Please Be careful!
 

:thumbdown: I just registered for a magazine subscription "love of quilting" last night. This morning we started to get calls from MRSI 513-562-1300 which is a tele-marketing Co. based out of Ohio. So someone is getting/selling personal info. They claim they are exempt from the do not call list because they are not selling anything, but then will sell your phone number to others. I do not use my number most times but if I remember correctly, you HAD to leave a number when subscribing.

I keep getting a number calling me and if you google it others have gotten complaints. I don't put my number on a subscription. I tell them to email me for any inquiries. When I go to pay for something cash and they ask me for a phone number, I give them 888-888-8888. You can also put that into a script.

we get calls every day. report them all but doesn't stop them all. sometimes ID shows stupid words, like "Important" as if that will make someone answer. of course my hubby always does. they call late at night and wake him up too.

Thanks for all the info. I don't like giving my phone number either so I'll try your trick Tessgin.

I get calls on my sell phone from "Withheld"! Do they REALLY think I'll answer?? One thing I've learned to do is let it go to "recent calls", then save the number under "don't answer" or "No", etc. Then when it comes on my screen I just reject it.

I just give a fake number with my local area code so it will match my address. Why put any real personal info on any non legal forms just because it says it has to be given. Everyone needs to get over using real info online. Every subscription I have doesn't have my real name on it, just my address. I have a mail order name I use. LOL.

You know, I used to do this too, but one day it occurred to me that while I was making up a number, it was no doubt someone's real phone number. So I stopped doing that and would just put in my own. I guess I got lucky since nothing bad has come of it, but I like the idea of all 8's. I've tried all 0's and sites won't take that. Hopefully the 8's will work. :)

you can always get a Google Voice number, and make it go directly to voice mail. Never have to hear the phone ring, the messages come through your email. Totally anonymous. I use it for Craigslist.

We leave our phone on mute. People can leave a message. Those kind usually don't though.

Bless those who invented "caller ID"...........we don't answer unless we recognize the number.

We get calls from all over the country. I see them on the caller ID. Politicians call too and leave messages I just delete them.
Honestly what really ticks us off the most is our doctors will not call ua at our family owned business. We are not as lucky as they are, we work 7:30 to 5:00, five days a week.
We have to call them back the next day, unless it is a Friday, then we have to do it on Monday. Most doctors around here do not work on Fridays.

After having an extreme number of telemarketing calls from the same 3 vendors with about 27 different phone numbers, and making complaints to any place I could find, I finally called the FCC and lodged a complaint. Their recommendation - don't answer the calls at all - even to get info to make a complaint. I still get spurts of calls but not nearly to the level they had been for quite a while. I was listed on every 'do not call' list known to man to no avail.

The do not call list is a joke. We've been on it for years and I've even redone it every year even though they say you don't have to. I get robo calls on a regular basis and my husband gets calls almost daily sometimes from people trying to sell tools. I don't have caller id so not answering isn't an option.

I think I saw or read something about the robo calls -I'm guessing those are the ones that are computer dialed- are not covered by 'do not call' because a person is not the one dialing.
I think the robo calls will dial up to 5 phone numbers at a time and when the 1st one to answer picks up it will drop the other 4, so I wait until the 2nd or 3rd ring. But I still get some calls with people on the phone, and they may be ones that have a system that just calls one number at a time. My favorite one is the 10th call from the company that states this is your final opportunity for us to call you... Did they become a new company overnight because I'll get one the next day.

We all have to decide what level of "irritation" we will accept. We have caller id. We never answer if we don't recognize the number. If it is important, they will leave a message. We are also on the do not call list, for what that's worth! My only "gripe" is that I think the phone companies should provide the caller id service for free!! Since they don't, I still think it's the best $10.00 I spend every month!!:p

The ones we get are an actual recording. Not quite as bad, I guess, as a person, since you can just hang up. But it's annoying to have to answer in the first place sometimes and you can't tell them to remove you from their calling list (if that even works-probably not).

Lots of good ideas. I can hardly wait to try some of them. Thanks

Amen to that!! :D

I, too, have a contact with "Don't Answer" and anything that comes through that is telemarketing, they get saved as this contact. Works good.

Somewhere I read that when you get one of those calls, just hit the pound key three or four times and it will throw your number out of the system. I do it when I remember, but don't know if it works or not.

Many moons ago I worked for a chiropractor who decided to market with the robo calls. We were required to update with our robo call provider to add updated DNC lists. He finally decided the whole robo system was a waste of money and quit using it.

re: please be careful
 

when someone asks for my phone number--I give them one--it is easy to make up a number--there is a restaurant in Anchorage, AK that used to want SS# which is unlawful to use that for ID and I would do the same thing--I have found that I can sometimes get away with putting XXXXX in place of phone numbers or mailing addresses

some of these robo calls will not stop until you say something--I pick up the receiver to answer and put it back down to end the call

I am finding some DR's offices, etc wlll use a phone that doesn't show the name of their office--Dell computers also does that--these are calls I don't want to ignore so I will answer just in case

I also use all 8's. I've never been asked for my real number.

