Hey, DU...some help w/ Credit Card co.

[Maine-ah]

not even sure what this is, but I keep getting a recorded call about lowering my interest rate...not affiliated with my credit card company. I asked them to remove me from their calling list and the woman says to me "you sound really young" I said that my age was none of her business and to please remove me from the list...she goes on "well, don't you have a car loan"...I say that is still none of your business, she continues on with I sound young, and starts insulting me. I got pissed and told her to remove the number. Still laughing on the other end of the phone. I hang up. Try to call back and now the number is out of service? WTF is this shit, and how the hell do I report this?

[csziggy]

1. Sign up for the Do Not Call list

And report every call you get from places like that.

https://www.donotcall.gov/

It will not get rid of all the calls, but it is the best way to bring them to the attention of authorities.

[Maine-ah]

2. all of my phones are on the DNC list.

on edit

I did file a complaint at the DNC registry.

[csziggy]

12. Report the calls, then

The DNC list does not stop these companies, but from my experience, if you are diligent about reporting them, the calls eventually stop. The problem is that they often use spoofed telephone numbers so calling them back or reporting them is no good. But that is about all you can do.

I was getting calls like that for a while and had the same responses from them, even though I am in my late 50s. My consistent response to calls like this is "I am not interested. Take this number off your list. Do not call this number again."

The ones that really annoy the hell out of me are the ones from the "computer service" that says they have detected that our computer is infected and I should go to their web site to get it cleaned up. It's always some Indian accented guy who gets real snarky about my canned response. I'm no longer even close to polite to them any more, and last call I got totally profane. That may have worked, I haven't gotten a call from them for over a month.

[Maine-ah]

13. wtf...computer services?

damn, these buggers are out in droves...I wasn't so, um, nice at the end of the call...I can only contain the four letter words for so long..lol

[csziggy]

28. Yeah, they call to tell us our computers are infected

The first time, I answered, they told me this, and I didn't hear what else they were saying I was laughing so hard. I asked how they could know my computer was infected, and he said my computer manufacturer was monitoring the computer. That set me off again - *I* built the damn computer. After that the conversation went downhill.

The second time, they got hubby. He played stupid and kept the guy on the line for nearly 45 minutes before he got tired of the game. He kept screwing up the URL for the website they gave him - or so he told them. I built his computer, too, so he knew they were feeding him BS.

They've tried a few times since and I just give them hell. I should get an airhorn for companies like this, that might cut the calls down some more.

[Ian David]

3. Start talking dirty to them. Pretend they're a phone sex operator. n/t

[Maine-ah]

7. oh, next time...

I need to be quicker like that, instead of getting mad.

[Fozzledick]

4. By any chance is that "Rachel" from "Credit card services"?

Totally bogus and totally illegal. They keep moving from state to state to avoid prosecution.

Report them if you like, but they've managed to escape justice so far. Otherwise, just hang up and ignore them.

[Maine-ah]

5. the call the other day came from TX

today it's FLA. All of the numbers they call from are always out of service when you try to call back. I filed a complaint. Probably won't go anywhere.

[hfojvt]

9. I think that may be the name

I get a number of those calls too. I just press three and set the phone off the hook - hoping they will be hit with some long distance charges.

[BanzaiBonnie]

18. What does pressing three do?

I get callsat least once a month from "credit card services."

[Common Sense Party]

17. I got that one today...but it's just a recording.

I hang up on ALL recordings.

[hobbit709]

6. Scam

[nykym]

8. First do a google search on the number

and see what comes up, it usually will come up as a scam or phishing. If you want to go further get as much info from the caller, company name their name etc. and report them. There are heavy fines for some of those.

[cbdo2007]

10. Why humor/argue with them? Just hang up.

I just wait long enough to figure out who is calling and when it's nothing I want to pursue I hang up without saying anything.

[kctim]

20. Yep

[City Lights]

11. Keep a whistle or an air horn near the phone.

When the caller refuses to honor your request, let loose...

[Maine-ah]

14. can't do that, I think it's illegal.

[City Lights]

15. Oh...I guess I'll have to put mine away then. nt

[Obamanaut]

23. If anyone asks, you are not blowing it at the phone, but rather trying to

train a reluctant puppy not to pee on your new oriental rug by startling him.

Of course, it helps if you have a puppy and/or oriental rug if you use that story.

