Reduce you Credit Card rate...

[Volzfan]

Do you guys get this recorded call from "Rachel"? I'm at home thru the day and sometimes they call me 2 or 3 times a day! They give you the option to press #3 and remove your number from their calling list but that doesn't work. It seems that the calls come from different numbers so no way to block them.

Now I've started hitting the number to speak with a rep. If you start into them about the calls they just hang up on you. I have now started telling them before I give them information that there is someone at the door and ask them to wait then never pick back up.

These calls really get my BP up.

Any ideas?

[Sandman]

You can indulge them a little more to get more information about their company. Once you get the name, you can use whatever you want such as telling them you are gonna sue them, call the BBB, etc...That's what I did and they stopped.

[Caster]

Ahh yes Rachel from Card Holder services. I hate that sorry grubby .

She [recording] calls here at the shop all the time. So, when the option to speak to an operator comes up I do so, and ALWAYS speak VERY softly. Reason: These telemarketers use a head set not a handset for a phone. If you speak really softly, they'll turn up the volume to hear better. I talk to them as though interested, but keep my voice way down. All the while I fetch the air hose and I have a large air horn from an 18 wheeler that I put a fitting on. I don't know what the little air pumps on the trucks run, but I hook it up to an 80 gallon Ingersol Rand at 150 PSI and it is LOUD. Set the phone in the chair and give them about a 3 or 4 second burst. My ears are ringing afterward, but strange....they're never on the line when I pick up the phone again.

[Caster]

You can indulge them a little more to get more information about their company. Once you get the name, you can use whatever you want such as telling them you are gonna sue them, call the BBB, etc...That's what I did and they stopped.

They call three of four times a week, I have threatened them with lawsuits, disembowelment, as well as talk to them and waste their time talking to them trying to see how many times I can get them to repeat themselves. I've cussed them I've even tried to get them to come over to the house for a beer bust in the field across the street. I've talked about what they were going to have for supper and asked them VERY personal questions.....they KEEP calling. I tell them we are on a no call list and yet they KEEP CALLING. I used to get mad but now, I enjoy it. I even tell them that I am someone else and that the real me got killed in a motorcycle wreck when it ran head on into a running wood chipper. They say something like "Oh I'm so sorry" to which I reply "I'm not, I hated that SOB and I'm glad he's dead".

Most of the time though I'll tell them a good joke or something seriously racially charged and inappropriate. You know the only good indian is a dead indian..... OF course I don't believe any of this and part of me says I should be ashamed for dong it, but.....I'm not.

Edited February 29, 2012 by Caster

[Guest Torrin]

Do you guys get this recorded call from "Rachel"? I'm at home thru the day and sometimes they call me 2 or 3 times a day! They give you the option to press #3 and remove your number from their calling list but that doesn't work. It seems that the calls come from different numbers so no way to block them.

Now I've started hitting the number to speak with a rep. If you start into them about the calls they just hang up on you. I have now started telling them before I give them information that there is someone at the door and ask them to wait then never pick back up.

These calls really get my BP up.

Any ideas?

There's not much for it, my wife has gone on a one woman quest to shut them down, but the FCC doesn't much care. There is a website to report the offending numbers, but as you mentioned, they cycle through them fairly often. It is worse getting hit on the cell phone, that really makes me unhappy.

[Dolomite_supafly]

If you call your service provider, I know Verizon does, they will remove you from a telemarketer list they maintain. If not you, by default, consent to these receive these calls. I did not know it until I called to cancel my service because I was receiving calls all the time.

Also, make sure to have them remove you from the messaging list as well. They are two seperate lists. Until I did this I was getting texts at 2am-4am every night about a free IPad.

Dolomite

[Caster]

I think they have a computer program that cycles numbers numerically. Start 555-0000 and end 555-9999 Then on to the next prefix. I have no proof but there's no way we are on so many call lists when we have signed up for no call lists many times.

[Guest A10thunderbolt]

I started just picking up the phone, saying hello and then setting it down again. They usually ramble on for about a minute before realizing no ones there.

[Caster]

I started just picking up the phone, saying hello and then setting it down again. They usually ramble on for about a minute before realizing no ones there.

You're on the right track. Swearing and threatening means nothing to them, they hear it all day. Where you can do real damage to their campaign is to waste their time. Time spent is money lost. I try to keep them on the line as long as possible when I'm not busy. I've had a few on my cell phone. Those are good because you always remember their name and when they finally get disgusted and hang up on you, call back and ask for them by name. "HEY!, why'd you hang up on me?" It's hard to get through sometimes but I've done it a time or two.

