# Double helping of Phone Spam

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-helping-of-phone-spam/213071>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 13, 2003, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-helping-of-phone-spam/213071 "2003-11-13T18:46:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Coffeeguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/958977/32.png) [@Coffeeguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coffeeguy)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-helping-of-phone-spam/213071/1 "2003-11-13T18:46:43Z")

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The phone rang at 9:50 last night and I was treated to a slimy pre-recorded telemarketing pitch over my answering machine as I tried to watch the climax of that evening’s West Wing. I won’t get into how the shows’ ultra-right-wing horn-bowing and posturing pisses me off every week. This week, it was the slimy telemarketer that annoyed me. The pre-recorded message for some swamp-land holiday get-away was actually sent to my answering machine twice for good measure. Apparently they were quite interested in hearing back from me.

The message urged me to call **1(800) 211-7592** each time. They really wanted to talk to me about getting lime disease with a side order of West-Nile-virus at their ramshackle tourist gulag.

Is this something that happens all of the time?? Do other companies actually leave numbers like **1(800) 211-7592** on peoples answering machines?

If someone were to call **1(800) 211-7592** and leave a slimy telemarketing pitch of their own, would that be a bad thing?

If I had actually answered, would I have been treated to the same recording urging me to call **1(800) 211-7592**?

Also, are numbers like **1(800) 211-7592** billed to their owners on a flat rate or are they charged by volume of call traffic?

—CoffeeGuy

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**Author:** ![vd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b19c9b/32.png) [@vd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vd)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-helping-of-phone-spam/213071/2 "2003-11-13T19:59:02Z")

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I would _guess_ that if someone were to call **1(800)211-7592**, that no one would answer.