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Phone rings: "Hello, this is Monica from Timeshare Concepts"

rickandcindy23

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I say, "Oh, you're a scammer," and hang up.

Sick of these calls, and this is the second today. :rolleyes:
 

timeos2

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Maybe the only ones even more irritating are "This is Rachael from Card Services" which has overfilled my allowed 5 blocked numbers list!

Much like the PCC's & Resale scammers this group gets $895-$1500+ to "lower your interest rate" but in reality sends out some paperwork with tips on paying your bills or getting a 0% rate for a new card! Total rip off yet it goes on for years now as there are those that fall for it. Sad in both situations. The timeshare and interest rate scams.
 

Numismatist

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God help us, if they get access to our cell numbers...:mad:
 

Talent312

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I say, "Oh, you're a scammer," and hang up. Sick of these calls, and this is the second today.

This why I find voice-caller ID so useful.
I do not answer any calls from "out of area," "unknown," "toll free."
I've also blocked 20 numbers. I once even blocked myself.
 

rickandcindy23

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I still answer my phone and don't let it go to voice mail. I have ongoing searches with RCI, II, TPMaui, HTSE, etc., so I feel I need to answer all calls, just in case.

I wish the same old scammers would stop calling. I am just rude to them, and Rick has been pretty shocked at my recent phone manners to these scammers. ;) He was nice to one just a few weeks back, and I told him to hang up and stop being nice to people who steal from people. I had to go over their SOP all over again.

We actually forwarded our home phone to his cell phone on vacation this last month, and he was aghast at how many of these calls he got. Now he knows. He is now as rude as I am. :rofl:

I don't know how to block these calls. :shrug:
 

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Got one this morning.

Caller: "Mr ___ I like to talk about the timeshare you own."

Me: "What's that!"

Caller: "Timeshare. You don't know what that is?" Sounds puzzled.

Me: "No. Tell me."

Caller: "Sorry to disturb you." hangs up!
 

Kay H

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Maybe the only ones even more irritating are "This is Rachael from Card Services" which has overfilled my allowed 5 blocked numbers list!


Rachael and 3 of her cohorts called me this week. 2 one day and 1 each of 2 days.
 

amycurl

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I

I don't know how to block these calls. :shrug:

I know that they are breaking other laws, so it probably doesn't matter, but do you have the number on the Do Not Call list? And do you let them know that you're reporting them each time they call?

I've been getting spam texts on my cell phone recently (the number for which has been on the Do Not Call list since inception.) I report each one, but it gets tiresome.

I have found with calls, though, that simply saying, "I'm on the Do Not Call list and I'll be reporting this call" ends the conversation quickly. But I don't get the timeshare calls (yet?)
 

scootr5

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I know that they are breaking other laws, so it probably doesn't matter, but do you have the number on the Do Not Call list? And do you let them know that you're reporting them each time they call?

I've been getting spam texts on my cell phone recently (the number for which has been on the Do Not Call list since inception.) I report each one, but it gets tiresome.

I have found with calls, though, that simply saying, "I'm on the Do Not Call list and I'll be reporting this call" ends the conversation quickly. But I don't get the timeshare calls (yet?)

Most of the time the number on the caller ID is faked though. If you try calling that number back you'll get the "not in service" message.

I got the card services call this week on my cell this week, and decided to try and get a callback number or company name from the woman. She became absolutely rude when I started asking, and eventually hung up.
 
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amycurl

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I don't call them back. I log into the DNC report website and pull the number from my phone records.

Even if it's faked, I would think that the FTC would have a way of tracking them down. (But maybe I have too much faith...)
 

Free2Roam

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Got one this morning.

Caller: "Mr ___ I like to talk about the timeshare you own."

Me: "What's that!"

Caller: "Timeshare. You don't know what that is?" Sounds puzzled.

Me: "No. Tell me."

Caller: "Sorry to disturb you." hangs up!

Funny!!! I'll have to remember that one!
 

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for the last year and a half or so we have been using a magic jack (got rid of our "land line" long ago) and have only gotten bugged by one unwanted call the whole time.

I get more than that on my cell phone. :eek:
 

Beefnot

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Get vonage and you can receive vm transcripts by email immediately after the message is left. I very rarely answer the phone anymore.
 

PigsDad

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God help us, if they get access to our cell numbers...:mad:
I have had several "Card Services" calls on my cell phone. :mad: I immediately block their number, but then they call with another number. Very frustrating!