A while back, my cell phone got on some telemarketer's list that went out nationwide, I believe it was Paradise Marketing. Anyway, after repeatedly asking to be removed (I am on Do Not Call List - what a joke that is), I finally resorted to recording from you tube "This number has been disconnected" Voice Message, and turned off the phone. I finally got taken off, but it took about 4 weeks of leaving it on.

I no longer have that problem. I did the hitting the pound key several times really fast for the robo calls. For the calls that has some one on the line, I would say "can you hold on a minuet?" then I would just lay the phone down & leave it till they hang up. Also, put a whistle next to your phone & when the call, just start blowing it & keep it up till they hang up. If you really feel like a smart a--, you could say something like. I'm so glad you called. I have no friends & would you be my friend? You sound really cute. How old are you? What color hair & eyes do you have? are you married? If so,how many kids do you have & ask for their ages. If you give me your home phone I can call you later & then we can really talk. They will hang up on you if you don't give them a chance to do their sale pitch. By the way, I no longer have that problem. :~)

I've read it is good to call the area code of the place you order rather than an 800 number since if you call an 800 number your information is more readily sold. You can often look up a company's "real" number online.

For years now I have used a phony-phone number so when someone asks for my phone number I don't have to sit and explain that it is an invasion of privacy, that you cannot ask me for my phone number, etc., etc., etc. I just give them the number and have had no problems whatsoever. I use it on my checks mainly. And if anyone asks me I just say that there is a bill in congress waiting to be passed saying that we don't have to give out our phone number. That is my private domain and I am the one who gives it out because I am the one that pays the telephone bill, right? So at least I have a good excuse why I don't put down my number. And if it is a totally legit outfit, I will give them my number with the added sentence "This is an unlisted number - if I find that you have abused my telephone number, I will have no recourse than to prosecute you for invasion of privacy." It works!!!!!! Edie

I am sooooooooooo sick of the robo calls. I am on every do not call list I can find. SOme days we get 8 or 10 calls. Somehow my DH is on a list where people call wanting to handle his investments. They call from all over the country. I would love to disconnect my home phone. No one calls it that I want to talk to. Dh is self employed and does get the occasional business call on it. He wants his name listed in the phone book.
The other thing that drives me crazy is the websites that you can't even look at without registering This produces tons of annoying junk email. I use my maiden name and my old email address to register. I also have a fake mailing address that I use.

Use the local time and weather recording phone number. That helps to keep the call count high for that service. Also any fax only number will work. Lots of options available to not feel guilty about.

Fons and Porter
 

Did you advise Fons and Porter? They may be interested that this is happening when ordering their magazine!!

There have been many threads on this board about fons and porter marketing ploys, particularly the unasked for dvd.

People who really have a reason to be calling you will leave a message. So, if we don't recognize the number, we let it go to voice mail. Occasionally, DH will answer the phone but just leave it sitting on the table for a bit before hanging up...

My DD has a land line for her alarm company, but turns the ringer off and never uses that phone. This is the number she gives out if someone whom she doesn't want to receive calls requests/requires a number. Like others, I just ignore calls from numbers I don't recognize. I agree that Caller ID is AWESOME!

My friend told us that when he got a call, he answered and immediately started a conversation. How are you? How's the wife and kids? How's the weather, etc. Finally the caller hangs up on him and he said they never call back.

I think I read that Fons and Porter publications were sold to the same company that has Reader's Digest. Fons and Porter are only figure heads, have no say so over the publishing company.

try giving your area code, then 555-1212. I was told that robo calling was illegal and you should
report them to FCC.

I just had a call about a half hour ago for saving money on my electric bill. Ok, I'll play along.
Can I speak to the person in charge of paying the electric bill?
Speaking
Blah blah blah need some info to see if you qualify. Do you belong (or signed up or something) to PIP?
What's that?
Something about some government help for lower income.
Hey, how do I sign up for that? I pay the bills, but I have no income, so I have to get money from my husband and Lord, the things I have to do to get that money. He expects me to cook his dinner, wash his clothes, go to the mailbox not only in the am for the paper, but again around noon to get the mail! I do...

Whoever it was hung up. The nerve!

If I'm not doing anything, and just sitting here, I answer. If it's a real person, I talk. If it's a recording I wait until instructed to press some number to talk to a real person, and I do. Then I just set the phone down and wait for the signal that the call has ended. It they're going to waste someone's time, I'm going to waste theirs and help keep someone employed.

I need a life. Wait a minute, this one's not bad