I've been getting calls from a particular septic tank additive telemarketer for several years now. I've only spoken to them once since I discontinued buying their product, about 8 years ago. In that conversation the telemarketer was extremely demanding and told me bad things were going to happen to my septic system if I didn't buy this stuff. When I said "no thank you and take me off your list" then hung up, he called right back and I let the answering machine take over. Since then they call at least once a week and I let the machine take the call. In 8 years, they have never left a message...until today! It is indeed a very strange "message". If you'd like to hear it go to this thread on "800 Notes". My posts are toward the bottom under "Armpit song".
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-800-577-6384
Blasted Telemarketers!
(45 posts) (14 voices)-
maizeydaze
MemberPosted 18 years ago # -
goodgotd
Memberyeah, we have that problem- or at least the wife does.
I figure it'll drop off eventually since anymore I only pass out my VoIP 775 area code number from sipphone/callwave, and the client is set to transfer incoming straight to voicemail, which then gets emailed to me as .wav. :)
Posted 18 years ago # -
sukibabe
Games JunkieMy Voip is Vonage. My phone is now very, very silent!
Had to change my number when I first signed up, but I am really enjoying the silence.
LOL, just listened to it, strange! Sounds like at the very end something is said.
I'm going to listen to it on my Desktop, the speaker system is far better than my Laptop. It brought up Windows Media player, lol, which is set to display with my music.
It had very warped patterns, not unlike the call itself!Suki
Posted 18 years ago # -
funkymom
Memberi'm pretty sure that if you ask a company to stop calling you, they must stop. i'm just not sure what you can do about it. have you called and spoken to a supervisor/manager? i would consider the fact that they call you at least once a week, especially after you asked them to stop, harassment.
Posted 18 years ago # -
maizeydaze
MemberThe person I last talked to claimed he was a manager. If you looked at posts in the link above you can see that they don't stop. These people don't care about laws and no one is doing much, if anything about it. Look at the reports filed by people on "The Ripoff Report" site too.
http://www.ripoffreport.com/searchresults.asp?q1=ALL&q4=&q6=&q3=&q2=&q7=&searchtype=0&submit2=Search%21&q5=fbk&Search=SearchI'm not changing the phone number or phone company that I've had for over 25 years because of these idiots. I'll just continue to look at caller ID and let them get my answering machine. I have a number blocking service but they just call from a different number after I block one. I just thought the message they left was strange but funny.
This company also went by another name "Krane Products". Here is what a former employee had to say about them.
Ex-Employee of Krane Products Tells It Like It Is
I was an employee of Krane Products from 1998-2001. I wanted to say that all these complaints against this company are valid. I sold the septic tank cleaner over the phone. We were told to do whatever it takes to sell the product.
This included lying to the consumer, and getting nasty-in some cases using threats. The manager knew that the sales reps. were doing these things, but looked the other way. The company had business reply cards that were distributed throughout the country, promising a free 30-day trial. The trial was anything but free. What we really did was send them a six-year supply, and then bill them $169. My boss really pushed hard on me to get a credit card #. We were also told to resist any attempt the customer made for a refund. If you did not do these slimeball tacticts, you were fired. There were many times when a sales rep would write up phony orders,even though,the person told them they were not interested in the product. There were several lawsuits to the company from numerous states and individuals. Steve Kranz was the owner at the time. It is true that you reap what you sow, in 2004 the company went out of business, Mr. Kranz still is facing more lawsuits. The Better Business Bureau of New York gave Krane products an 'extremely negative' rating. This man thinks nothing of practicing immorality to meet a business goal. I also want to make everyone aware of a company called American Home Direct. This company sells household products over the phone. Steven Kranz operates this company, which also has pending lawsuits, and was cited for fraud and other unethical business practices. If anyone is inerested in giving mr. Kranz advice about doing business the right way, you can reach him at 203-863-9700. (this is his office #). He never listned to me, but maybe he will listen to you.Posted 18 years ago # -
RunesageMagik
MemberVery not true, Funky. Cold callers were totally ignoring polite requests, rude comments and angry cussing. That's why the gubment restricted calling hours and finally enacted the National Do Not Call Registry a few years back. The number of unwelcome calls plunged (I can attest to its effectiveness!); but some still get through.
