Revenge on a Telemarketer

“That was cute, Ruby.

As for the hang-ups, I figure either the caller is busy talking to others or it is a machine generated call to find out if someone is at home at that time of day. If I don't receive a response quickly and the line is still connected,, I pound the "#" key a number of times and hang up.

Some of the voices I recognize from previous calls. Since I've asked them not to call again, I have no qualms about telling them where to go or what to do, before hanging-up. But since most of the messages are taped, I frequently set the telephone down and leave it there. Eventually, they disconnect after finding no one to talk to at my end. Later, I replace the telephone in it's cradle. When I'm in a nice mood, for new callers I just hang-up.”

“I like to tell them to wait a moment, I'll be right back then go do something else for awhile...after 2 rings my listed phone's answering machine kicks in...this gets rid of just about everyone...we use Bill's phone for just about everything...”

“I like the Seifeld episode where he asked for there home number and said he would get back to them.”

“LOL...when my kids were small we handed the phone to them. Today I play either the "Hold on" and start a stopwatch or I repeat their statements back slightly altered.

My favorite was
"Hi sir, I am calling in regard to Citibank visa"

ME- "I think you need to go to the consulate to get a visa."

and so on”

“LOL XL. I wish I was clever enough on the fly to do that. But I'd probably bust a gut laughing in the middle of it.”

“Ruby,...gotta admit its a knock off of how Opus the penguin used to handle Hare Krishnas at the airport.....”

“I miss that strip.”

“Well, not revenge, really....

Our phone rang last night, so I picked it up. It was an automated sales call for a mortgage company. At the end of the pitch, it said to press 1 to speak to one of their loan officers, so I did. When the guy answered, I said I just received his call, and, since we are on the Federal Do Not Call list, he just committed a Federal crime!! I told him if they called me again I would go upstairs from my office, where the FBI is located, and get some of my friends there to come over and arrest him! He said they won't call us again....


Don't know if it's actually a federal crime, but it is true that the FBI is located a few floors above me. Alas, I don't actually know any of them, so maybe I fibbed a little....”

“The black helicopters are on the way to get you.”

“It's only a federal crime to incorrectly threaten somebody with a Federal arrest.”

“I had a person call me reading her spiel about water purification getting ready to sell me a water treatment system. She listed what comes out of many faucets and asked me what would I like to come out of mine.

I told her mountain dew. She hesitated. I could hear papers flipping like she was looking for a response to that then came back giggling and said they couldn't do that. I told her if she couldn't sell me a mountain dew dispenser I wasn't interested.”

“beer”

“Form 1088!

Know anybody at the FCC?

Seems like the previous Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1996 allowed you to take them to Small Claims Court for $1000 a pop(?)”

“That's hilarious hyway!

The "charity" organizations that call "on behalf" of some charity to ask for donations are the one's that tick me off. Who knows who ends up with my donation. I never donate a damn thing to them.

Instead, I write an annual donation check directly to our local volunteer fire department.”

“I know one or two BM - I'll put them in touch with you ;o)”

“Please note...

The federal DNC list is expiring soon. You will need to relist your phone or it will be open season all over again.

I had some vacation resort turds calling us because my wife started to fill out a survey on line (she never learns) but stopped before she completed the whole thing. They claimed they had permission to call based on that. She never submitted the full survey. I haven't been called back recently.”

“Gravy Lady, I just tell all of those types that I don't give any money to people who call me on the phone. There are plenty of worthy organizations locally that will use every dime of it locally.”

“I get calls from the county fire department and when they finish I tell them NO.

Usually the A-hole gets pissy and I tell him the legislature is the place to go beg for money.”

“Nice Marko. Volunteer rescue workers who would put their lives on the line for my family are not a$$holes in my book.
last edited: 10/09/07 9:07:05 AM”

“Gravy Lady, I just tell all of those types that I don't give any money to people who call me on the phone. There are plenty of worthy organizations locally that will use every dime of it locally.”
hyway to hell

Got that right! And I always tell them to take me off their calling list.
last edited: 10/09/07 9:11:09 AM”

“Marko, it might be that your fire department is fully supported by your local municipality, but there are many places that stay in business by the blood, sweat and tears of the volunteers that build them, pay for their own training and jump out of bed at 2 am to go to your (you and your represents all of us) house to put out the fire you started, then go to work the next day at their real job.”

“Volunteer Fire Depts do a great job - but I don't think they should be calling up asking for a donation. I've donated in the past and have no trouble supporting them, but I really don't think anyone should be calling up randomly and asking for my credit card number.

They got pissy with me too.”

“No money over the phone, .. ever.
Causes that I support are invited to send a mail request.

I used to work in phone fraud. We had conferences where demonstrations were given. Randomly call someone and extract a credit card number, over a speaker phone to the whole conference, it was called 'social engineering' getting people to give info over the phone. Probably 1 of 3 would blab.”

“I even tell the companies that I do business with that I want give them my credit card number if they called me. Now if I call them I will.

So yeah, even fire departments are a no go on credit cards and I agree they shouldn't be calling. But I don't mind the door to door approach of fund raising for volunteer fire departments. And I usually stop by to by their dinner plate when they do the fish fry or barbecue fund raisers.

The difference between a volunteer fire department and most other organizations is that they come, no questions asked, when the need arises. It doesn't matter if you live in a hovel or a mansion, they come to both with the same amount of urgency.”

“Nobody gets my credit card information over the phone either. I don't care who they say they are.”

““Nice Marko. Volunteer rescue workers who would put their lives on the line for my family are not a$$holes in my book.
last edited: 10/09/07 9:07:05 AM”
Grave Dancer
9:06:15 AM
10/09/07

I didn't say that rescue workers were a$$holes, hon.
Where did I say that?

The guys who call usually get schitty when I tell them "no money". THAT makes the guy who calls me an A$$hole.

I pay my taxes and my county should fully fund fire and rescue and not have them begging on my telephone.
They might even be frauds calling me anyway.

"Nobody gets my credit card information over the phone either. I don't care who they say they are.”
Grave Dancer

So why should I give my information to some guy who calls me?”

“I get calls from the county fire department and when they finish I tell them NO.

Usually the A-hole gets pissy and I tell him the legislature is the place to go beg for money.”
MarkOTheBeast

Here's where you called them a$$holes. Who do you think is calling you other than someone from the fire department or representing the fire department? Give them a break Marko. Do you really think they like calling the community for donations? Maybe the taxes you pay should cover the services, but the fact that they don't doesn't make trying to raise money to protect you and your family a bad thing.

Nobody gets chitty when I tell them no. Could their reaction have something to do with how you treat them on the phone?

I just don't understand the hatefulness I guess.

Where did I suggest that you should give them your credit card number?
last edited: 10/09/07 12:14:30 PM”

“MarkO is full of hate today.”

“"Where did I suggest that you should give them your credit card number?"

Right there.....in bold.

"Who do you think is calling you other than someone from the fire department or representing the fire department? Give them a break Marko."

I have no idea, nor do I care, who is calling.
They get nothing from me.

I don't understand your use of the word "hatefulness".......it's common sense.

I have told these callers, whoever they are, to send me a donation mailer and that's when it has gotten schitty.
Maybe a fraud????

Usually the A-hole gets pissy....
"Here's where you called them a$$holes."
Wrong.....I didn't call "them" anything.
That is singular and I deal with that one person as I see fit.
I don't care how they feel, they get nothing from me over the phone.

CD, you twisted my words into something that I did not say.
last edited: 10/09/07 12:27:10 PM”

“mArKo is having a really bad day since his favorite pink apron got damaged. LOL”

“Where did I suggest that you should give them your credit card number?"

Right there.....in bold.

Talk about twisting words!

I didn't twist anything. Your post was clear.”

“Grave Dancer...I hate to tell you but I agree with Marko on this. They do not...repeat DO NOT call. What they do is hire "telemarketing firms" who call for donations for the service the Telemarketing firms get a major cut of the take.

Years ago we used to get the "Georgia Firefighters Association" calls. (or whatever crap they were calling under) it was the minority union's thugs calling and they were telling people how much money they were giving to area departments.

I was on the budget committee one year when they called me...(LOL)

I always say," I do not conduct business over the phone send me the information in the mail."”

“XL, my comment to Marko had NOTHING to do with agreeing to a donation over the phone. That would be stupid. REREAD MY POST!

Here, I will make it easy for you:

I get calls from the county fire department and when they finish I tell them NO.

Usually the A-hole gets pissy and I tell him the legislature is the place to go beg for money.”
MarkOTheBeast
8:59:07 AM
10/09/07
ignore this user

“Nice Marko. Volunteer rescue workers who would put their lives on the line for my family are not a$$holes in my book.
Grave Dancer
last edited: 10/09/07 12:39:05 PM”

““I get calls from the county fire department and when they finish I tell them NO.

Usually the A-hole gets pissy and I tell him the legislature is the place to go beg for money.”
MarkOTheBeast
8:59:07 AM
10/09/07

My post is clear.
I did not say that rescue people are A-holes.
I did not say that firefighters are A-holes.

The few calls that I have gotten from people claiming to represent the fire department get nothing from me.

When that caller gets pissy/schitty is when I tell them to go to the legislature to beg money.

OK, and I suppose that caller is not actually a firefighter, but a telemarketer.
In my experience some telemarketers get testy/pissy/schitty when they are told NO.
These particular callers try to put the guilt on me saying how these guys risk their lives, etc.
I still say NO.”

“Grave...lets see if you understand what I wrote....as a rule (and granted this is limited to only a miniscule 20 years in emergency services) Volunteer groups DO not have the ability or time to "cold call" like that.

As a rule it is usually professional telemarketers (not the volunteer rescuers) who are calling you. We actually had a company who was representing "all Fire Departments in "insert area"" calling. They were hired by a small minority of the firefighters and were holding themselves out as something they weren't.

I know it is hard to believe but some people may actually misrepresent themselves on the phone. In that place Marko is correct. Most Volunteer groups do cook outs, and other fund raisers, NOT TELEMARKETING.”

“Cindy, I'm glad that, "Volunteer rescue workers who would put their lives on the line for my family are not a$$holes in my book."

They are not a$$holes in my book either.”

“I usually see them sitting around eating donuts. They seem to have plenty of free time.”

“Geez Danno, do we hug now............or something?”

“Sarge...the dounut guys are the cops (LOL)...

Marko, I got something you can hug (LOL).....

Seriously if you are right I will back you up...you have seen it before. Don't act shocked.”

“Cindy, I'm glad that, "Volunteer rescue workers who would put their lives on the line for my family are not a$$holes in my book."

They are not a$$holes in my book either.”
MarkOTheBeast

That's good. Glad we got that cleared up.

Peace out.”

“[i]Grave...lets see if you understand what I wrote....as a rule (and granted this is limited to only a miniscule 20 years in emergency services) Volunteer groups DO not have the ability or time to "cold call" like that. As a rule it is usually professional telemarketers (not the volunteer rescuers) who are calling you. We actually had a company who was representing "all Fire Departments in "insert area"" calling. They were hired by a small minority of the firefighters and were holding themselves out as something they weren't.

I know it is hard to believe but some people may actually misrepresent themselves on the phone. In that place Marko is correct. Most Volunteer groups do cook outs, and other fund raisers, NOT TELEMARKETING.”
Fuegofox[/i]

Good gawd XL, did you even read what I wrote? I already said it was stupid to agree to a donation over the phone. Why do you think I said that????
last edited: 10/09/07 12:56:05 PM”

“Back to beating on telemarketers........

Before the "Do Not Call" law I would get calls in "waves".

I sometimes did my best to be an A-hole and would sometimes cuss them a blue streak.

It seems like my "tirades" worked because there would be a lull of some weeks before the next wave of calls.

I enjoyed messin' with the callers........

Me: "Ooooooh.........Mike?"
Caller: "No, this is so-and-so...."
Me: "Don't #&%!$ with me, I know it's you Mike."
Caller: "No sir, it's ______ ______ and we're--"
Me: "OK a$$hole, I'll play your little game..........Hoohoohahahahahahahaha!!"”

“I don't know if volunteer fire fighters have time to do telemarketing but I know for a fact that they have time to canvas neighborhoods going door to door offering a free photographic portrait if we donate a certain amount of money. I know these guys are the actual firefighters because I know some of them.

I think there is some confusion here to the different types of fire departments.

Some are fully funded by the municipality who own teh equipment, buildings, etc and the firemen work for the municipality.

Some are partially funded by a municipality or a local fire tax, but must still make up the funding difference with fundraisers. Sometimes a couple firemen are paid to be on call to get the trucks moving while the rest of the crew, if they aren't already volunteering at the fire house, race to the scene in their personal vehicles.

Other units get very little official funding and are completely run by volunteers.”

“LOL...take the call, act like you are on the can....

Now if you really want fun act like you can barely hear them...see how loud you can get them to talk.

The other is treat them like they just called Customer Service in India. Yes they can all be fun...but you have to understand the critical part..."The telemarketers MUST get X number of calls or what not per hour...each minute you take out of them...the more they have to work.”

“Now yer talkin', X!!

In a twisted way, I miss those calls.

Another reply.....

"Gotta go, I got bay-bees in the tub!!!"”

“Sometimes i tell them to hold on, that i'll be right back. i won't hang up, but a few minutes later i'll pick up to see if they are still there.”

“Hmmm... I will have to use those in the future. Usually I just tell them that the person they are calling is dead.”

“I used to just pick up the phone, wait until they start talking, "Hello? Hello?", and after 10 seconds of dead air space, they hang up... but that was then... and this is now...


You gotta check THIS out”

“Marko...babies in the tub? I could post a humorous photo...but some of the Puritans among us would have this put on a fuego thread (LOL).....You try the tub, heck I found the washing machine worked pretty well...there is enough airspace at the top.....”