[MiddTennTaco]

911 services, what's the emergency?

[Raoul]

I think they have a computer program that cycles numbers numerically. Start 555-0000 and end 555-9999 Then on to the next prefix. I have no proof but there's no way we are on so many call lists when we have signed up for no call lists many times.

Yes this is how they dodge the DNC list. Robocalls are not handled the same as telemarketing calls.

[hipower]

I've run the gamut of all these comments except the air horn. Waste their time. Ask for a supervisor. Ask them to stop. drop the phone and let them talk. Nothing seems to slow it or stop them. So I screen all calls now. If I don't know the number or it's blocked, I don't awnser.

[G27ATT]

Mr Number app. Lots of customization as far as blocking is concerned.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk

[analog_kidd]

I always have fun with them. If a telemarketer calls and asks for me by my name, I start acting all freaked out and then tell them that I'm in the Witness Protection Program, and that they contacted me with my old name on my new phone number, and if you can find me then they can too. They usually get real concerned for me.

We used to get the phone company calling to get us to add long distance to our plan. My wife signed us up when we moved here so they always asked for her. I would tell them that she was in, but her phone privileges had been taken away. They would always ask if she was my WIFE, and I would say yes and that she might be allowed to use the phone in a week or so. Freaks them out.

If it's a man on the phone, I'll sometimes make up a story about how they sound real familiar, and didn't we meet at such and such place one time, and aren't you the guy who likes to cuddle. That one usually gets me called some bad words.

[Guest RobThatsMe]

Here is some info on the latest regarding these calls.

You would think that something could be done about these calls from her.

http://www.pal-item.com/article/20120225/NEWS01/202250304/No-call-lawsuit-targets-Rachel-

http://www.startribune.com/blogs/56621147.html

[RobertNashville]

Do you guys get this recorded call from "Rachel"? I'm at home thru the day and sometimes they call me 2 or 3 times a day! They give you the option to press #3 and remove your number from their calling list but that doesn't work. It seems that the calls come from different numbers so no way to block them.

Now I've started hitting the number to speak with a rep. If you start into them about the calls they just hang up on you. I have now started telling them before I give them information that there is someone at the door and ask them to wait then never pick back up.

These calls really get my BP up.

Any ideas?

I've dealt with this company (or at least one done the same thing)...VERY irritating. Once or twice I've answered the call and before they could start their script I've told them I don't have any credit cards (and I truly don't thank God) and that they are in violation of both Federal and Tennessee state law by calling me as I'm on both Do Not Call registries...each time they hung up before I go it all out.

Thankfully, my land line phone allows me to easily block numbers like that so I do...while I'd prefer to reach through the phone line and punch them in the face, at least blocking their calls solves the problem.

[TGO David]

I wish I could just white-list the numbers I want to be able to call my cell phone and have it block all others. That would make me incredibly happy.

[Caster]

I wish I could just white-list the numbers I want to be able to call my cell phone and have it block all others. That would make me incredibly happy.

That should be easy for the companies to do, wonder why they don't offer that? Bet you a dollar there's a hacker out there somewhere that can get that done.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I used to mess with those fine credit card services folks when they would call, but now either let the phone ring out or pick up then immediately hang up.

I kinda feel sorry for those phone workers because its got to be one of the worst jobs to get so much verbal abuse. Seems a fair bet that most of the folks can't get any other job or they wouldn't put up with it.

One odd case-- The do not call laws are written so that if you ever bought something from a company then they can call you for some time period of months or years without breaking the law. A few years ago there was a NRA magazine glossy ad for "introductory price, limit one" on 20 silver eagles that actually was a good deal, near the price of 20 oz silver and no commission. Some outfit in texas. The caller ID shows "FAR" for "First American Reserve".

Anyway, bought the 20 silver eagles because it was a good deal and thought they might turn out to be a good discount bullion dealer. But all they sell is old "collectible" gold coins priced way over bullion rates. Which may be a decent investment but not for me. The cheap bullion come-on is just to get people's names so they can repeatedly call and hard-sell overpriced antique gold. Lately their new ads don't even have that great a bargain on the cheap bullion come-on.

So anyway the first couple of calls I told em don't call me back unless you have good bullion prices, ain't gonna buy any overpriced antiques. Then the next couple of calls I told em quit bothering me. So now I just either don't answer if I notice FAR on the caller ID, or pick up and hang up if I was in a hurry and picked up without looking at the ID.

It is baffling why that company will keep calling when they KNOW it pees off the customer and makes it near impossible that the customer will ever buy from them ever again. Seems the company would be wasting labor continuing to annoy people they can never ever sell to again, when each unwanted call makes the odds of a sale even more remote.

Maybe some of that company's workers get enough commission that it is worth the annoyance, but maybe most of those guys would rather be doing something else for a living than having a boss who makes them repeatedly call people who hate them, and then pretend to be friendly and cheerful on each call. Wearing waders and cleaning out septic tanks would probably be a more pleasant job after awhile, unless the commissions happened to be real good.

Hmmm, Comcast keeps calling trying to upsell services, Sometimes I tell them to quit calling or they will make me so mad I'll just cancel Comcast entirely. Dunno if that threat has any influence on the number of upsell calls. Guess its about the same as that rare coin company-- They've got to know they are losing customers by annoying people, but they keep doing it anyway.

[strickj]

Sign up on the national do not call list.

The FTC takes offenses much more seriously when you're on the list.

I wish I could just white-list the numbers I want to be able to call my cell phone and have it block all others. That would make me incredibly happy.

There's an app for that. Seriously.

I haven't received any unsolicited calls since I left contractual plans behind so I can not comment of the app's effectiveness, but I do have the one for texts. It works perfectly!

[Dolomite_supafly]

My number has been on the "do not call" list for at least 5 years now and I still received calls. When I switched to Verizon the calls got much worse even though I had the same number. It all stopped when Verizon did what I mentioned above.

Dolomite

[analog_kidd]

I wish I could just white-list the numbers I want to be able to call my cell phone and have it block all others. That would make me incredibly happy.

You can kind of do that with a Google Voice account. I think you can set a list of people that can call you directly and your phone rings, another group that get sent straight to voicemail, and another group that are blocked. They also just announced that they have a new texting and phone Spammer blocklist that you can enable.

Of course you still have to have a real phone, with a number that anyone can call, but if you were to get a new phone number that no one ever knew, and then tied your Google Voice account to that new number and only gave out the Google number, it might cut down some of the junk.

I always give businesses my Google number, that way I can block them later if needed.

[Timestepper]

I'm on the "no call" list, but sometimes still get them.

I decided quite a while back to just have fun with these idiots. So any time I get a call from an "unidentified" or "unknown" number (which is invariably how telemarketer calls show up), I always answer in a child's voice: "Heeellllooo?" If it proves to be a telemarketer, then no matter what they say, I giggle and say (still in the "child's voice") "Hee, hee - I got a secret! ...Ahm not 'posed to tell anybody, but my momma's up in the attic." Then I'll pause while they ask if there's an adult available and then continue as if I didn't hear them or just can't wait to 'tell my secret' - "Daddy tol' the 'surance comp'ny that she fell out of the boat at the lake an' they gave him a big bunch of money, but she's drinkin' Crown Royal and eatin' little fish eggs in front of the big screen TV up in the attic... So, uh... Okay... thanks for listenin' to my secret - if you got one you wanna' tell to me, you can call me back in the mornin' 'fore we leave for Mex'co..." Then I just hang up. (My ex was a telemarketer for a time, so I know that, by law, they're not allowed to call you back.)

Got one last year from some guy who was trying to sell me a "warranty" for my "older vehicle." I listened as politely as I could for a few minutes while he extolled the virtues of this particular plan. Then I told him, "Wow, sounds like just what I'm lookin' for!" He started to say something else and I cut him off, "I mean, sh*t fire, man! I got an '85 Ramcharger with 400,000 miles on it and the freakin' front bumper fell off last time I went stump jumpin'! Now I think I need new hoses and belts from when the battery was leakin' when it got knocked outta' the bungee cords - sign me the f*ck up right now!" (He hung up on me.)

I don't suffer fools gladly, but I'm not above having some fun at their expense!

[Guest RobThatsMe]

Talk about timing... I got a call from Rachael yesterday, But this time, the message gave an option to be removed from their list by pressing "3". They never offered this option before, at least that I can recall. Otherwise, I would have exercised that option long ago.

Perhaps this change is due to the new laws that passed regarding these type of calls.

Hopefully so. only time will tell as to if I get another call from Rachael.

Edited March 3, 2012 by RobThatsMe

[Caster]

Talk about timing... I got a call from Rachael yesterday, But this time, the message gave an option to be removed from their list by pressing "3". They never offered this option before, at least that I can recall. Otherwise, I would have exercised that option long ago.

Perhaps this change is due to the news laws that passed regarding these type of calls.

Hopefully so. only time will tell as to if I get another call from Rachael.

I hope it works for you. I've pushed three so many times.........