Ever since the first of the year, we’ve been getting tons of these calls-they always are identified as an “800” (toll-free) number-so that you will pick up.
The giveaway is that they never leave a message-so we never pick up (when I did, they were usually some people asking for money, for charities I have never heard of).
When did they discover this way of concealing themselves?
When I did pick up (once, it was my old friends…the “Children’s Cancer Coalition”).
Look, I support the right to solicit funds, but at least be honest about it.
Why on earth would you pick up when you see an 800 number?
Yeah, I never answer those---- it’s either going to be a telemarketer or someone trying to collect a debt for my unpaid balance to the Children’s Cancer Coalition.
I don’t answer them since they are almost certainly telemarketers, but my assumption is that (at least in many cases) they want you to call the 1-800 number back which you won’t do if it’s not a toll free number. So, I guess it actually is sort of honest; still just as offensive, but sort of honest.
And you really don’t want to pick up the phone if it’s Make-a-Wish calling BACK.
You get charged for receiving a call from a non-toll-free number?
I remember when I had a land line.
Then I looked around and every person in the house had their own cell phone, and I thought, ‘why the fuck am I paying for a phone that only telemarketers, political pollsters, and other people I don’t want to talk to, use to annoy me?’
And I dumped that sucker and never looked back.
Move into the new world, ralph124c and dump the land line.
That might make sense financially, but doesn’t really immunize one from unwanted calls.
I was harassed so relentlessly by telemarketers, scammers, and misguided bill collectors for months on end that I changed my mobile number. Still get them with the new number, but not as often— a few times a week instead of 10+ times per day.
Plus, you get the added joy of SMS spam. “Reply with STOP so we know you’re there and can hassle you with even more bullshit!”
I typed “Children’s Cancer Coalition” into Charity Navigator and got zero hits. A quick search around the internet found a site listing officers with the unlikely names of Qiana M. Horsley, Wanda Outlaw, and Mc I’ Ntosh E. Monica (sic).
Scam, scam, scam.
I’ve had the same cell number since 1994. I don’t get SMS spam or telemarketing calls. I might have put my cell number on the “do not call” list, but I honestly don’t remember for sure - it would have been several years ago if I did.
And I also dumped my land line about 2 years ago.
This exactly.
Cell phones on the Do Not Call list and we’re golden. And any call from a number I don’t recognize doesn’t get answered. NO exceptions. If it’s a legit call, they’ll leave a message.
And, I’m going to go ahead and ask this question as well. Just don’t pick up, dude!
My cell number is on the Do Not Call list. This doesn’t stop the sleazier telemarketers from calling me, and it certainly doesn’t stop any charities or political orgs from calling me. My cell number is listed in the mod contact list, and other than the SDMB staff, there are maybe half a dozen people who know my cell number. And all of them know to call my landline or email me, except for emergencies. My landline gets far fewer telemarketing calls than my cell…and the landline is on the DNC list too.
When I got my new cell phone, I had the salesman disable text messaging, because I was getting a LOT of spam texts, which, on my plan, cost quite a bit.
And whenever I get exciting news about a penis enlarger in my email it just turns out to be a scam!
I’ve had my cell number since about 2003 and I doubt I get more than 10-20 telemarketer calls per year. I don’t think I’ve gotten 10 text spams in my entire life. I’ve never used a do not call list. I don’t doubt that other people get them - it just seems weird.
Even so, I don’t answer calls from numbers I don’t know - if it’s important, they’ll leave a message.
I would love to drop my land line but we need one for burglar alarm monitoring. The only people that call that number are my mother in law and the Police Benevolent Society.
I kept my landline for years specifically to give to organizations that require a phone number, but that you NEVER want to talk to at *their *instigation. In fact, I had the line, but no actual phone. Why yes, Democratic party and every charitable organization on earth and Capital One, I’d be happy to give you my phone number .
Why though, should you have to disable a feature because of arseholes? You should be able to receive texts without the crap. (I also believe in the Easter Bunny).
We have kept the land line to have a number to give when you need a number to give to people you don’t want to call you or who might sell your number – filling out a form to register the warranty for your new appliance, that sort of thing. Every night we come home to half a dozen calls, hangups, “surveys,” “Rachel from Cardholder Services, there are no problems currently with your credit card account but it’s important that you act fast in order to reduce your interest rates” may she die of a carbuncle on her nethers, and that phone is on the do not call list.
We’ve both disabled texting on our cell phones, and when I get a spam call I immediately save the number and list the name as “Bogus.” When they call back again, I answer and hang up on them. HA!
Why indeed? I think I should be able to receive texts from people in my contact list, but Verizon says no can do. I call BS, but they make the rules.
Eh, if I actually received texts that I wanted, I’d probably leave the feature enabled. But I’ve never received a text from anyone I know.
Someone DID call my landline today, and tried to tell me that my computer had a lot of viruses on it. When I demanded to know who he was trying to call, he told me that he was trying to call Esteban Santos. Apparently, old Esteban was in the habit of signing up for every lottery and giveaway that he could find, and he got his name on a lot of lists. When I informed this caller that there was no Esteban at this number, he kept insisting that my computer was tied to Esteban’s phone number. I don’t think so.