Some companies are farming out the harassment to foreign call centers. Canada, our supposed "friendly neighbor", was at least for a time allowing businesses up North to rip off Americans. Scammers like the so-called Small Business Network (SBN) credit card touting slimebag totally ignores the law and keeps changing his 800 phone and fax numbers. It'll take the states' attorneys general or the FTC to go to the trouble of suing them.
Once you put your numbers on the Registry, you can warn the caller and that might get them to remove your name. I've heard that if you record calls, especially when it's an autodialed call like "Cathy" from SBN, you might be eligible to split any legal settlement to the tune of $1000 per offense.
Posted 18 years ago # -
It's really not funny being troubled via your phone.
Though I have a secret number since more than 20 years back, there are always some Insurance companies, investment brokers ... coming through; and I think it's getting worth. I unplugged my answering machine and have always a look on the display of the phone.Only known numbers get an answer. Worst off all is that person, who is calling since about a year now. There are only 2 or 3 ring signals, but that repeatedly over day and night. Sometimes once an hour, sometimes without cease one signal after the other. The telephone comp. and the police say they cant do anything, the calls are too short.
So now I'm going to buy me a new number, only to see after some time, that a "secret" number isn't really safe.Posted 18 years ago # -
maizeydaze
Membergraylox-I get some calls with only a couple of rings too and then they hang up. I've googled the numbers and have come up blank. Tried blocking them and they keep happening with a different number on the caller ID. These may be coming from sonme kind of automated dialer.
I have a friend who was getting calls every couple of minutes, all day and all night, and when she picked up no one would answer. She was very frightened, as she lived alone. She reported it to the phone company and the police. It took some time but they traced it to an automated fax machine in Texas. She lives in Pennsylvania. For whatever reason, they could not get the owner to make the calls stop so she was forced into changing her number. Now isn't that nice!
I am on the do not call registry and have been since its inception. I just resubscribed about a month or so ago. That will not stop the lousy businesses who are like this company. They make so much money swindling people that lawsuits don't appear to bother them.
Posted 18 years ago # -
sukibabe
Games JunkieI changed my phone due to price! I was stuck with the fricking(translate yourself)farmer phone service(Verizon) out in my area! A half a block down the road is a restaurant where my son worked. They would charge me 5 cent's a call. His school also cost me the same to call. I was limited to the first 3 numbers (not including area code) that were free to use! I live on what is considered a very high price lake, so I am not in the farm country. Woo, feel better now!
The thing is, when you are connected via land line, if you vote or give to charity, do not call list's, do not apply! So these people can still call. One only know's who else has access to their list's.
I chose a Voip for price. I do not get calls from Telemarketer's. I can access my account and see who I called and who called me. Down to day, date and time!
Which is nice, if I should ever have to put up with that kind of phone abuse again. I then have a log to print or save.
At first I did not like having to change my phone number, but considering the phone service I was dealing with, I knew they would not let my Voip use it!
I am actually glad for the change. As the most Important people have it and the Jerks don't!
I am not telling anyone to switch, this is just my opinion.
My phone bill used to average about $100.00 a month, now I pay $30.00. The difference pays for my ISP and more.
Thank's for letting me vent (Although I do kind of miss F'in with them)!Suki
Posted 18 years ago # -
copmom
MemberI used to be flooded with all of those telemarketers calls until I signed up for the "do not call" list. Now when someone does call I tell them I'm on that list and they hang up. If it's before 8 am, the answering machine can take over or the voicemail.
I can't change my phone number as it's also our business number and customers do call in orders.
On the other side of the coin, if you change phone services, (I switched from BellSouth to Charter), so now I'm continuously called from AT&T (who was BellSouth), when I tell them what I pay now for my phone service they say they can't compete. Plus their feature is long distance is only 5 cents per minute. I tell them my service has unlimited local and long distance for FREE and to take my name off their list.There is one thing I've discovered. For example I have an AT&T credit card, and one of the things that happens when you do have any kind of a credit card, (it's in their small print), you have basically given permission for any of their subsidiaries to contact you!
