Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

OT caller-id

45 views
Skip to first unread message

micky

unread,
Jun 18, 2013, 4:41:28 PM6/18/13
to
OT This afternoon I called someone I don't know. His phone message
suggested my leaving a message, or my emailing him (and he gave his
email address). The message I left said I would call him back in a
couple days and that it was nothing urgent. I didn't leave my
number, mostly because I'm in and out all day.

About a half hour later, he called me. I concluded and he
verified that he got my number from caller-id. How do you feel
about being called back the way he called me back?

I tend to feel he should just ignore the phone number. I know it's
probably going to be there, and when it's essential, I use *67 to
suppress it (though *67 doesn't work with 800, 877, etc. numbers) but
I feel like I shouldn't have to do that all the time and others should
just act like the number isn't there, in the same way as if they
accidentally read a personal note someone has written or accidentally
see someone of the other sex undressed.

What do you think?




**Does it matter that the guy I called is someone who works at a local
community organization? I had to talk to the receptionist at the
organization to find out who was in charge of a particular part of
what they do, and she connected me to his extension, where I got his
recorded message.

mike

unread,
Jun 18, 2013, 5:31:30 PM6/18/13
to
depends on where you live, but you can often suppress caller ID permanently.
Then you have to *xx to enable it when the callee refuses blocked calls.

dpb

unread,
Jun 18, 2013, 5:54:25 PM6/18/13
to
On 6/18/2013 3:41 PM, micky wrote:
> OT This afternoon I called someone I don't know. His phone message
> suggested my leaving a message, or my emailing him (and he gave his
> email address). The message I left said I would call him back in a
> couple days and that it was nothing urgent. I didn't leave my
> number, mostly because I'm in and out all day.
>
> About a half hour later, he called me. I concluded and he
> verified that he got my number from caller-id. How do you feel
> about being called back the way he called me back?
>
> I tend to feel he should just ignore the phone number. I know it's
> probably going to be there, and when it's essential, I use *67 to
> suppress it (though *67 doesn't work with 800, 877, etc. numbers) but
> I feel like I shouldn't have to do that all the time and others should
> just act like the number isn't there, in the same way as if they
> accidentally read a personal note someone has written or accidentally
> see someone of the other sex undressed.
>
> What do you think?

Mountains and mole hills come to mind for some reason...

So you called him and wanted something so what's the deal?

--

Ralph Mowery

unread,
Jun 18, 2013, 5:56:58 PM6/18/13
to

"dpb" <no...@non.net> wrote in message news:kpqku4$ode$2...@speranza.aioe.org...
>
> Mountains and mole hills come to mind for some reason...
>
> So you called him and wanted something so what's the deal?
>
> --

I would have thought it was good of him to call back. Sounds good to me
also.
I wold not call someone if I did not want to get intouch with them.


Ed Pawlowski

unread,
Jun 18, 2013, 6:20:18 PM6/18/13
to
On Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:41:28 -0400, micky <NONONO...@bigfoot.com>
wrote:

>OT This afternoon I called someone I don't know. His phone message
>suggested my leaving a message, or my emailing him (and he gave his
>email address). The message I left said I would call him back in a
>couple days and that it was nothing urgent. I didn't leave my
>number, mostly because I'm in and out all day.
>
>About a half hour later, he called me. I concluded and he
>verified that he got my number from caller-id. How do you feel
>about being called back the way he called me back?
>
>I tend to feel he should just ignore the phone number. I know it's
>probably going to be there, and when it's essential, I use *67 to
>suppress it (though *67 doesn't work with 800, 877, etc. numbers) but
>I feel like I shouldn't have to do that all the time and others should
>just act like the number isn't there, in the same way as if they
>accidentally read a personal note someone has written or accidentally
>see someone of the other sex undressed.
>
>What do you think?

I think it was nice of him to contact you. Evidently you wanted to
have some sort of conversation or you would not have called and he was
just trying to assist you.

You started it and now want to walk away untouched?

Oren

unread,
Jun 18, 2013, 6:48:52 PM6/18/13
to
On Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:41:28 -0400, micky <NONONO...@bigfoot.com>
wrote:

>What do you think?

Cut the phone lines! Rip out the wires and be down with this mess of
people calling you.

tra...@optonline.net

unread,
Jun 18, 2013, 7:16:33 PM6/18/13
to
It totally depends on the situation. If you were calling the
VD clinic, then it's probably not appropriate for them to
use caller id to call you back. But since it was some
community organization and you were apparently seeking
to have a conversation, for the guy to call back seems
reasonable. Today the far bigger problem is people
not calling back and being unreachable.

