yellowmac

Is there anyone else on the TFP that is experiencing these damn telemarketers? Unfortunately they've gotten a hold of my office phone number, and while it's not as bad as it can be (I've read anecdotes on the Internet claiming several phone calls per day), it's still pretty annoying to get a call every week or so.

Here's what happens:

The phone rings. You say hello. An automated recording kicks in and states that this call is your FINAL WARNING before your auto warranty expires (the horror!) and that blah, blah, blah, you can sign up for protection and whatever. You can press 2 to get the number taken off the list, or you can press 1 to speak to a representative.

Pressing 2 has absolutely no effect. I've been getting calls for a few months now, and it has absolutely no meaning to them. Being on the do not call list is irrelevant.

You can press 1 to talk to someone, and ask them to remove your number for you, but that has no effect either.

Of course, it's a total scam. It sounds like it's a total phishing attempt in an effort to skim credit card numbers. It also seems like it's a pretty sophisticated scheme, complete with phone number masking and other methods to subvert tracing and detection.

That being said, I'd totally participate in any attempt to track these fuckers down. I'm convinced that the people running this scam and the idiots working for them are the lowest scum of human life and deserve to die a nasty, horrible death.

Here's some media coverage of the story:

Beware of car warranty scams | KOMO News - Seattle, Washington | Consumer News
On Your Side: Telemarketer Troubles|ABC 7 News
'Your car warranty is about to expire' ? so telemarketers say | www.azstarnet.com ®

So... anyone else experiencing this?

Cynthetiq

I find it faster to just hang up and move on with my day.

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Martian

If it's a legitimate telesales organization and they're calling despite you being on the DNC list, then you need to report them. Talk to a representative, get the rep's name, name of the company, and the location of the call centre, and then report that info to the FCC.

If it's a scam, then there's likely not much to be done about it.

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ngdawg

I've gotten them and just hang up. "Your car's warranty is about to expire". About? It's freakin 8 years old, Nimrod....that's why I don't bother listening.
We're on the do not call list and I don't know how those automated things work, so I never bothered to go further than hanging up.
Wonder what would happen if I just put the phone down....

Fotzlid

I got one of those calls at work the other day while I was in triage. Had a number on the phone but it disappears after you pick up. I got busy and couldn't go back and try to recall the number on the display.

Punk.of.Ages

I was getting these twice a day for like three months until I, finally, one day pressed 1, told the representative I don't drive, I have requested to be on the do not call list, threatened to report them, and then proceeded to try to sell him coaching for starting an internet business (that's what I do for a living.)

He almost bought too

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Grasshopper Green

This is the beauty of caller ID. I don't answer calls with an unknown or masked number. I guess a work phone is different, but that's my strategy with my home and cell phone.

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Poppinjay

I get that call on my cell. We have a ten and six year old car. I've never answered.

I also used to get a Spanish pre-recorded message with regularity. I finally tracked down the number, googled it, and up popped a website to file a complaint. Haven't gotten a call since.

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alicat

I had NO idea this isin't legit. I have been getting these damn calls since last October when we moved into our house. I always assumed it was due to the previous owner of our new phone number.

I'm like Medusa, I don't answer unknown or unidentified numbers, but then the assholes leave multiple messages I have to wade through. I've asked them to stop calling when I've been able to get through to a human and here it is, 10 months later and no dice.

My husband talked to them once a couple of months ago and was very pissed off but he was not rude, impressed me given how long they've been harrassing us. He did say "our DAMN number" when requesting they stop calling. When he asked the rep when we could expect them to stop, he replied "Oh, maybe around Christmas." Real professional, fuck em.

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snowy

This is my strategy too. I have a client whose number shows up as restricted--she knows I won't answer and I'll call her back as soon as I check my voicemail and know it's her, because I do get other calls from restricted or unavailable numbers that are not my clients.

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CoachAlan

I, too, received multiple calls from warranty people. One day I decided to make lemons in to lemonade and have a little fun with them. I told them, "Thank God you guys called! My transmission is so busted I only have second gear left. How fast can we renew my warranty?" Good times...

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laconic1

I hate those so much. I work for a automotive extended warranty company (NOT one of the ones that telemarkets though, we only sell through dealers) and I get so many calls from customers that are pissed and panicky and angry that we are telling them their warranty is expiring even though they thought it wasn't. I have gotten pretty good at quickly looking up their info and reassuring them that their policy with my company has a ways to go, and that it is a telemarketer not affiliated with us trying to sell them something and to just ignore it. I don't have time now to look it up, but the Missouri Attorney General office is suing some aftermarket warranty companies right now over this.

Tully Mars

If someone calls trying to sell something I'll usually listen, I always picture some college kid trying to make ends meet. If it's something I'm interested in I might buy it. I've actually bought a couple products I really liked this way. If I'm not interested I'll tell them no thanks and end the call. If they get pushy or start calling back repeatedly I'll ask them to remove me from their list. Then I screen with caller ID. If I get bored after a while I'll engage in conversation for a few minutes and then say something like "Oh, wait I have someone at the door, brb." I'll then lay the phone down and go mow the lawn or something.

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yellowmac

As long as this has been going on, I'm a bit surprised that someone hasn't organized some sort of counter-offensive to actually track these people down physically and bring them to justice.

Vigilante

I tried to track them down, but they are using a phone proxy, of sorts. I did get to a number that you call to have your number removed from the list. Sorry, I don't have that number anymore. I should have saved it. I don't get the calls anymore though.

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Poppinjay

I do this sometimes, too. I picture a college kid, hanging from a fraying rope, over the side of a cliff, trying to make ends meet.

__________________
I think the Apocalypse is happening all around us. We go on eating desserts and watching TV. I know I do. I wish we were more capable of sustained passion and sustained resistance. We should be screaming and what we do is gossip. -Lydia Millet

ShaniFaye

I get these twice a day on each incoming line we have at work, one is a female voice, one is a male, we have 6 incoming lines, which means I answer this damn call 12 times a day....every fucking day

I hate them....a lot

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I want the diabetic plan that comes with rollover carbs. I dont like the unused one expiring at midnite!!

yellowmac

It's anecdotes like this that further enrage me about these people. They almost make normal telemarketers appear angelic by comparison. It's the total disregard to the law and ethics that makes me want to witness the people behind this scam brought down hard.

MSD

If there's an automated system that will take your credit card number, look up a credit card test number and put it in. It gets you off the list according to some people.

Cynthetiq

LOL this is freaking funny as shit...

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I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not.

Tully Mars

My phone number is a stateside VoiP phone out of Eugene Oregon, lets my family call me for free. One of the last telemarketing calls I got was someone trying to sell me siding for my house. I told them I live in a concrete house... in Mexico- "No problem, we can ship it down there." I just hung up.

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