Thanks, but I don't work that way

from JoeUser Forums

In the last few months I've gotten no less than two yellow postcards in my mail, addressed to me, no return address, but fairly ominous wording under the heading on the card.

As an example, the information side of the card looks something like this:

LOGO         SERVICE NOTICE         LOGO


[  ] 1st Attempt    [  ] 2nd Attempt    [  ] Final Attempt

[  ] Please call us at your earliest convenience regarding your account.

[  ] Please call us at your earliest convenience regarding your special bonus DVD. Your call is required upon delivery.

[  ] Please call us at your earliest convenience regarding service in your area.

+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
|       For additional                             1-866-220-1656     |
|      information call                                               |
|                                                20 or older Only!    |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
022770                                Ref.#_____________####_______________

The question is who sent me the card. Again, no return address, just a phone number to call.

I tried calling the number when I had it on the earlier card.  Got an answering machine or something similar, hung up and said pass...

Just a few minutes ago, I opted to call the number on the second card.  Got an answer that immediately asked me to hold please.  Gee, thanks.  I call, you ask me to hold.  Nice to know you are too busy to talk to me even though your card told me to call.

After holding, the conversation goes something like this:

I'm asked for my "name please?" 

Uh, not so fast there Ms. Telephone answerer.  I said just that -- no name until the other end identifies who I have called.

"Sorry sir, can't tell you" was the response. 

WHAT?!!?! 

"Sorry sir, we're an answering service for 12 different companies."

Ok, please tell me which businesses so I have some idea why I've been requested to call.

"Can't tell you that sir."

Then I'm sorry, but I don't want to do business with whomever has asked me to call and I hope they enjoy doing business with your service.

"Uh, ok, sorry about that sir."

*CLICK* (my end)

I don't know who the heck sent the card, but I know I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.  If they can't be bothered to tell me who they are *up front*, then I am most definitely not interested in doing business with them.  Sadly, I don't know for sure that I really can keep that from happening as I may already be doing business with the sender, but I swear if I do find out who it is, I'll never do business with them again.

I don't take kindly to stupid attempts to get me to give up information, via survey, via follow-up calls regarding some service that has been provided, or via follow-ups to having provided me with some item that I was supposed to get.  I don't have the time to waste on such nusiances, especially if you can't tell me who you are.

business
11,689 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top

I'm curious about that 20 or older thing.  Two years after smoking, voting, and porn but one year before drinking...suspicious.

~Zoo

Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top

I'm curious about that 20 or older thing. Two years after smoking, voting, and porn but one year before drinking...suspicious.

It is a bit strange.

I'm actually thinking the card relates to one of those magazines that guys normally claim to be reading articles out of (I actually prefer reading the cartoons and jokes, but that's just me).  If so, then I can pretty much guarantee that they won't get my money ever again, even when the subscription is dirt cheap.

Galactic Civilizations III
Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top

I love those places that call you and expect you to give out some personal information on a cold call!

yea, right!

Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
Not sure if you have tried this; take the phone number and run it thru "Google" or one of the other search programs. I did this with a company that was doing the same with me, thus I was able to determine who they were. Then I turned the company over to my local DA's office. Never heared from them again.

Lee
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top

Not sure if you have tried this; take the phone number and run it thru "Google" or one of the other search programs. I did this with a company that was doing the same with me, thus I was able to determine who they were. Then I turned the company over to my local DA's office. Never heared from them again.

Actually I did try a reverse lookup of the number but the places that would return the information wanted me to pay for that information so I stopped the quest at that point.  Not worth paying $15 to find out what the name of the answering service is when it still doesn't tell me for sure who hired them to take my call.

Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top
My office has a couple satellite offices. These places have a ton of offices in them and provide answering services for them all. Each office has it's own number, so that when you call, they can answer with the proper company name - I guess a switchboard lights up or something to let them know. That this answering service can't figure out who they're answering for is their own issue.
Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top

My office has a couple satellite offices. These places have a ton of offices in them and provide answering services for them all. Each office has it's own number, so that when you call, they can answer with the proper company name - I guess a switchboard lights up or something to let them know. That this answering service can't figure out who they're answering for is their own issue.

I'm fairly sure that if I read them the reference number off the card they'd tell me a bit more about why I'm calling, but the person that answered made the mistake of asking for my information (name and such) rather than asking for a reference number.  I'm not giving out my name that easily, and really don't even know if I want to give them a reference number at all.