PS: It wasn't the VD clinic, right?

Meanie

unread,
Jun 18, 2013, 7:54:48 PM6/18/13
to

What everyone else said.

Dan Espen

unread,
Jun 18, 2013, 7:59:08 PM6/18/13
to
micky <NONONO...@bigfoot.com> writes:

> OT This afternoon I called someone I don't know.
...
> **Does it matter that the guy I called is someone who works at a local
> community organization?

So you don't know this guy but you called him and you know he works
at a local community organization.

Sounds like you know a fair amount about him.

You should know that phones identify themselves by default.
By calling him, you are giving him your phone number.

I don't see a problem.

If having caller ID bothers you I'm sure there are ways to
fix that. I get calls with no caller ID lots of times.

--
Dan Espen

Oren

unread,
Jun 18, 2013, 8:46:31 PM6/18/13
to
On Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:16:33 -0700 (PDT), "tra...@optonline.net"
<tra...@optonline.net> wrote:

>PS: It wasn't the VD clinic, right?

Can you imagine the spokesperson at the suicide hot line saying:
"Hang on a minute!"

(PeteCresswell)

unread,
Jun 18, 2013, 8:55:29 PM6/18/13
to
Per micky:
>
>About a half hour later, he called me. I concluded and he
>verified that he got my number from caller-id. How do you feel
>about being called back the way he called me back?
>
>I tend to feel he should just ignore the phone number. I know it's
>probably going to be there, and when it's essential, I use *67 to
>suppress it (though *67 doesn't work with 800, 877, etc. numbers) but
>I feel like I shouldn't have to do that all the time and others should
>just act like the number isn't there, in the same way as if they
>accidentally read a personal note someone has written or accidentally
>see someone of the other sex undressed.
>
>What do you think?

I'm too cheap to pay for CallerID, but if I had it, I wouldn't even
*think* of answering a call that did not display a number.

Granted that solicitors sometimes spoof CallerIDs, but no CallerID would
be a red flag for me.
--
Pete Cresswell

Ed Pawlowski

unread,
Jun 18, 2013, 10:20:15 PM6/18/13
to
On Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:55:29 -0400, "(PeteCresswell)" <x...@y.Invalid>
wrote:


>
>I'm too cheap to pay for CallerID, but if I had it, I wouldn't even
>*think* of answering a call that did not display a number.
>
>Granted that solicitors sometimes spoof CallerIDs, but no CallerID would
>be a red flag for me.

You'd miss some important calls. Some of the missing ID are from
people or places that I want to hear from. One recently was to ask
about shipping information for a medical device for my wife. It was
important that she had it and I could have easily ignored the call
using your criteria.

Tony Hwang

unread,
Jun 18, 2013, 10:30:20 PM6/18/13
to
micky wrote:
> OT This afternoon I called someone I don't know. His phone message
> suggested my leaving a message, or my emailing him (and he gave his
> email address). The message I left said I would call him back in a
> couple days and that it was nothing urgent. I didn't leave my
> number, mostly because I'm in and out all day.
>
> About a half hour later, he called me. I concluded and he
> verified that he got my number from caller-id. How do you feel
> about being called back the way he called me back?
>
> I tend to feel he should just ignore the phone number. I know it's
> probably going to be there, and when it's essential, I use *67 to
> suppress it (though *67 doesn't work with 800, 877, etc. numbers) but
> I feel like I shouldn't have to do that all the time and others should
> just act like the number isn't there, in the same way as if they
> accidentally read a personal note someone has written or accidentally
> see someone of the other sex undressed.he will cALL BACK WHEN i AM HOME
>
> What do you think?
>
>
>
>
> **Does it matter that the guy I called is someone who works at a local
> community organization? I had to talk to the receptionist at the
> organization to find out who was in charge of a particular part of
> what they do, and she connected me to his extension, where I got his
> recorded message.
>
Hmmm,
Called back some one you don't know? What for, how come? If I have a
message like that I won't even bother listening to it, just erase it.
If it really means something He'll try again when I am home. When I
answer his call and if it is spam or junk call I just hang up.

recycl...@gmail.com

unread,
Jun 18, 2013, 11:04:31 PM6/18/13
to
Ditto

default

unread,
Jun 19, 2013, 12:50:27 AM6/19/13
to
On Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:41:28 -0400, micky wrote:
>
> What do you think?