[rationalcalgarian]

16. A good info website:

http://whocallsme.com/

Only good if you have Caller ID (and if not, why not?). Just enter the offending number in the box and voila! You will see if there are others who are experiencing the same. You can also exchange ideas on how to deal with these lowlifes.

My favorite method of dealing with them, on those rare occasions that I actually answer the phone, is to deliberately waste their time. Talk slowly.... get them to repeat themselves a few times.... say "What?" a lot..... if they are selling something or want your credit card number, agree with them and say "Just a sec, I'll be right back with it", then put the phone down and go back to watching TV or reading DU. Do a Principal Skinner on them: "I make a game of it. See how long one of them will hang on the line before hanging up, then try to break that record!"

I used to get upset with these telemarketers and scammers. Now, they are there for my amusement.

Have fun!

:)

[BanzaiBonnie]

19. Just got another call from "credit card member services"

I hung up............

[zorahopkins]

21. Call Your Congressperson And Let Her/Him Know About This

Call you Member of Congress and let her/him know about this.

Provide as much information (dates, times of calls, numbers showing on caller ID, etc), and ask the person in your Congressperson's office for advice.

Oh, and remind the person in your Congressperson's office that you vote.

[pipi_k]

22. I was getting those same calls too, all the time...never an answer...then...

one day a real person was on the other end.

I guess they call many times to make sure when someone will actually answer the phone before allowing a human to continue the annoyance...

Anyway, I heard a guy named C_____ on the other end. I had my handy dandy anti telemarketer big and beefy push button fart machine ready. I pushed the button and gave him an earful of assorted disgusting ass music.

That was months ago. Haven't heard a peep since.

:evilgrin:

[Gin]

24. I click talk and immediately hang up...never give them a chance

it's over before they realize I have hung up....

all out of state cell phones...caller ID works to weed them out

[pipi_k]

29. I usually do that too...

If I don't recognize the number, I'll let the machine screen my calls.

But these people were getting to be real pests. They would call and leave these idiotic messages on my answering machine so often it was starting to be ridiculous.

So I let them have it. :7

[Shagbark Hickory]

25. Call the phone company and tell them you are receiving harrassing phone calls.

And if you're in the mood, also call the police, non-emergency line and see if there's anything they can do to help.

[SoCalDem]

26. tell them you are recording this call for your lawyers

:evilgrin:

[Trekologer]

27. Probably the same hucksters busted for the car warranty

They'd call and call and call and call...

[HopeHoops]

30. I hold the phone down by the dogs, crack the front door, reach out and ring the door bell.

One guess as to what the dogs have to say. :evilgrin:

Sometimes I answer in Russian and (also in Russian) say "I don't speak English". On one choice occasion, after several exchanges, the person on the other end said, "oh, I see - you don't speak English." I responded with "da" and hung up just in time to avoid laughing my ass off into the phone.

There's also answering with a deep belch, a mouth-palm fart, the phone held up to the stereo speakers/headphone with some King Crimson or something on, and one from Calvin & Hobbes - "I'd like to order a large pizza for delivery..."

I know they have shitty jobs, but hopefully they have a check box on their call screen for "asshole". If so, I hope my box is checked everywhere.

[pipi_k]

31. I wish I spoke another language...

I would do the same thing.

But anyway I've always wanted to get one of those voice-changer thingies for the phone.

It might be fun to tell one of them to kiss my ass using the voice of a five year old or a very elderly man...

:7

[HopeHoops]

32. I like answering with "What the fuck, over?" in Russian. One day, hopefully someone will understand

:evilgrin:

[LoZoccolo]

33. You can say "Oh! Hold on..." and put the phone done and go about your business.

There's this one organization that's been in the papers around Chicago for questionable practices (purporting to be a charity but giving little money to the cause), and I could not get them to take me off their list. So what I did was just waste their time, and that finally worked. The first time I put the phone down, they were waiting something like six or seven minutes before they hung up. It got to be less after that, and then, finally, they stopped calling. Every minute of theirs that you waste is money wasted for them, so they'll soon see that it's in their interest not to call you anymore.

[pipi_k]

34. Yeah...I've done that one too...

They'll ask for "the man (or lady) of the house"...I'll say, "Sure...hold on...I'll get him/her".

Put the phone down...

and then immediately...er....FORGET...what it was I was supposed to be doing for them.

hee hee

[madmom]

35. When my grand daughter was a wee babe, she loved to "talk" on the phone..my son

would give the phone to her and tell her to talk to them. Worked like a charm.:evilgrin: