Talk of The Villages Florida

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- The Villages, Florida, Non Villages Discussion (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-non-villages-discussion-93/)

- - Travel Expo (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-non-villages-discussion-93/travel-expo-60583/)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill-n-Brillo (Post 556421)

"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 :)

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

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madelaine Amee (Post 556431)

......... 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....................

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.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter (Post 556928)

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.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackz (Post 556968)

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

Quote:

Originally Posted by uujudy (Post 557023)

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.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Villages PL (Post 556067)

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. :-)

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.