It's very situational, and I bet depends on one's age. Those who have
grown up with caller ID see it as information to be used. Those who grew
up when it didn't exist or was a luxury item are used to more anonymity
and might see what happened as "presumptuous". In this case you could see
it as someone being pro-active. Some younger folks might even take it as
being deliberately ignored if he _didn't_ return the call, since he _has_
your number, after all.

A good question for Miss Manners!

willshak

unread,
Jun 19, 2013, 9:18:41 AM6/19/13
to
What if the caller was going to commit suicide with a gun rather than
hanging for a minute? :-)

--
Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeros after @

willshak

unread,
Jun 19, 2013, 9:21:39 AM6/19/13
to
(PeteCresswell) wrote:
> Per micky:
>> About a half hour later, he called me. I concluded and he
>> verified that he got my number from caller-id. How do you feel
>> about being called back the way he called me back?
>>
>> I tend to feel he should just ignore the phone number. I know it's
>> probably going to be there, and when it's essential, I use *67 to
>> suppress it (though *67 doesn't work with 800, 877, etc. numbers) but
>> I feel like I shouldn't have to do that all the time and others should
>> just act like the number isn't there, in the same way as if they
>> accidentally read a personal note someone has written or accidentally
>> see someone of the other sex undressed.
>>
>> What do you think?
>
> I'm too cheap to pay for CallerID, but if I had it, I wouldn't even
> *think* of answering a call that did not display a number.

I don't answer calls that only display a toll free number.

>
> Granted that solicitors sometimes spoof CallerIDs, but no CallerID would
> be a red flag for me.


--

Moe DeLoughan

unread,
Jun 19, 2013, 9:38:59 AM6/19/13
to
On 6/18/2013 11:50 PM, default wrote:
> On Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:41:28 -0400, micky wrote:
>>
>> What do you think?
>
> It's very situational, and I bet depends on one's age. Those who have
> grown up with caller ID see it as information to be used. Those who grew
> up when it didn't exist or was a luxury item are used to more anonymity
> and might see what happened as "presumptuous".

That's a good point. I remember way back in the early days of caller
ID, someone in my household apparently called a wrong number, realized
it when they got the answering machine, and hung up. No big deal,
right? Not so to the person who had been called by mistake. She had
caller ID, so the next day she called us back and demanded to know who
had called her and why. We quickly figured out that one of the kids
must've dialed a wrong number, but she wouldn't accept that
explanation. She just kept going on and on about it. Frankly, she was
a bit of a loon.

In this case you could see
> it as someone being pro-active. Some younger folks might even take it as
> being deliberately ignored if he _didn't_ return the call, since he _has_
> your number, after all.
>
> A good question for Miss Manners!
>

I've got relatives who grew up in the pre-answering machine era and
believe it is very rude to use answering machines instead of
personally answering the phone every time it rings. So they will not
leave messages. They'll call, hang up when the machine answers, then
call again until someone finally picks up.

Stormin Mormon

unread,
Jun 19, 2013, 10:00:54 AM6/19/13
to
I heard a similar story. Someone with ID blocking had been making harassing calls. Second caller (totally innocent of any harassing) called the wrong number, and hung up when s/he realized the mistake. The harass victim got the number off the call ID and "hah, I finally got you, you miserable SOB" and all kinds of attitude.

As to the original poster, I thought the "not important, will call you in a couple days" should have been respected. Rather than call back.
.
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
.
"Moe DeLoughan" <m...@notmine.null> wrote in message news:kpsc07$u80$1...@dont-email.me...


That's a good point. I remember way back in the early days of caller
ID, someone in my household apparently called a wrong number, realized
it when they got the answering machine, and hung up. No big deal,
right? Not so to the person who had been called by mistake. She had
caller ID, so the next day she called us back and demanded to know who
had called her and why. We quickly figured out that one of the kids
must've dialed a wrong number, but she wouldn't accept that
explanation. She just kept going on and on about it. Frankly, she was
a bit of a loon.

tra...@optonline.net

unread,
Jun 19, 2013, 10:11:57 AM6/19/13
to
I have caller ID and use it to screen calls all the time.
I've never missed a call that was of any importance. It's
rather odd that a business would hide it's caller ID.
Even if I miss something once in 5 years, I'd rather do that
then take all the BS calls. Plus, if it's important, ie the
shipping call, they leave a message.

Mark Lloyd

unread,
Jun 19, 2013, 1:28:38 PM6/19/13
to
On 06/18/2013 07:55 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:

[snip]

> I'm too cheap to pay for CallerID, but if I had it, I wouldn't even
> *think* of answering a call that did not display a number.
>
> Granted that solicitors sometimes spoof CallerIDs, but no CallerID would
> be a red flag for me.
>

I've been getting a lot of junk calls where the CallerID "name" is
identical to the number. I don't answer those or where there's some
meaningless business name like "WSU corp ofc".

I do have an answering machine for important calls, the junk ones almost
never leave a message. Maybe they know their crap isn't any good, and
anyone who has a chance to think about it won't want it.

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us

Cure available for EMS (excess money syndrome). $10,000 per week.
Guaranteed to work or you pay for it again.

Mark Lloyd

unread,
Jun 19, 2013, 1:33:48 PM6/19/13
to
On 06/19/2013 08:21 AM, willshak wrote:

[snip]

>
> I don't answer calls that only display a toll free number.
>

I don't either, unless the name is of a company I'm currently doing
business with.

Also, some junk calls have the "name" as a city and state (like "OGDEN
UT"). If it's just "wireless caller", it may be a person. I answer those
unless from a toll-free number.

[snip]

(PeteCresswell)

unread,
Jun 19, 2013, 1:50:51 PM6/19/13
to
Per Stormin Mormon:
>I heard a similar story. Someone with ID blocking had been making harassing calls. Second caller (totally innocent of any harassing) called the wrong number, and hung up when s/he realized the mistake. The harass victim got the number off the call ID and "hah, I finally got you, you miserable SOB" and all kinds of attitude.

I suspect Miss Manners would say that the proper thing to do when
connected on any call is say "Hello, this is John Smith calling for Dave
Jones".... and, once the error surfaced, apologize - and, maybe confirm
that they really misdialed and aren't working from an incorrect number
in the first place.

Saves time and hard feelings, IMHO.... especially after the second or
third call to an incorrect number.
--
Pete Cresswell

Ed Pawlowski

unread,
Jun 19, 2013, 5:35:26 PM6/19/13
to
On Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:21:39 -0400, willshak <will...@00hvc.rr.com>
wrote:



>
>I don't answer calls that only display a toll free number.
>

My grandson uses WalMart pharmacy. When his prescription is ready for
pickup, they call and it shows as a toll free number. I guess you'd
never know if your prescription is ready.

Higgs Boson

unread,
Jun 19, 2013, 5:50:54 PM6/19/13
to
On Wednesday, June 19, 2013 2:35:26 PM UTC-7, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:21:39 -0400, willshak <will...@00hvc.rr.com>
>
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >
>
> >I don't answer calls that only display a toll free number.

Ed (and other victims)

I am going nuts these last few months with ***daily ***robotic calls. Over & over, the same few numbers. Always when I'm cooking or in the garden or in the bathroom or otherwise occupied!

After a while, I started screening calls, figuring that real people will leave a message - I hope!

At first I called the incoming number back to tell them to stop bothering me. But I always got a message that it's not a working number, or out of order, or words to that effect.

1. So how come a number shows in the window of my phone, if it doesn't exist?

2. Is there any way to track them down?

3. Would the state's Public Utility Commission be the place to complain? I don't want to start making my through the bureaucracy if members of this NG have tried that one w/o result.

4. Is there ANYBODY a victim can turn to?

Thanks for any wisdom.

HB

Oren

unread,
Jun 19, 2013, 6:31:48 PM6/19/13
to
On Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:50:54 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson
<hypa...@gmail.com> wrote:


>Ed (and other victims)
>
>I am going nuts these last few months with ***daily ***robotic calls. Over & over, the same few numbers. Always when I'm cooking or in the garden or in the bathroom or otherwise occupied!
>
>After a while, I started screening calls, figuring that real people will leave a message - I hope!
>
>At first I called the incoming number back to tell them to stop bothering me. But I always got a message that it's not a working number, or out of order, or words to that effect.
>
>1. So how come a number shows in the window of my phone, if it doesn't exist?

TCIP spoofing.

>
>2. Is there any way to track them down?
>

NSA (No Such Agency).

>3. Would the state's Public Utility Commission be the place to complain? I don't want to start making my through the bureaucracy if members of this NG have tried that one w/o result.
>
>4. Is there ANYBODY a victim can turn to?

A lawyer, if a terrorist called you by miscalling.
Message has been deleted

Tekkie®

unread,
Jun 19, 2013, 7:16:24 PM6/19/13
to
willshak posted for all of us...

