Beware the Business DirectoryUpdate

[jmellc]

I had a call last week, lady who barely spoke English started telling that she needed address verification, as their "business directory" was issuing this year's book, & she is assuring accuracy, etc.

I realized that she sounded like someone from "Bizz Helper" that set me up last year with the same kind of story. Soon I was getting addons to my phone bill for $55 a month. Sounds like an update, but it's a sale of an add & you don't know it until getting the bill. Frontier removed the charges, but it was a hassle.

I told this woman I wanted no services from her co. and hung up on her, as she was babbling away.

When I was suckered, I researched & found these people used various names in different states/cities but all part of the same scam. Be wary if someone calls with a similar story.

 

[ptonsparky]

Been there.

 

[GUNNING]

new twist on marketing?

new twist on marketing?

I say no .... 3 times.... and they go away.... I think.


I guess I should check the phone bill...

 

[jmellc]

I am already very short with anyone selling advertising. Even the better ones are pests, and I am fiery and rude with those I know to be scoundrels.

 

[rbalex]

Make sure you ask to be added to their "do not call" list and document in your personal notes the date of the request. It may not do anything effective if you can't actually identify them, but it greatly increases their financial liability should you decide to get litigious rather than simply rude.

 

[jmellc]

Make sure you ask to be added to their "do not call" list and document in your personal notes the date of the request. It may not do anything effective if you can't actually identify them, but it greatly increases their financial liability should you decide to get litigious rather than simply rude.

Believe me, there are a few who will never dare call me again. I am an easy going, mild mannered person but I get evil fast with phone pests. I spent 11 years in an office with phone ringing all day long, often something foolish. But I had to be nice to everyone, even those I should have been choking. I learned though, that when I got home & telemarketers were calling, that I could heap abuse on them. I yelled at them, played with their heads, played them along like a huge order was coming, etc. I'm sure some of them quit their jobs at the end of the day.

I do that now with people selling advertising or insurance. They always call at the wrong moments. I get irritated and tell them their ads are only good for attracting hew advertisers to call & sell more advertising. I tell them to lose my name & hang up. I speak with a few, but rattle the rest.

 

[jmellc]

I say no .... 3 times.... and they go away.... I think.


I guess I should check the phone bill...

Thing is, they are smart. They operate under different names in different cities or states. I've heard mor than once of a co ripping someone off, then hitting the same victim again a few months later under another name.

 

[zbang]

When anybody calls me for "address verification", I just say "read me what you have" and they usually hang up. I also ask for their callback number "in case we get cut off", and strange as it may seem, 10 seconds later we are.

Long ago when the copier toner pirates were more active and would call to "confirm the model number", I'd always tell them something bogus, If they even mumbled something about how that can't be right, I'd get all huffy about "I'm looking at the dnm thing! If you don't have the right stuff, don't bother me again." Usually, they wouldn't.

 

[petersonra]

Long ago when the copier toner pirates were more active and would call to "confirm the model number", I'd always tell them something bogus, If they even mumbled something about how that can't be right, I'd get all huffy about "I'm looking at the dnm thing! If you don't have the right stuff, don't bother me again." Usually, they wouldn't.

The place I used to work at 20+ years ago got whacked pretty good for toner a couple of times. The scam artists would call the operator and ask who was in charge of the copier and put that person's name down as the orderer of the toner. No one really noticed until the copier had to be repaired due to the use of toner that clogged up the copier somehow.

I am on the "no call" list so I should be getting no calls, so I feel no remorse whatsoever for just hanging up on them.

Even lower than the toner scammers are the "help the crippled children" thieves.

 

[Free Electron]

The yellow book is always sending me a bill for advertising. I never ask them to list me nor do I pay the bill. But they always list me anyways.

If you hear a lot of chatter in the background you know they are telemarketers. I always give them a fake name.

 

[tkb]

I get calls from the Fraternal Order of Police for donations.
They use guys with deep voices for their telemarketing so you would think they are a cop. They say things like, your not in trouble but we would like a donation.
I asked how much goes to the police and it was about 50%.

 

[readydave8]

Believe me, there are a few who will never dare call me again. I am an easy going, mild mannered person but I get evil fast with phone pests. I spent 11 years in an office with phone ringing all day long, often something foolish. But I had to be nice to everyone, even those I should have been choking. I learned though, that when I got home & telemarketers were calling, that I could heap abuse on them. I yelled at them, played with their heads, played them along like a huge order was coming, etc. I'm sure some of them quit their jobs at the end of the day.

I do that now with people selling advertising or insurance. They always call at the wrong moments. I get irritated and tell them their ads are only good for attracting hew advertisers to call & sell more advertising. I tell them to lose my name & hang up. I speak with a few, but rattle the rest.

When I'm doing something that doesn't take much concentration I'll discuss or argue as long as possible, they losing money talking to me.

And a few golden times I've suceeded in making them cuss before they hang up on me.

And once one gave me the 800 #, I called it 100+ times from pay phones. One place I stopped had 2 pay phones, so I called the # from both, turned the handsets to each other, and let them talk to each other. (Mostly it was just "excuse me, what was that, we must have a bad connection" and didn't last long).

 

[dduffee260]

These people should be indicted for fraud. We have been in contact with our district attorney about filing charges against a group named " Yellow Pages " or something like that.

They simply called our number and the receptionist answered yes to one question. They then took the yes answer and edited it into phony calls and billed us for $598.00. These people are in Las Vegas. We are contemplating filing a civil suit in our state and making these people travel out to answer charges.

Next time they call and take up our office time, they are going to recieve a bill for $500 for " consultation fees " from us. If they do not pay it, we will turn it over to a collection agency.

 

[Jamstoyz]

My dad sent me this email and I recommend everyone to use it. It must work cause I dont get anymore annoying calls anymore.

REMEMBER: Cell Phone Numbers Go Public this month.



REMINDER..... all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls.

... YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS

To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222.
It is the National DO NOT CALL list It will only take a minute of your time.. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.

HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON .. It takes about 20 seconds.



https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx