It probably won't do any good, but...

[frau kaleun]

I feel so much better. Sent this off to the contact email for organization "Z" (from a dummy email address whose inbox I don't check and whose existence I only maintain for such purposes) after a very irritating experience with one of their "give us money" calls.

To whom it may concern:

Recently I received a robocall at (xxx)xxx-xxxx from someone soliciting donations to your organization at phone number (zzz)zzz-zzzz, during which I was advised to call back (long distance, I might add) at the same number if I did not want to receive your calls in the future. Since there is ample evidence online that doing so would be a waste of both my time and my money, I didn't bother to call back.

This evening I received another call from the same number and, out of curiosity, answered it a second time. Much to my surprise, a woman on the other end asked for "Mrs. X" - "X" being a mispronunciation of my name common among telemarketers, outright scammers, and other cold-callers who get my name and contact information off a list and do not actually know or do business with me. She volunteered no other information. I asked who was calling and was told only that it was "an organization" that "Mrs. X" had supported in the past. When I asked what organization she was referring to, I was told it was "Z."

I advised the caller that I had no affiliation with "Z," had never knowingly provided them with my phone number, had not been a supporter of theirs during the 10+ years I have retained sole use of the number (or at any time previously), and did not wish to receive unsolicited sales/charity calls at that number from "Z" or anyone else.

This woman then proceeded to argue with me on this point, insisting that I had in fact supported "Z" in the past and that this was why I was now receiving phone calls about additional donations. I informed her again that I am the only person who has been available at this phone number for over a decade, that I have never supported "Z," and that I do not wish to receive calls on their behalf.

The woman continued to insist that she was calling for a "Mrs. X" at my number, who had most definitely been a past supporter of your organization, the implication being that she had every right to call my number for that reason and that I had no right or reason to object to it. By this time I was already irritated by your representative's refusal to accept that there is no supporter of your organization here named "X" or anything else; in addition to which, I have grown exceedingly weary of sales/charity pitches that include a demand to speak to a "Mr." or a "Mrs." at my residence as though the possibility of an unmarried woman living independently were inconceivable. I informed the caller that there was no "Mrs. X" at this number and asked her again to please stop calling it.

Your representative then decided to chastise me for not informing her at the beginning of the call that she had the wrong number for "Mrs. X" - this, after refusing to accept my repeated assertations that the "past supporter" she claimed could be found at this number simply did not exist and that no present support would be forthcoming from the person who actually does live here.

I pointed out to the caller that the name she had given was a mispronunciation of my name commonly (and only) used by people doing exactly what she was doing, right down to the "Mrs." tacked presumptuously onto the front of it; consequently, I had every reason to assume that I was in fact the target of the call, and that there was no "wrong" number involved. Furthermore, it is not the responsibility of the recipients of an unsolicited sales/charity pitch to update the caller on the accuracy (or lack thereof) of the personal information he/she has obtained regarding themselves or anyone else.

I also pointed out that it was completely irrelevant whether she had a wrong number or not, given the fact that the only person for whom it is the right number had already made it clear that no support was available there and had asked to be removed from the calling list. That was where the call should have ended; nevertheless, your representative chose instead to argue with me about who and what I support, and then refused to accept that there was no "past supporter" at my residence, as though she were more of an authority on those matters than I am. Then to top it off she had the audacity to reprimand me for not informing her that she was barking up the wrong tree when I'd already spent several minutes telling her she was doing exactly that. She was still going on about it when I finally hung up on her.

In addition, had the caller simply started out by acknowledging where she was calling from and why, instead of trying to conceal that information until she thought she had the imaginary "Mrs. X" on the line, she would've gotten nothing from me but a polite and concise "No thank you, I'm not interested, goodbye" before being free to take her attitude elsewhere.

Normally I try very hard not to be rude to people who do telemarketing and other such jobs, preferring to believe that they are just people trying to earn a living like everyone else I know and would probably opt for a less annoying way of doing it if that were possible. Congratulations on finding someone to represent you who managed to make that impossible for once.

It should go without saying that I do not wish to receive any future calls at (xxx)xxx-xxxx from or on behalf of your organization. Such calls will not be tolerated and will be terminated with extreme prejudice, in addition to being reported to the appropriate regulatory agency.

Thank you.

I know the "best" thing to do is just hang up on these people, unfortunately that doesn't stop them from calling back and leaving their stupid robo-messages or making my phone ring when I'm trying to sleep or expecting a call from someone I actually want to talk to. And this particular caller just took it one step too far.

Plus I was already going through my call log and picking out the ones I could file a complaint about under the Do Not Call Registry rules, so, you know, I was just in the mood. And the one or two places I've gone to this much trouble with in the past, have actually STOPPED calling me.

Now if I could just get the debt collectors who think "Mr. Y" lives here to leave me alone.... actually sent an email off to one of them, too, they've been calling 2-3 times a week for a couple months now and I have NO idea who they're talking about.

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

I feel so much better. Sent this off to the contact email for organization "Z" (from a dummy email address whose inbox I don't check and whose existence I only maintain for such purposes) after a very irritating experience with one of their "give us money" calls.



I know the "best" thing to do is just hang up on these people, unfortunately that doesn't stop them from calling back and leaving their stupid robo-messages or making my phone ring when I'm trying to sleep or expecting a call from someone I actually want to talk to. And this particular caller just took it one step too far.

Plus I was already going through my call log and picking out the ones I could file a complaint about under the Do Not Call Registry rules, so, you know, I was just in the mood. And the one or two places I've gone to this much trouble with in the past, have actually STOPPED calling me.

Now if I could just get the debt collectors who think "Mr. Y" lives here to leave me alone.... actually sent an email off to one of them, too, they've been calling 2-3 times a week for a couple months now and I have NO idea who they're talking about.

create a filter and then off, with the "problem"

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Vendor

create a filter and off you with the "problem"

They're not emailing me. They're calling me on the phone trying to get me to give them money by insisting that I've already given them money and therefore should be willing to listen while they ask me for more money, when in fact I have never given them any money and neither has anyone else at this number because the only person at this number is me.

[nikimcbee]

I just speak Russian to them. Works every time. Or just go along with them and play really stupid.

[nikimcbee]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

They're not emailing me. They're calling me on the phone trying to get me to give them money by insisting that I've already given them money and therefore should be willing to listen while they ask me for more money, when in fact I have never given them any money and neither has anyone else at this number because the only person at this number is me.

Here you go Frau, I found it for you:
enjoy

[frau kaleun]

I totally need to be asleep right now so I can't take the time to watch that... but I hope it's one of Tom Mabe's bits where he turns the table on a telemarketer. Some of his stuff is pure genius.

[nikimcbee]

omg, I'm laughing so hard, I can hardly breath

[nikimcbee]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

I totally need to be asleep right now so I can't take the time to watch that... but I hope it's one of Tom Mabe's bits where he turns the table on a telemarketer. Some of his stuff is pure genius.

You're not sleepy and you want to watch videos.

[nikimcbee]

Here's what to do:


You can use the google

[frau kaleun]

The cleverest thing I've ever managed to say to a telemarketer is when they do the "May I speak to Mr. or Mrs. X" thing.

For that one I can always respond, "I'm sorry, but you must have the wrong number. My father is dead and my mother doesn't live here."

Years ago when I had a roommate whose ex-husband kept making abusive and harrassing phone calls to our place, we got a really loud, and I mean "professional referee" loud, whistle and would blow it into the phone whenever he called. Didn't take long before he stopped calling.

Not really interested in the whistle any more but I'm betting I could download a suitably obnoxious recording of vuvuzelas somewhere for those "special" cold-callers who just won't take no for an answer.

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

They're not emailing me. They're calling me on the phone trying to get me to give them money by insisting that I've already given them money and therefore should be willing to listen while they ask me for more money, when in fact I have never given them any money and neither has anyone else at this number because the only person at this number is me.

They appear to be stubborn, have you get a finger will they have a whole hand

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Vendor

They appear to be stubborn, have you get a finger will they have a whole hand

Oh, I wouldn't mind them getting the finger... but unfortunately giving it to them over the phone just isn't very satisfying.

[UnderseaLcpl]

You probably should have told them what you think about Carthage. If nothing else, to demonstrate how serious a person you can be. I would have.

[Herr-Berbunch]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

...from a dummy email address whose inbox I don't check and whose existence I only maintain for such purposes)

Ahh, you're Mrs. X from that Mrs.X.com website, no wonder my pleas have gone ignored for the webcam action








PS. If such a website exists, I know nothing of it and I'm sure Frau X here doesn't partake in such activities - only cats and submerging... or could I rephrase that?

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

Oh, I wouldn't mind them getting the finger... but unfortunately giving it to them over the phone just isn't very satisfying.