Kurt
 

theo

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Too late...

God help us, if they get access to our cell numbers...:mad:

Actually, it is on my cell phone that I get the unwelcome periodic calls from "Rachel at Cardholder Services".

Oddly, however, "Rachel's" "spoofed" number appears on caller i.d. as a different number (including different area code) with each call, even though the message itself is always precisely identical. :shrug:
 

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I get these "you have won this prize" - like an Ipad or something else. But I have to qualify. And when we get to annual income I always say "about $35,000". Suddenly they aren't interested. And they don't call back.
 

dundey

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Cablevision (optimum) and most of the voice companies have this as well.

Its great!

Get vonage and you can receive vm transcripts by email immediately after the message is left. I very rarely answer the phone anymore.
 

MuranoJo

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I have always heard that simply answering their calls acknowledges your number is a 'good' number and they will in turn sell your # to a list racket. (Same with responding to spam emails, "We got a live one here.")

DH just spent time with his 85 YO Mom encouraging her not to answer unknown calls. She answers them all and carries on and on with them. She even sees where they've tried to call her (left no message) and she'll call the # back to see who it was! DH also put her on the do-not-call list.
 

california-bighorn

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This why I find voice-caller ID so useful.
I do not answer any calls from "out of area," "unknown," "toll free."
I've also blocked 20 numbers. I once even blocked myself.

We don't even bother to look at "caller ID" anymore. We just keep the sound low and if the call is "legit" and someone really wants to contact us they will leave a message and we will get back back to them.
 

stanleyu

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Everyone should register here:

https://www.donotcall.gov/

We've been on that list for quite some time and still get a lot of calls. A lot of people just ignore it. Certainly, for a scammer calling on Skype from outside the country, there is no enforcement mechanism. Then there are the charity calls. They are exempt from the restrictions. But apparently there is no minimum that must be given to the charity itself, so many of the callers only give 1 or 2% to the charity they "represent". To me, the answer is caller ID. Unfortunately we don't have call blocking available here.
 

isisdave

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Another idea

We had noticed that we only get solicitations on the home line, and very occasionally the reminder call for doctor and dentist appointments.

About a month ago, I ported our home line to http://www.parknblend.com -- at which you can either get voicemail (which it will email to you in a .wav file, or text your cell, or send you email ... whatever you like), or it will forward to another number. The plan is to try this for six months and see how it works. If all goes well, I'll drop it entirely.

The message on ParknBlend announces that we're ending this number in summer 2012, so please get in touch with us via our cell number, email, fax, or postal mail (but doesn't give out any of these). In the month, we've had two messages left.

Meanwhile, I have Skype's new freecall gadget providing us outgoing dial tone. It's OK but not terrific. I first tried the new MagicJack plus. That had OK quality, but would not permit us to hide or spoof our caller ID. With Skype, you don't have a number unless you buy one, and you can spool a cell phone number that belongs to you. If the quality continues to disappoint, I may try Ooma.
 

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I say, "Oh, you're a scammer," and hang up.

Sick of these calls, and this is the second today. :rolleyes:


I'm sorry to hear that. I used to feel the same whenever I get calls like that. But I figured, why should I let these people ruin my day? Why not ruin theirs for calling me? So I started pulling up pranks whenever these people are on the phone. My friend shared these tips from here http://www.callercenter.com/articles/14waystoannoytelemarketers.html and boy, they sure work! Though I still get such calls, which is INEVITABLE I suppose, it's never from the same phone number. SO i bet they're new callers each time. And these calls have lessened, too.

Well sometimes, when I'm busy, I let the VM pick up. But when I'm bored and got nothing to do, I do pranks and it never fails to give me a good laugh. :D
 

Talent312

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... I figured, why should I let these people ruin my day? Why not ruin theirs for calling me? So I started pulling up pranks whenever these people are on the phone... when I'm bored and got nothing to do, I do pranks and it never fails to give me a good laugh.

This sounds rather sophomoric.

While these calls are annoying, these outfits use phone banks staffed by poor slobs reading from a script who likely do not share in the booty collected by those running the show. The ones out to ruin your day are not the ones making the calls. Thus, your pranks likely have little effect on those who deserve your ire, just those who work in their sweatshops. It sort'a makes you look small and petty.
 
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