Things that make you go "huh?' and "duh".

[Claire]

OK, the commercial insurance industry seemed to know the exact second my husband turned 65. So, here's a question? If the insurance industry knew the exact second my husband turned 65, why do they not know that we own out house outright, and every week I get a call offering to refinance my mortgage?

 

[Andy M.]

Because they are trying to sell you something. If you don't need to re-finance, you may need to get a mortgage to do some repairs or remodeling.

Whey does Rachel from cardholder services keep calling me and offering to help me with my credit card debt when I don't have any credit card debt?

Sooner or later, they find a sucker who is willing and able to sign on the dotted line.

 

[Cerise]

OK, the commercial insurance industry seemed to know the exact second my husband turned 65. So, here's a question? If the insurance industry knew the exact second my husband turned 65, why do they not know that we own out house outright, and every week I get a call offering to refinance my mortgage?

You're lucky it is every week. Up untl a few weeks ago, I received 3 automated calls per day. I registered, again, here:

https://www.donotcall.gov/

 

[Barbara L]

We are always getting calls from people saying that our car is about to go out of warranty and they can help. If I answer, they usually insist that they need to talk to James.

Only two problems with that.

1. Our warranty is through the dealer, and none of them claim to be from the dealer.

2. The car is registered in my name, not in James'.

Sheesh

 

[LPBeier]

We have kept Dad's phone number as a smart ring on ours for the last four months in case anyone that was legitimately trying to get hold of him and didn't know he had died called. Well, I only got two such calls in the first few weeks and they were given our number.

But every few days I get people saying they are calling about helping him with credit card debt, that his computer has a virus and they can fix it, he hasn't been using his online newspaper so would he like to have it delivered. These are all live calls (there are recorded ones as well).

The worst part is I tell them he passed away and they keep talking! One was adamant to speak with him.

This week we are disconnecting the number.

 

[Steve Kroll]

Whey does Rachel from cardholder services keep calling me and offering to help me with my credit card debt when I don't have any credit card debt?

That Rachel bit drives me up the freakin' wall. For three years now, I've gotten an average of two robo calls a week on my cell phone from that company. I've even gone so far as to file reports with the FCC and Attorney General's office. But they just keep calling. And you can't block them because it originates from a different number all the time. What I can't figure out is why these people aren't in prison somewhere. The business model itself may not be illegal, but obviously the methods they use are.

 

[Claire]

Because they are trying to sell you something. If you don't need to re-finance, you may need to get a mortgage to do some repairs or remodeling.

Whey does Rachel from cardholder services keep calling me and offering to help me with my credit card debt when I don't have any credit card debt?

Sooner or later, they find a sucker who is willing and able to sign on the dotted line.

I think we should find Rachel and roast her. I must get a call a week.

 

[Andy M.]

I think we should find Rachel and roast her. I must get a call a week.

She's so busy making bogus calls, they brought Sarah in to help.

 

[Zhizara]

They must be related to Peggy.

 

[Barbara L]

They must be related to Peggy.

I was just going to say that we should introduce her to Peggy!

 

[LPBeier]

I will have to actually listen next time I get one of those before I hang up - never listen long enough (or don't pay attention) to know her name.

 

[babetoo]

i have caller i.d. if i don't know the name or the number, then i don't answer. but i keep seeing the same names and numbers so they will keep calling forever, i guess.

 

[Barbara L]

i have caller i.d. if i don't know the name or the number, then i don't answer. but i keep seeing the same names and numbers so they will keep calling forever, i guess.

Some of those services get paid just for the phone being answered--even if a machine answers, the person who answers hangs up, etc. We had a big go-round with a place that kept calling for my dad when he was dying. My daughter (who inherited my dad's house, and kept the same phone number) has blocked that one now, but it was horrible at the time. They would call several times a day. One of the bad things is that companies like the one that was calling my dad have their phone calls routed through several places, all over the world, so it is pretty much impossible to do anything about them, other than blocking them. We traced that one to Utah, but before that it went through Florida, India, and who knows where else.

 

[Claire]

I think that is the killer. Someone must fall for this stuff (I was going to use a word that would be bleeped, I'm sure) for them to keep calling. I should register on the no calls, but about half of mine are from companies I do business with, and you can't block them. My cable company and my land-line phone company both call me constantly to bundle. My cable company (computer and TV) want me to add phone. 3 or 4 years ago I did, and spent most of my time at neighbors' houses because the phone, cheap though it was, wasn't working most of the time. At the time I didn't have a cell phone. Mom was very sick, and as happens every few years, I go on 5 minute alert to get in the car and drive to Florida to help. So no phone is not an option, and I could never get ahold of the cable company and they when I could they came out and fiddled around and it lasted less than a day. So called up AT&T. Now AT&T wants me to bundle, but talking to my neighbors, when their TV (satellite) or computer go down, they have to pay a small fortune to get a repair person in to work the problem. I just want them all to leave me alone, but you can't block a vendor you already have a contract with

I actually did stay on the line to a real human who was trying to get me to refinance my mortgage. I told her I don't have a mortgage and don't foresee a need for one. Normally I just hang up on them. This time the woman was very pleasant and said, here, one minute, I'm removing you from our call list! But usually they're just recordings, so just hang up. the others are health insurance purveyors. If it is a human, I can explain that my husband is on Tricare-for-Life/Medicare. They immediately remove us from their call list. But 99% of it is recordings and, well, I just hang up.

 

[Addie]

My three sons each have more than one cell phone. I have yet to remember all of them. One for work, one for personal. My daughter the same. She calls me from work on her cell phone or whatever desk she is sitting at. So I don't always recognize the number. Then there are all the different departments from the hospital. Who can keep those numbers straight? So I just answer. If they don't respond within five seconds of Hello, I hang up. I know it is a recorded call. I get recorded calls from the hospital reminding me of upcoming appointments. Then there is The Ride. They always call to confirm my appointment of the next day and with the time of pickup. They both respond within three seconds.

Of all these calls and numbers, none come across as Private. I was getting calls several times a day from Private. I would like to know her last name. I stopped picking up the handset and let it go to the fax machine. The calls stopped in just two days. Have you ever dialed a fax number in error and had the screech blast into your ear?

 

[Andy M.]

...I was getting calls several times a day from Private. I would like to know her last name...

Her last name is Parts. (too easy)

If I get calls from Corvallis Oregon, Private, or out-of-state area codes I don't know. I don't answer. I just disconnect.

 

[Addie]

Her last name is Parts. (too easy)

If I get calls from Corvallis Oregon, Private, or out-of-state area codes I don't know. I don't answer. I just disconnect.

 

[CWS4322]

Remind me not to call you Andy, I have a blocked, unpublished number. It comes up as Private.

 

[Andy M.]

Remind me not to call you Andy, I have a blocked, unpublished number. It comes up as Private.

Well, you can call all you want...