This isn't counting all the snail mail I get, especially Chase. My paper shredder comes in mighty handy for that!Posted 18 years ago # -
Maybe supplying the Florida State Attorney General with the recorded answering machine message along with the Ripoff Report website and any other info you may have will get something done. And the statement from the former employee would be very helpful also. I know in my state, the Attorney General has a website with forms you can fill out to report such things. They seem willing to investigate this type of harassment. That's what I would do!
Posted 18 years ago # -
turkishvan007
MemberHi, not sure what the law are like where you are from but we don't have a no-call list where I'm from. We have harassment laws, ombudsman, etc. Normally when you ask to be removed from the master list the telemarketers will do so but I had one that didn't. I finally called the head office talked to a Manager (got her name and tele #) and said I wanted to be removed from all of their lists. She hummed and hawed and I said if I get one more call from any of the branches of their company I would lodge a harassment complaint with the police, ombudsman or whoever I could think of. To date, it's been almost a year and no monthly phone calls have been received from this company. Maybe something like this would work for you too!
Posted 18 years ago # -
maizeydaze
MemberThanks for all the suggestions. This gives much to ponder. But for now, I'm patiently waiting by the phone for that guy to call back so I can blast the recording back in his ear.:)
I have DSL, Dish Network (200 channels for 4 rooms) and phone (w/100 min/month long distance & all the calling features) bundled together for about $130 a month. I don't know if that's good or bad. Can't get cable TV and cell phones don't get a signal because I live in an isolated tight valley. I'm just lucky they put a Walmart super center in a few miles away and their DSL hub is located on the lines to my house. Two years ago I still had dial-up that wouldn't connect above 26Kbps with 56K modem. It was painfully slow.
Posted 18 years ago # -
I like telemarketers - It might not exactly be polite, but if they continue to ignore your request not to call.
1. Tell them someone is at the front door - and can they hold. Then just put the phone down on the bench and go on with whatever you were doing.
2. Blowing a football whistle into the phone is almost as unpleasant as having your evening meal interrupted each night - but the ringing in their ears will last a little longer. (If they complain - you were having a childrens birthday party - it must've been one of the kids - they all got whistles in their loot bags). Then blow the whistle again.
3. Driving around to their business/offices late at night and cutting their phone lines can be inconvenient - especially if they rely on their phones (Phone company technicians can usually come around to make the repairs within the same week). (This may not be legal but putting a shovel (or a backhoe if you have contacts) through underground phone cables can look unintentional.
4. Just start randomly pressing phone buttons every few seconds - don't respond to any questions, just continue "beeping" on your phone, while they go through their spiel. Sometimes a hacking cough, clearing your throat, spitting and the occasional belch can make it difficult to sell when they know the message isn't getting across. Occasionally saying "Hello??" (because you cannot hear anything) and maybe mumbling something about "stupid phone never works, people should speak up so I can hear them".
5. Have the person speak louder. then when you have to respond - act like you still cannot hear them. Then they are speaking too fast - need to slow down, because you are taking notes, then read it back to them - but get it all wrong. Ask "is that correct" when they respond, you cannot hear them (or they are talking to fast). Get them to go over it again. Start asking unrelated questions - "do they know the best way to cook corned beef", "where are the spark plugs on my car" - start talking about your favorite teacher when you went to school - then suddenly start speaking in broken english - and apologise for not speaking english - ask them extremely personal questions about their sex life. Tell them about a rash you once had, describe your bowel movements and ask them if that is normal. Tell them to wait on the phone because you just remembered you have a hired DVD that is due back at the shop - and you have less than an hour to return it. Don't hang up the phone, just leave it next to the radio (half tuned in, half static) -go off and do whatever you feel like.
I think you get the idea.
Another I just thought of - tell them it's not a good time, and ask them to call back at... (and give them a specific date and time... when you will NOT be at home), usually they will agree to ring back because you haven't outright rejected them. If later they ring you back and mention you weren't at home - argue with them insisting you have never left the house in 9 years because of the radiation the government sprays on people to control them and get into their thoughts. Become paranoid that the caller is actually "one of them". Refuse to discuss anything further until the caller can prove they haven't been irradiated. Warn them that the phones have been tapped by the aliens for "training purposes".
Posted 18 years ago # -
maizeydaze
Member -
copmom
MemberGood ones BuBBy! I think the best one is to just ask them to hold on, then go about your business, finish your dinner, go to the bathroom, do whatever you were doing. Since they have to reach as many people as possible so they can make some sales, they'll get the message!
