear a little beep when you pick up the phone, but since they don't know what it is or why it's there, they just don't pay any attention to it. Sales people don't know what it is either, so they have no defense against it. Cute little deal. Don't mess with DSL at all. It's called TELEZAPPER and it's $50.00 at Radio Shack.
I have the Telezapper too, and it's been great. I've seen a marked reduction in telemarketing calls during the past few months. If you don't want to pay local sales tax, you can actually buy the Telezapper from the folks who manufacture it for Radio Shack (and shipping is free!)... at this web address: http://www.telezapper.com Buy it online with them, and you'll pay $49.95 and nothing more. Buy it at Radio Shack, and you'll pay $49.95 plus sales tax ($2, $3, $4, or more, depending upon where you live), PLUS the gasoline it costs to drive there and back. Call me cheapo. Call me psycho. Call me chycho or peapo. Just don't call me if you're a telemarketer. Doc, a psychotherapist believe it or not
TELEZAPPER Went to the Radio Shack site and searched and found the telezapper. I would have done it but I have voicemail. cool device though. thx dogman
