Poll The Great Telemarketing Avalanche of 2016/2017

Woefully Inept · Jul 28, 2017

My favorite robocall is the heavy robot voice telling me they're the IRS and there's a warrant out for my arrest. They then inform me it is my obligation to call them back so that they can arrest me.

Borzak · Jul 28, 2017

If I don't recognize the number I don't answer. I sure don't answer ones from area codes I have no clue where they are.

Abefroman · Jul 28, 2017

If the number isn't in my contacts list I don't answer unless I'm expecting a call from a delivery guy or something. Most people just text now anyway lol.

LulzSect · Jul 28, 2017

You can tell when it's spoofed robo BS. The rings are like instant and then cut off and when you call back it's a busy signal. I never catch the calls in time to answer.

Arative · Jul 28, 2017

I used to get two or three calls a day when I was with Verizon but since I switched to Google fi, I've gotten two calls.

Furry · Jul 28, 2017

There's people that answer their phone? Unless you're my mother you're gonna be shit out of luck trying to call me.

Arative · Jul 28, 2017

The next big thing will be ringless voice mail drops. Basically you send a message directly to a carriers voicemail server and the message just appears on your phone. Probably one that has a business reason to contact you. So not scammers. It technically shouldn't be a violation of the tcpa because no call is made but legally it's a grey area.

Palum · Jul 28, 2017

Arative said:
The next big thing will be ringless voice mail drops. Basically you send a message directly to a carriers voicemail server and the message just appears on your phone. Probably one that has a business reason to contact you. So not scammers. It technically shouldn't be a violation of the tcpa because no call is made but legally it's a grey area.

That petition to consider and allow them was withdrawn from the FCC, though.

iannis · Jul 29, 2017

And scams. I get at least one scam a week.

I answered one claiming to be policeman benevolent (it obviously wasnt) and told the dude to go shoot some American Inventors running phone scams. That worked. They never called back!

He got so mad, lol.

Mist · Jul 29, 2017

Because we have no receptionists anywhere in the company (receptionists don't generate revenue!) all calls to the receptionist lines actually just forward directly to the NOC.

So, I get barraged by sales calls at work. Cold-calls from marketing companies, companies that want to sell us shit, companies that want us to sell their products, companies that want people to attend their shitty conference, etc.

"Hi, can I speak with (so-and-so director/vp/c-level exec)."

"Do you have an existing business relationship with so-and-so exec?"

Once they say no, we have implicit permission to fuck with them. Forward them to random numbers, Rick Rolls, call trees/IVR's that go nowhere, make up shit about so-and-so exec being on sabbatical in Nepal communing with the spirits of dead chickens, etc.

Sometimes we even get the Microsoft support scammers or IRS scammers, which is always good for a long troll.

Borzak · Jul 29, 2017

There was a guy who sold a device that would just go on and on keeping the idiots on the phone wasting their time.

"Would you like to buy XYZ"
"Ok let me get this...ooh there's a bee in here let me get it"
"Almost got the bee"
5 minutes later
"Oh I got the bee now about your product.."
"Yes it's XYZ"
"Oh wait someone is at the door"
5 minutes later
"Ok tell me about it"

They had a demonstration video on some youtube channel and the longest they got was keepiong the idiots on the phone for 20 minutes in hopes of getting a sale.

Arative · Jul 29, 2017

Palum said:
That petition to consider and allow them was withdrawn from the FCC, though.

It was, no one seems to want to come down on one side or the other. I think the petition was withdrawn under pressure from the collection industry. I expect a lawsuit over it sooner rather than later. Laws just can't keep up with technology.

Ukerric · Jul 29, 2017

Furry said:
There's people that answer their phone? Unless you're my mother you're gonna be shit out of luck trying to call me.

Same thing. Unless the phone displays the name of someone on my contact list, you're going to deal with my voicemail.

That's mostly on my landline. The only marketing calls on my cellphone are my phone operator who wants to sell me new plans or bundle my cell with their internet fiber offer.

So far.

Heallun · Jul 29, 2017

Cybsled said:
They have all been spoofed local numbers. I don't bother answering my phone as a result...if it is important, they leave a VM. If it is a robo-marketer, they don't bother to leave one.

On a side note, most of these have been determined to be overseas bullshit where they are using the internet to spoof numbers, which is why the DNC list does jackshit.

On a side note, if you do answer, never use any word that can be construed as being an affirmative or acceptance, especially not the word 'yes'. Apparently some of these operations record that and use it for vocal authorization on your part for scams done over the phone.

Which is why I don't even answer my voicemail anymore. Text / whatsapp me or fuck off at this point.

Break said:
Please, please, please someone start a class action lawsuit.

We've already been working on it. There's only so much clandestine bombing of Pakistan we can do.

Vaclav · Jul 29, 2017

Ameraves said:
My wife and I have been getting a ton on our cell phones lately. Thankfully the telemarketers do us a favor by spoofing the area code. We both still have our cell numbers from when we lived in San Diego but we have lived in the bay area for 6 years now. So anytime a 619 or 858 number pops up on my phone, I know I can safely ignore it. They also never leave a voicemail. So while it is slightly annoying, I am able to avoid it for the most part.

Yea spoofed 443s since we did the same with our old MD numbers are a giveaway to us as well.

I couldn't vote since I own multiple lines but 1 of the 3 is fine, the other two are getting bombarded.

Hachima · Jul 29, 2017

Break said:
Lately, it's all robo calls initially: "press 1 to buy a new Toaster, press 2 to be put on our do-not-call list", etc. I've used the prompt to add my number to their do-not-call list so many times i've lost track, which immediately hangs up on you but nothing else. I've purposely pushed 1 or whatever in hopes of talking to someone, and then telling them to never call me again, but nothing seems to stop these jackasses. At best, you start getting calls selling you some other bullshit, usually something with warranties or vacations.

That was the mistake... The actual meaning of the call is "Press 2 to validate this number belongs to someone that answers the call and listens to the message" Now your phone number just became more valuable to sell to others, which they do. A Premium filtered number list.

I own 6 cell phones(4 work and 2 personal) and 1 VOIP line. I rarely get telemarketing calls. Five of the lines have been clean so far. One of the lines went through a couple weeks of calls but I never answered and then it stopped. On my VOIP line I get a local solar company asking to sell me about solar panels but that's it.

Big Phoenix · Jul 29, 2017

Who are the retards who fall this shit? Like all of these scams are bottom of the barrel in terms of believably.

TrollfaceDeux · Jul 29, 2017

Woefully Inept said:
My favorite robocall is the heavy robot voice telling me they're the IRS and there's a warrant out for my arrest. They then inform me it is my obligation to call them back so that they can arrest me.

Holy fuck lol

Ignatius · Jul 30, 2017

Big Phoenix said:
Who are the retards who fall this shit? Like all of these scams are bottom of the barrel in terms of believably.

You'd be surprised. I get at least 1-2 tickets a week from the old real estate agents who "worked with the nice man from Microsoft" and are wondering why their computers are still locked down after paying "Microsoft" $300.

Lambourne · Jul 30, 2017

I got the Indian Microsoft tech support twice last year, apart from that zero. Go go totalitarian EU gubernment I guess.

Poll The Great Telemarketing Avalanche of 2016/2017

Is one or more of your phones getting daily or nearly daily telemarketing calls?

I own multiple lines, they all get daily or nearly daily telemarketing calls.

I own a single line, it gets daily or nearly daily telemarketing calls.

I own multiple lines, I never or very rarely get telemarketing calls.

I own a single line, I never or very rarely get telemarketing calls.

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