I think the best one I've heard, (it's too long to put on here), is an WMV file I got where the person answering pretends they're a policeman, and they're at a murder scene, and he starts asking the caller, "how did you know the person you're calling, and are you a homosexual, and what is your name and phone number, and that they've notified the police in the callers area and they would be right over", etc.
Another one is to just ask them for their name and home phone number so you can call them back at your convenience! They don't want to give you their home #, but.. you say, "you called ME at MY home number", so turn abouts fair play!
The part that kills me about most of those calls is you can hear all the other people calling in the background of the 'boiler room' they're working in! And lately, it's not even a person on the phone, it's a recording that you think is someone until you start answering them!
As for the one where the phone rings, you answer, no one's there.. that's usually an automatic computerized dialing system .. like they'll call 0000, then 0001, 0002, etc. If someone answers one of those numbers, then a live person calls that number. That's how they get all the unlisted numbers!
Maybe we need to post a list of 1,001 ways to turn the tables on telemarketers??
Posted 18 years ago # -
maizeydaze
Membercopmom - Here are links to Tom Mabe's telemarketer pranks with the one you liked and a couple more.
http://egret-annex.com/mp3_player/hitcallcrimescene.htm
http://www.tommabe.com/videos/video_wake_up_call.htm
http://www.tommabe.com/videos/video_add.htmAnd here are Tom's telemarketer facts: http://tommabe.com/facts.php
Oh, found another list similar to Bubby's: http://www.boloji.com/humor/jokes/043.htm
Posted 18 years ago # -
copmom
MemberHad to add this! Just saw this in the February 2008 Reader's Digest:
Help Wanted
From the University of Mississippi's "The Daily Mississippian", a dose of sweet irony:
"Telemarketers: Now hiring telemarketers. Flexible hours available. Experience preferred. No phone calls, please".Posted 18 years ago # -
A little story,that suddenly came out of my memory pool :
Once upon a time, long before telemarketing and answering machines, I got a call from a shoemaker.
An orthopedic shoemaker he said he is.
He wanted to remind me, that my orthopedic shoes are ready to pick up.
Upon my reply, that he must be wrong at this phone-number, he only repeated his first announcement. I didn't want to be impolite, and tried to explain that he got the wrong connection. Unimpressed by my answer, he carried on with speaking about the orthopedic shoes with size 35 1/2 (that would fit a child). Now I got amused and got into this bizarre conversation. He went on praising his orthopedic (that was immense crucial to him) shoes sized 35 1/2, asking about my instep and width of my feet, but never waited for (and got) an answer. His voice was normal and in no way offending. After a while I got enough, said polite good bye.
Some days later the same story repeated; at his third call I only answered with the football whistle. That had blown him away.
Later on, there was an article in the paper, that the police had got a guy, who had offended some women, pretending he was an orthopedic shoemaker - you know the story.
But that was not all, he was caught, because he harassed girls from a nearby primary school.
Perhaps you can guess my feelings, as I recognized him as a neighbor.
grayloxPosted 18 years ago # -
maizeydaze
MemberOh Graylox, that's rather creepy having that man living nearby. Do you think he was watching you? You were smart to blow the whistle on him.
Posted 18 years ago # -
Yes mazeydaze that was creepy, you feel so exposed.
The police investigation did find telephone numbers, but no private photos or notes. Only pictures of feet, feet with injuries or mutilation and shoes. Photos of shoes, old shoes, new shoes, all for women, some shoemaker tools. Most of those shoes were made over to some kind of orthopedic shoes. He even had some peg legs, and other orthopedic assistive technology in his odd collection.
It was a man in his seventies, and -yes now I have to tell the rest of the story - he hung himself during the investigations.
grayloxPosted 18 years ago # -
scubaguy (R.I.P.)
MemberFYI even though you may be on the Do not call list (in the USA)people who can still call you or are exempt from the rules of the list are.
1.Any business whom you deal with,gas co.,electric co.,phone co.,insurance co.,
and so on, in case they have some other service they want to try and sell you Although usually after telling them not to call any more they will stop, not wanting to damage the re pore they already have with you.2.Any credit cards that you have and they are the maine culprits because they want to try and sell you some kind of extra service,such as travel plan,credit monitoring service,or other useless service, Again telling not to call works sometimes.
3.Any charity or political organization are allowed to call,as well as newspaper and magazine subscriptions you may have.
4.The worst are those that just ignore the list altogether.
So after the DNC list came out I singed up right away,but still kept getting unsolicited calls,a reduced amount because of the list but yet still to many for my liking.So after many hang ups,swearing at them and still having to wade through endless recordings just to get to the valid messages.I was still frustrated and decided to give them a taste of there own medicine.
I had received a gag gift that was in a drawer(a little device that has about 8 different recordings of the sound of passing gas) which I will refer to as the FART MACHINE.It is very realistic and disgusting to say the least.I'm sure you can see where this is going,but you really have to sell the idea to the telemarketer.
Conversation goes like this.Telemarketer= Hi my name is Mr Full-of-Boloney and would like to tell you about a product I'm sure you'll be interested in,it's called the Piece-of-Crap DooHicky.
My Reply = Wow! this amassing I was just thinking about purchasing a Piece-of-Crap DooHicky,(This usually sucks them in especially if they are new and in training,you can tell there reading a prewritten text.)
TM.= Great then let me explain how it works and the cost,(I let them go into there speech for about 15 or 20 seconds)
My Reply = (FART MACHINE)set to very loud Ffffrrrrrrhf!! and I don't say a word pretending that he didn't hear it.I let him or her go on with speech,wait 10 or 15 seconds and (Fart Machine again Slightly different sound PPPhhhwwwffhh!! and say I'm really sorry about that I'm on medication that causes a lot of gas,but please go on.(I will continue this for as long as they will put up with it,they usually just hang up,or I will excuse myself and say I have to go to the bathroom, but I'm really interested in what they have to say and could they just hold on for a second,because I'll be right back,( then I put the phone down and wait to see how long they hold on before hanging up.
The second method I use is the (I'm hard of hearing and slightly senile routine).For this you have to think fast about words that will rhyme with what they are saying.Say for example the TM is selling Window screens.
TM = Hi my name is Mr.Full-of-Boloney and would like to tell you about a product I'm sure you'll be interested in,it's called Window Screening,our product(I interrupt them with).
My Reply = (Done in a loud voice)WHAT!! No! I don't scream out the window!!!
TM = No No!! Sir not screaming, this is in regards to your window,(again I interrupt with)
My reply = (Loudly) What!!I don't need you to guard my window What are you talking about??
TM = ( now He's starting to shout in to the phone thinking I can't hear )Sir!! Maybe I could Talk to your wife.(always interrupting them)
My Reply= No!! My name ain't Barney Fiffe! Hey! Who are calling you must have the wrong number.I will keep going until they hang up, and it doesn't take long especially if you keep saying WHAT DID YOU SAY!!???
The third routine,is to just play stupid keep telling them I don't understand?(TM)Sir what don't you understand?(ME)Well that first part you said.(TM)What about the first part Sir??(ME)I don't remember?Maybe you should repeat it again?(TM)repeats the whole thing again.(ME) Sorry who are you again!!(TM) He repeats the whole thing over.(ME) I don't understand???At this point it's very hard for me not to start laughing because you can tell how frustrated they are.
Forth routine, pretend your talking to someone else in the room about something like the shopping list they have to buy(and don't say excuse me to the TM just abruptly start talking to the imaginary person in the background) Start naming off a long list of ingredients for the dinner meal,Then go back to the TM,and say now what were you talking about??Let them start talking again,then to Imaginary person you say,OH I forgot? You have to get .....and just keep interrupting the TM with that.
Fifth routine,only works if you have a hold button on the phone.Just keep telling them OH! I'm sorry could you hold for a second,and before they reply hit the hold button,Waite about 30 seconds it seems like forever to them,then get back to them and pretend like you forgot what they were calling about,let them start over,and keep putting them on hold.
I had so much fun frustrating and irritating them,that I was just waiting for the next TM to call.If you just think of what other people have done to you on the phone that was irritating you can come up with all sorts of routines.
DON"T GET MAD!!GET EVEN!!
Posted 18 years ago #
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