Now this takes the cake!

[Christy]

I got a call about 5 minutes ago and I have no idea who it is, thought it might be parent from my kids school or something like that, since the lady didn't sound like a telemarketer. Well she asks me how I'm doing, I ask her how she's doing, and she says "oh not so good, I just lost my baby last night". I'm immediately racking my brain trying to figure out who the hell I know that is pregnant, to no avail. So finally I ask who I'm speaking with and it's a friggin Citibank Telemarketer trying to sell me on a credit card! UFB!!!!!!!!!

must be desperate times in the telemarketing business!

 

[Kizzy]

That is too much.

 

[JabbaJawz]

OMG, you are kidding me!!! I mean, come ONNNNNN. I am quite certain that Citibank wouldn't appreciate hearing that their telemarketers are using sneaky tactics like that to guilt people into applying for a card. Then again, maybe they don't give a rats arse, as long as the consumers signs up...which is probably the case.

All telemarketers have nerve, but the lady that called you REALLY had nerve!! Man!

 

[watercolor]

Omm WTH!

I can not believe that she said that. That is assinine. WHAT IN THE WORLD! (or should I say 'For Crap's Sake')

That is completely ridiculous. I personally think that you should call citibank. Tell them of course to take you off their calling roster, and then say, you would like to file a complaint, and give them the time of the call and such. Even though it might not have been from that particular city bank progresser..they will file a complaint.

I had to do that once. Because someone called and acted like they knew me, and asked for me by first name, and then proceeded to tell Jess they were a friend of mine. So I got on the phone with them, and she was like, "Hey girl" and then went on saying how are you doing and all that jazz..and then goes on to say 'well I just wanted to give you this special offer on a low intrest rate credit card...'

I was like .....who are you....did not catch your name...and I said thank you I am calling in a complaint...and hung up.

 

[Penn]

Originally posted by Christy
I ask her how she's doing, and she says "oh not so good, I just lost my baby last night". I'm immediately racking my brain trying to figure out who the hell I know that is pregnant, to no avail. So finally I ask who I'm speaking with and it's a friggin Citibank Telemarketer trying to sell me on a credit card! UFB!!!!!!!!!

must be desperate times in the telemarketing business!

Geez! And I thought the baby boom was a thing of the past! That was pretty lame, Christy; and that is the nicest thing I can think of to describe it. Look at it; either her statement was true, and THAT woman should not have been left alone working; or it's one of the most low-life come ons I've ever heard of!

penn

 

[vraiblonde]

Well, these tactics must work or people wouldn't use them. Fortunately my last name is almost always mispronounced (Gweed, Guide, Good, Jude, etc) so I can usually hang up on telemarketers before the get past the "May I speak to..."

 

[Oz]

Originally posted by vraiblonde
Well, these tactics must work or people wouldn't use them. Fortunately my last name is almost always mispronounced (Gweed, Guide, Good, Jude, etc) so I can usually hang up on telemarketers before the get past the "May I speak to..."

My phone "mysteriously" malfunctions when a telemarketer calls. I just say hello about 4 times, and then hang up.

 

[Penn]

Caller IDs do come in handy........

Originally posted by Oz
My phone "mysteriously" malfunctions when a telemarketer calls. I just say hello about 4 times, and then hang up.

I bought a Caller ID box about 7 yrs ago, and it's really paid for itself. Whenever I get one of those telemarketer calls, the device usually displays --- --- ---- for the phone number, and says it's "out of area", and that tips me off as to what the call is.
Very rarely do I get a TM call that displays the number, because I think they block the call from being noted. Most of 'em hang up by the fourth ring anyway.

penn

 

[Christy]

Re: Caller IDs do come in handy........

Originally posted by penncam
I bought a Caller ID box about 7 yrs ago, and it's really paid for itself. Whenever I get one of those telemarketer calls, the device usually displays --- --- ---- for the phone number, and says it's "out of area", and that tips me off as to what the call is.
Very rarely do I get a TM call that displays the number, because I think they block the call from being noted. Most of 'em hang up by the fourth ring anyway.

penn

I had my caller ID cut off a long time ago. Since I have a lot of friends and family that live overseas, their # would come up blank, so I wound up picking it up all the time anyway. I have no qualms about hanging up on telemarketers (my mother will listen to the entire sales pitch, then nicely say she's not interested ).

 

[Penn]

Re: Re: Caller IDs do come in handy........

Originally posted by Christy
I I have no qualms about hanging up on telemarketers (my mother will listen to the entire sales pitch, then nicely say she's not interested ).

They can get a little annoying with their persistance.
I made the mistake of picking up the phone one day without looking at the Caller ID, and man! I must have got the Energizer Bunny of telemarketers. Couldn't get a word in edgewise for maybe three minutes; and when he paused, I said "no thank you, I am going to decline".
That did not stop him, so he went on for another minute or so, when I finally had enough. I asked him not too politely, "What part of "NO" did you not understand"? "Well, you don't have to be rude about it", he said; at that point, I hung up.

penn

 

[SmallTown]

We got called ID (and now the tele-zapper) because we use to get sooo many calls.. After we were married, we would get phone calls where they asked for Mr. or Mrs SoAndSo (using my wife's maiden name).. We would just say they have the wrong number and please take this number off their list.

 

[migtig]

LOL - always a tip off for me is when they ask for Mr or Mrs - and I immediately ask to be taken off the list . But last night I got one that was for someone who wasn't me by a longshot and I said "sorry wrong number" and they wanted to argue with me! MY caller id usually shows unknown or out of area when it's a tm call, but my family/ friends calls from out of state show up that way too sometimes, so I usually answer if I am expecting a call. Win some lose some

 

[yakky doodle]

telemarketer calls are a good time to pass the phone off to the little one and let them tell the person on the other end about the big green gooey booger they had last week

now i'm wondering if that was what the person calling me about that lost dog was really wanting! nahh, still think it's someone from the forum.

 

[Penn]

But wait, there's an answer.......

Originally posted by migtig

MY caller id usually shows unknown or out of area when it's a tm call, but my family/ friends calls from out of state show up that way too sometimes, so I usually answer if I am expecting a call. Win some lose some

Same as mine does. But what about getting an answering machine like I have? I tell my friends like yours to leave a message if I don't answer. Heck, just name and phone number if you don't have it. You see, TMs will rarely, if ever, leave a message on your machine; I suppose they do not want to waste time, so they go on to the next victim on the list.
penn

 

[yakky doodle]

Re: But wait, there's an answer.......

Originally posted by penncam
I suppose they do not want to waste time, so they go on to the next victim on the list.

yea, cause then they can call you back in the middle of dinner!

i swear, next time I get one of these calls, I'm going to act like I have that cursing/swearing disease and unload on them!

 

[SeaRide]

Umm .. slightly off the topic a bit .. about the caller id thing, when I was driving 75 miles to visit a friend. She wants me to come over and see her new home. She gave me the driving direction by email. When I got to the town where she lives, I got lost a little bit and just want to call her from the public phone booth. Guess what? no answer. I kept calling and calling so many times until I gave up. I tried to guess where she lives and think she might have made some mistake in the directions that she gave me. After a hour of driving around, I found her house and went inside. She gave me some lips and some attitudes about me being late. I kinda look around a bit and saw the caller id. I asked her nicely if she did ignored my calls from the phone booth. She was like, "what did you need to call me for?" I said, "I just want to call for direction to your house" I explained to her what happened about the mistakes in the directions and not answering my call when I was only a mile or two from her house. She apologized and we made up.

 

[Penn]

Second Thoughts

Originally posted by SeaRide
....She gave me the driving direction by email... When I got to the town where she lives, I got lost a little bit and just want to call her from the public phone booth. I kept calling and calling so many times until I gave up. I tried to guess where she lives and think she might have made some mistake in the directions that she gave me. After a hour of driving around, I found her house and went inside. She gave me some lips and some attitudes about me being late. I kinda look around a bit and saw the caller id. I asked her nicely if she did ignored my calls from the phone booth. She was like, "what did you need to call me for?" I said, "I just want to call for direction to your house" I explained to her what happened about the mistakes in the directions and not answering my call when I was only a mile or two from her house. She apologized and we made up.

I was gonna say something, but, um, I'll reserve judgement on this. The only thing I want to know is: What good are phones if you don't answer them? What if your car broke down on some backroad near her place, and you were stranded?
That wouldn't have worked out too good, huh?

penn

 

[alex]

We always answer our phone since I have elderly parents who live about 8 hours away. However, I really hate the call where they have the automated voice "please hold for the next available operator". I just hangup. I also tell TM's sorry not interested and handup, even if they are still talking.

 

[vraiblonde]

Originally posted by penncam
Couldn't get a word in edgewise for maybe three minutes; and when he paused, I said "no thank you, I am going to decline".
That did not stop him, so he went on for another minute or so,

Why wouldn't you have just hung up? When someone calls you unsolicited, you are not under obligation to use your nice manners. I'll get some chickie who starts off, "How are you today?" and I reply, "What do you want?" She'll go on to start her pitch and I just hang up, without feeling the need to so much as say, "No thanks."

 

[Penn]

Yeah, and that too!

Originally posted by alex
However, I really hate the call where they have the automated voice "please hold for the next available operator". I just hangup.

Has anybody had some outrageous dealings with the automated phone systems? Like DirecTV, or your credit card company, or your ISP, if you have a techie question? You have to listen to 3 minutes of welcome to this particular service, please listen to the new lists of options, we ARE trying to make it easier for you to get your answers, and oh yeah "for quality purposes, all calls may be monitored", and finally "thank you for waiting, the next available representative is estimated in 9 minutes"..........

penn