How to dissuade telemarketers.
We get a LOT of telemarketers, either begging for money, telling us the IRS is on the way to get us or that our car warranty is expired..you get my drift.
This probably comes from having a landline, few people do nowadays, but we will always have one as I dislike talking on the cell phone.
I got a call from the Police Something Support group and they SAID they were raising funds for the families of police officers hurt/killed in the line of duty.
At this point, I ask the person calling "Can you tell me WHAT PERCENTAGE of the funds you raise actually make it to the person(s) in need?"
IF there is the slighest hesitation and they are fishing around for an answer, or if they give you that "well, once our overhead is covered, 100% goes to the families". At that point I ask again "And how often do you COVER YOUR EXPENSES". By that point they have usually hung up on me or become belligerent. That's a tip off. They don't want to waste time.
IF they won't supply a written document stating their overhead, etc., then by law, they have to. Sometimes, if they've stuck with me, I will ask for that information, IN WRITING. (BTW, I have doing this for YEARS and have NEVER gotten anything in writing.)
I don't give money to telemarketers, ever. They might, and mean, might give 10% to the actual organization, but professional telemarketers are often slick with words and good at making you feel guilty for not giving away everything you own.
You can google organizations for the ones that are best at managing their funds. I only give to those that I feel are really doing good.
Also, to remove your name (hopefully) you CAN answer the phone and they give you an option to opt out. Or you can call that number back and there might be a way to opt out. Supposedly there's a fine associated with them calling after you've opted out, but nobody has the time to waste to do it.
Same goes for mail pleas. Mom gives to EVERYTHING. B/C they have given her return address envelopes and pads of paper. She has probably 10,000 return address labels. Hundreds of pads of notepaper.
Luckily we've talked her into giving only very small amounts.
Also--the IRS NEVER calls you. If you are being audited, you will get a written letter. And everybody's original car awarranty has probably expired. It's not a crime.
This was one of the back brace calls, with the arrogant caller stating that he knows I "have a back problem." There's no way he could, and unfortunately I didn't think quickly enough, but my next response is going to be that I don't have to worry about any physical issues because I'm a Borg.
For anyone who's not familiar with the Borgs in Star Trek series, they're former human beings that have been converted into mechanical beings (remember the Tin Man?) and any physical injuries to their artificial bodies are treated as we would repair cars.
That is to good.
The call that sticks with us was a while ago, before we just learned to hang up, when Tony did tell the guy to get a real job and stop scamming. The guy said in a very sad voice “Unfortunately, sir, real jobs are very hard to get here”. So we have a few things to be thankful for, in spite of the problem.
I usually don’t bother with answering numbers that I don’t know. Legitimate callers leave a message on my voicemail.
I shred all junk mail.
I only donate to a few legitimate charities. I never give out personal information over the phone. I never click on anything online or in an email or text message. I have noticed more junk text messages than ever lately. I immediately hit delete.
If you answer a robocall it sends a signal letting the organization know that it is a ‘live’ number and more calls continue to happen. This is why instructions are given not to answer numbers that we don’t know. They try to trick people by using their area code. They are becoming more sophisticated. Most people don’t even know when they are speaking with AI’s. Artificial intelligence is becoming more
sophisticated too.
I went for coffee with a friend who is a bit older. She was astounded by Bluetooth in my car! She thought Siri was a real person! Hahaha 🤣 I had a bit of fun with her. She asked me why did I call that ‘nice lady’ stupid when she answered me. I told her that Siri didn’t always give good answers. I explained that Siri was a computer. She couldn’t quite understand how Siri works. It was hilarious. So, now she is asking everyone if Siri is on their phone and how often they talk to her. She is baffled but amused by Siri. She still uses a simple flip phone.
I used to be too poor (or maybe just too cheap) to have caller display or voicemail but when I moved my new phone company included it with my basic plan - I'll never go back, even if I had to pay extra it would be worth every penny.
I fell for the police thing a few years back and gave then $20 and since then they call all the time. It is definitely a scam. I am on the do not call list but still get them.
We have a 50's land phone and it is usually the only decent phone that works and sometimes I answer the phone in a very loud voice and then slam the phone down. After 4 rings it gets so frustrating.
Another good way to get a laugh, ask them if they can sleep at night knowing that they are selling a scam and ask if their mama is proud of the scam work they do. I never get return calls from those companies. Holding a mirror up apparently doesn't sit well with them.
And I have been on the "Do Not Call" list for well over 15 years, and I still occasionally go back in to add my number, even though they say that once your number is on it, you're good. But I don't think that really makes a difference. To me that's kind of a waste, as it doesn't seem to help.