Travel Expo
 

A few months back I went to the Travel Expo at the Savannah Center. I decided to register for a drawing to win a free gift and I wasn't thinking that my name could be used as a lead for advertising. I'm usually very careful about not giving out my name for anything, but this time I let my guard down.

Eventually, the calls started coming in telling me I had won a free cruise. I said, "no" I wasn't interested in going on a cruise. But more calls kept coming in telling me I had won other trips. Perhaps they were for "time-share" condos or something. Not sure. Well, I think I learned my lesson. No more entering drawings.

I get enough calls as it is. I got 2 calls yesterday: One was for widow washing and one was for an air conditioner check-up offer.



P.S. I hope the thread police don't arrest me for not posting a more interesting thread. :-)

pick up a few words of german or french they hang up right away

Duh!

There's all sorts of calls coming in these days. I have Comcast for TV and phone so when a call comes in, and I have TV on, caller ID shows up on tv screen. Phones also have caller ID....I don't recognize a name or number, phone isn't answered. If they feel their message is important, they can leave a message....and most times, no message is left.

Do you have caller ID in any form VPL? It really helps, though if I don't pick up, the phone rings till the caller decides to end the call....That is annoying, too...:D

National Do Not Call List
 

Did you ever think of registering with the Natlional DO NOT CALL List? It's easy, simply dial 1-888-382-1222 from the phone you do not want to receive solicitation call on, could be a home or cell phone or both. It takes about 30 seconds and calls will stop after 31 days.
Glad to hear next time you wont let your guard down. Why do you think they take down your info? Honest mistake.

I think"widow washing" could be pretty interesting.;)

Sorry. I couldn't help myself.

Just TEASING....Villages Pl. :a040:

I have been on the Federal Do Not Call Registry for several years and updated it last year to ensure that my numbers were registered. I also am registered with the Florida DNC registry since it became free.

In the past several months, I have been receiving many calls on both my home phone and cell phones. Checked out the proceedure for reporting violations and found that it is not too cumbersome, but further checking revealed that there is not much movement in the way of enforcement from either agency... I guess it's worth a risk to those making the robocalls.

Al always, we don't need new laws... we just need to start enforcing those already on the books.

The Federal Do Not Call Registry is getting to be a joke and no one pays attention to it anymore and the government is not taking any action. I have been on the list with both home and cell numbers and still receive weekly calls from Rachael, Card Holder Services and now home security systems and others for medical insurance.

I have renewed both numbers yearly and I still get calls. The opt out button does nothing. I have filed complaints with both the FTC and FCC and get no action but an e-mail back a few months later stating that I can take legal action against these companies. Yeah right, just try finding out just who they truly are and all the other information that would be needed to stand up in a court of law. I must have at least two dozen different phone numbers that Rachael uses alone.

VG

"Widow washing"? Hmmmmmm......... :shocked: (Sorry - couldn't resist!) :wave:

There was probably something in the fine print of the registration form you filled out that said something about sharing your info with other organizations or something of the sort. I'm always suspicious of the "Win A Free Gift" things.

Bill :)

......... and that is why we still have a land line - everything goes to the answer machine, unless we recognize the caller or number. No good calling this house 'cause 'ain't nobody going to pick up....................

No, I don't have caller ID and the answering machine doesn't help with "robo" calls. If I don't answer, the computer dialing system will schedule me for another call later in the day or next day. It can go on for days, weeks or months until I answer.

I did register a couple of times but don't remember when the last time was. I'll do it again just to make sure my name is still on the list. Thanks for the number.

Well, it was interesting but I only need it for the sliding glass doors and it would be too expensive to have them come out just for that. And I had already bought some "Windex" for that purpose. So it was a waste of her time and my time.

There's an article on the front page of today's Daily Sun about "Telemarketing complaints rising despite no-call list". I believe it said that robocalls have already been outlawed. But it's easy and cheap for those who want to do it, and many of them are con artists who are willing to take the risk.

What they should do is give a stiff penalty to some of them and publicize it. Make an example of them so others will think twice befor doing it.

Nope, no fine print. It was a small 2"X3" piece of paper with just enough room for name address and phone number.

A landline and answering machine is all I have.

do not register list will not help when you fill out a form and hand it to the business. This establishes a relationship which they now share with others.
This has been a method to obtain sales leads for a long , long time. we all learned this the first time we filled out the form to win a bicycle at the county fair. Nothing new.

No one said it's new. I've known this for many years. But on that day when I walked into the Travel Expo, I got caught off guard, caught up in the moment.

My method to beat the solicitation calls generated after providing information is to change the last 2 numbers of the phone I provide. Basically if my number ends in 92, I put 29 instead. That way they might be able to reach me by mail but never by phone. Same goes for any store that asks for your phone number at the checkout counter.

I have an unlisted number and still manage to get one now and again. I don't ever give out my number stating it is unlisted instead. They don't ask further. For e-mail I give an address I keep for just such a purpose and surreptitiously delete all those. It is nearly impossible to avoid those calls altogether, but it does help in that respect to be unlisted.

Aw, Jack. Think about those unfortunate folks with that '29' phone number who are getting all your robocalls now. :icon_wink:

But when they answer the phone they will tell the caller they are not me and hopefully they will not be further disturbed.

As I understand it, any company that you have a "relationship" with is legally allowed to call you. That means anyone you've given your name, address and phone number to, as well as banks, insurance companies and whoever they have shared your information with. Caller ID is your only hope - don't pick up the phone unless you know who it is.

What happened?? You're not a foodie anymore? Good to expand your horizons.

I "hear you" on these nuisance telephone calls. Every single day for about two months now (and we are on the Federal No Call List) a recorded message, very LOUD, "This is the F.B.I. calling. Every two minutes a home is burglarized".....blah blah blah; trying to sell a home security alarm system. I just hang up. No person ever came on the line.

The native Indians calling for donations for the Colorado wildfires finally quit though.......so that's good news. When I looked at caller I.D. the "Indians" were calling from Amsterdam, New York. One native american got a little testy when I told her our son lived in Colorado and would she like to donate to him?

There should be a law against these type of nuisance phone calls, plus all charities that call at all hours of the day and night.

Anyway, you are wise not to give out any personal info over the phone.
Ditto for those drawings. Your name and number might be circulating around forever.

If you go to shows like these and you sign your name and number,what do you think would happen.Just live with it and do not do it again.Pretty simple,if you give out info then expect calls.