How did they get our number??

[goodgrief]

Okay 8am this morning three welcome calls pretending to chamber of commerce. Going through the caller ID these were the three companies that called back to back to back. And they addressed us by name!

GE PRO ELITE
LCRG Enterprises
ALL About Water

All trying to get you to test water and sell you a water system.

HOW DID THEY GET OUR UNPUBLISHED NUMBER?? I would like to know who gave it out if anyone knows the culprit because I'll be going after them.

Even the Villages does not have this number as it was not the number we had when we bought this and we didn't update them with it either.

Anyone have a clue??

[coach]

My guess is that the number came from your cable and internet provider. We changed from Comcast to Century Link and started getting the "Welcome to your new home" calls. We aren't new. Been here seven years, so it had to be the change in provider.

[Patty55]

It is the cable company, they got my last name wrong on my account, most solicitation calls I get ask for the wrong name.

[Mack184]

It is the cable company, they got my last name wrong on my account, most solicitation calls I get ask for the wrong name.
Everytime you sign up for some store's "discount" card, everytime you give your number to most ANY business for any reason, that store, buisiness or service is going to sell their client list to somebody. It is SO easy for somebody with some basic knowledge of internet searching to find your address, your phone, your car registration & your underwear size. So-called "unpublished" & "unlisted" phone numbers are about as hard to crack as the seal on a beer can if you know what you're looking for. In this internet age, you can run, but it's pretty darn hard to hide.

[batman911]

It is definitely the cable company. I recently changed from the telephone company to cable telephone and started receiving sales, charity and other calls on my unlisted number. I asked the cable company about it an they denied selling the numbers. It could be someone working at the cable company doing it on their own. I have used the cable company web site to block calls from the offenders and wrote not so nice emails to the heads of the charity organizations asking them to remove my number from their data base. All the charity heads responded saying they subscribe to a service that provides the numbers. I'm pretty sure these number service companies are paying someone for the numbers.

[karostay]

My story is differant.
We closed on our home July 2011 by mail.
We had no phone or cable at that time . We arrived Mid Sept ready to furnish our new home first we had to stop at Citizens First Mortgage Co to sign a few papers and get our Id's.We weren't in our new home and hour and the solicitors started pouring in.They kept it up for 2 weeks .During that time we had our phone installed
I think when there's new meat in the neighborhood the village's send the lions out to feed.:icon_hungry:

[Patty55]

Everytime you sign up for some store's "discount" card, everytime you give your number to most ANY business for any reason, that store, buisiness or service is going to sell their client list to somebody. It is SO easy for somebody with some basic knowledge of internet searching to find your address, your phone, your car registration & your underwear size. So-called "unpublished" & "unlisted" phone numbers are about as hard to crack as the seal on a beer can if you know what you're looking for. In this internet age, you can run, but it's pretty darn hard to hide.

Yup, and two can play this game. I sleuthed out the owner of those IMO "bogus" charities. I have his (unlisted) home phone number, his home address, his AKA's and the next time I get woken up with his BS robocalls I'm waking him up.

[Ooper]

If you have caller ID, why did you even answer the phone?? That is why I have caller ID... if I don't like or know who is calling, it doesn't get answered!

[Patty55]

If you have caller ID, why did you even answer the phone?? That is why I have caller ID... if I don't like or know who is calling, it doesn't get answered!

Whether I answer or not I am still woken up, aren't I?

[Ooper]

Whether I answer or not I am still woken up, aren't I?

Wasn't trying to be smart but you said in the 1st post you were called at 8 AM. I suppose if one was still asleep, then one would be irritated.

[Patty55]

Wasn't trying to be smart but you said in the 1st post you were called at 8 AM. I suppose if one was still asleep, then one would be irritated.

Yep, and just so you know, those robocall auto dialers keep calling back until they connect. I received 5 calls from the bogus (IMO) charity within 2 days.

[bdabob]

As a sidebar to this thread, my wife and I closed mid September and for the next 3 weeks we were inundated with door knockers trying to sell us everything from curtains to water treatments! I eventually put a sign on the front door saying "If I didn't call you, please don't knock". It didn't work as far as I could tell because they just kept coming.
We had to answer the door each time as we had many deliveries of furniture and visits by our selectwed service providers (landscapers, pest, home watch etc.) so the interuptions were most unwelcome.

[GOJODO]

It happened to us, 3 days after closing as the movers were unloading our furniture. Here comes the "Welcoming Wagon" followed by the "Water" fellow to sell you water treatment.
Run away from him! He is obnoxious pushing a system for $8,000., hubby asked him to leave and he kept talking. Finally left after a few words only to call me back ( cell phone) to see if we changed our mind. He and the welcome wagon could only have acquired our numbers from the closing office.

[goodgrief]

Luckily the closing office only had our cell and old phone from the leased house. The door knockers have been minimal, maybe because we're in pretty finished neighborhood..think there were only a couple houses left. If that starts up the no soliciting sign will go up.

[Patty55]

My neighborhood has been finished for years, the only canvasser I've had lately is from Century Link. The phone calls never stop, I get at least 6 or 7 a week from A/C companies (I now have fun with them and tell them we don't believe in A/C), the fake Sheriff collection calls a few times a week and of course the one that REALLY PUT ME OVER THE EDGE, the breast cancer rip-off artist who preys on the good nature of people.

[Skybo]

I hate to say it, but someone in TV Sales Office gave or sold my cell number to Clearlink (contract company for Comcast). We hadn't even seen or put a contract on the house we eventually bought when I got the call, but the sales agent had put a 24 hour hold on it for us. In fact we were in the car with the sales agent on our way to view the house when the call came in. The Clearlink rep had my name, number and the address of the property. The sales agent seemed as surprised as I was, so I don't think it was him, but it had to have been someone in the sales office.

Surprisingly, that was the only sales call I ever received. We did get a few door knockers early on, but not very many.

[graciegirl]

My story is differant.
We closed on our home July 2011 by mail.
We had no phone or cable at that time . We arrived Mid Sept ready to furnish our new home first we had to stop at Citizens First Mortgage Co to sign a few papers and get our Id's.We weren't in our new home and hour and the solicitors started pouring in.They kept it up for 2 weeks .During that time we had our phone installed
I think when there's new meat in the neighborhood the village's send the lions out to feed.:icon_hungry:

I don't think it is The Villages. Contractors are constantly monitoring new homes for "signs of life". They drive by in trucks to see if you have moved in yet. When we moved into Hadley, the second the moving truck was in the driveway we had a swarm of local guys wanting to sell us landscaping service, water softeners, palm trees etc.

I answered the door dozens of times in the first few weeks and tried to summon my midwestern manners when I told them we weren't interested.

Same thng in Laurel Valley, but we noticed them this time. I am sure they "share their information lists" at the local watering holes and get info back from others who are doing the same thing.

The Villages doesn't have to stoop to practices like that to make money, in my opinion.

And don't be mean now.

[Patty55]

They haven't called lately, anyone remember the calls from AIR FORCE ONE? I would pick up the phone and say "Figure it out yourself!", man some people always want free advice.:a20:

[DebiR]

We got the mail, checked the # on google... and it is a scam... Thanks for keeping this going, so people don't get wet!

[Patty55]

Here's another thread on the Cancer "charity"....

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-non-villages-discussion-93/another-charity-solicitation-61893/

[2 Oldcrabs]

We have Brighthouse & an unlisted #. Moved in Jan 2012. Not one sales call. We had a few door knocker.:girlneener:

[senior citizen]

Yup, and two can play this game. I sleuthed out the owner of those IMO "bogus" charities. I have his (unlisted) home phone number, his home address, his AKA's and the next time I get woken up with his BS robocalls I'm waking him up.


GREAT IDEA............our pet peeve are these telemarketing calls all day long, especially the "recorded ones" with no human on the other end.

Lately it's been for burglar alarms.........saying very LOUDLY how many homes in the U.S. are burglarized every minute..........it's annoying to say the least.

We are still getting calls from supposed AMERICAN INDIANS asking for donations for the forest fires in COLORADO where their people are suffering...........I tell them my son and his family live in Colorado and would they like to donate to his cause???????? She hangs up.

The "so called Indian caller I.D. address is Amsterdam New York".
Dutch Indians????

It saddens me to think that some out there perceive older folks to be dumb.

Not to mention, we are on the FEDERAL DO NOT CALL LIST........I guess charities are exempted?

We also get "national" firefighters asking for money..........we tell them we give to our local firemen, which we do, as one is a neighbor of ours.

At least all the brothers and monks and such have stopped soliciting; I have enough rosary beads to last a lifetime.

My husband says he is going to start selling stuff to the next caller !!!!!
Yesterday he yelled at one to take our name off the list.

[senior citizen]

My neighborhood has been finished for years, the only canvasser I've had lately is from Century Link. The phone calls never stop, I get at least 6 or 7 a week from A/C companies (I now have fun with them and tell them we don't believe in A/C), the fake Sheriff collection calls a few times a week and of course the one that REALLY PUT ME OVER THE EDGE, the breast cancer rip-off artist who preys on the good nature of people.


Another good idea. "We don't believe in your product".

We also get the , as you call them "fake" sheriff as well as "fake" firemen calls.

We also donate only to our own charities as we see fit......not to anyone who calls on the phone..........so tell them all, "We are retired and tapped out as far as our donations for this fiscal year".

There really should be a law against bothering folks with nuisance calls.

[Patty55]

The ones for security systems set off my HINKY meter, how do you all know they aren't figuring your system out to rob you? I tell them that I'm protected by a pack of large dogs and Smith & Wesson.

[Arubagirl2000]

Okay 8am this morning three welcome calls pretending to chamber of commerce. Going through the caller ID these were the three companies that called back to back to back. And they addressed us by name!

GE PRO ELITE
LCRG Enterprises
ALL About Water

All trying to get you to test water and sell you a water system.

HOW DID THEY GET OUR UNPUBLISHED NUMBER?? I would like to know who gave it out if anyone knows the culprit because I'll be going after them.

Even the Villages does not have this number as it was not the number we had when we bought this and we didn't update them with it either.

Anyone have a clue??

Stay far away from All About Water. We have had numerous problems with them. They refuse to send us the warranty or any information on the unit they installed in May. I suspect the unit they installed in our garage is a used one. They also refuse to take our phone calls.