And I know how to SNIP

>
> Oren wrote:
> > On Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:16:33 -0700 (PDT), "tra...@optonline.net"
> > <tra...@optonline.net> wrote:
> >
> >> PS: It wasn't the VD clinic, right?
> >
> > Can you imagine the spokesperson at the suicide hot line saying:
> > "Hang on a minute!"
>
> What if the caller was going to commit suicide with a gun rather than
> hanging for a minute? :-)

They would have to bite the bullet!

Incontinence hotline-please hold...

--
Tekkie

Tekkie®

unread,
Jun 19, 2013, 7:19:05 PM6/19/13
to
Oren posted for all of us...

And I know how to SNIP

>

>
> A lawyer, if a terrorist called you by miscalling.

Who you calling a terrorist? A lawyer?

--
Tekkie

Oren

unread,
Jun 19, 2013, 7:30:43 PM6/19/13
to
On Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:19:05 -0400, Tekkie� <Tek...@comcast.net>
wrote:

>> A lawyer, if a terrorist called you by miscalling.
>
>Who you calling a terrorist? A lawyer?

Now that you mentioned it, yes!

(PeteCresswell)

unread,
Jun 19, 2013, 8:51:56 PM6/19/13
to
Per Higgs Boson:
>
>4. Is there ANYBODY a victim can turn to?

Increasingly, no.

Some years back, the do-not-call lists seemed tb effective.

But now the solicitors have gone offshore and/or hide behind VOIP and
multiple relays. I've got a small collection of lame-sounding letters
from the Penna DNC list people to that effect.

I think the only answer is challenge-response - plus a willingness to
forgo whatever occasional useful information may be communicated by a
robocall instead of email.
--
Pete Cresswell

Ed Pawlowski

unread,
Jun 19, 2013, 10:32:26 PM6/19/13
to
On Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:11:57 -0700 (PDT), "tra...@optonline.net"
<tra...@optonline.net> wrote:



>I have caller ID and use it to screen calls all the time.
>I've never missed a call that was of any importance. It's
>rather odd that a business would hide it's caller ID.


Well, you don't know if you missed something or not.

It is not always the business that is hiding the ID, the phone
companies don't seem to be doing such a good job. We have size lines
at work. Four show the company name, two show "unknown". Those two
lines were new about 6 years ago. Maybe they just go behind a little.

Ed Pawlowski

unread,
Jun 19, 2013, 10:39:10 PM6/19/13
to
On Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:50:54 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson
<hypa...@gmail.com> wrote:


>
>1. So how come a number shows in the window of my phone, if it doesn't exist?
>
>2. Is there any way to track them down?
>
>3. Would the state's Public Utility Commission be the place to complain? I don't want to start making my through the bureaucracy if members of this NG have tried that one w/o result.
>
>4. Is there ANYBODY a victim can turn to?
>
>Thanks for any wisdom.

From everything I've read, you are pretty much screwed. I was getting
some repeat calls from a couple, like "Card Services" so I'd just
ignore them.

Hartford Courant had an article where a company was spoofing and using
the name of a local resident and his phone number. People would be
more likely to answer that way. You can make any name and number
appear.

The Daring Dufas

unread,
Jun 20, 2013, 12:11:31 AM6/20/13
to
I have a lot of fun with telemarketers by answering the phone as a
crazed Chinaman screaming at them, "Who are you?! Why you call here?!
Why you bodda me?! You don't call here no mo! and on and on. ^_^

TDD

Oren

unread,
Jun 20, 2013, 1:35:56 AM6/20/13
to
On Wed, 19 Jun 2013 23:11:31 -0500, The Daring Dufas
<the-dari...@stinky-finger.net> wrote:

>> Hartford Courant had an article where a company was spoofing and using
>> the name of a local resident and his phone number. People would be
>> more likely to answer that way. You can make any name and number
>> appear.
>>
>
>I have a lot of fun with telemarketers by answering the phone as a
>crazed Chinaman screaming at them, "Who are you?! Why you call here?!
>Why you bodda me?! You don't call here no mo! and on and on. ^_^
>

Ask the caller if she wants to have "wild and crazy" sex.

If she says no, then talk about gold fish.

When they say no, ask her to call you back, just in case she changes
her mind.

micky

unread,
Jun 20, 2013, 1:35:21 PM6/20/13
to
On Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:50:54 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson
<hypa...@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Wednesday, June 19, 2013 2:35:26 PM UTC-7, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>> On Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:21:39 -0400, willshak <will...@00hvc.rr.com>
>>
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> >
>>
>> >I don't answer calls that only display a toll free number.
>
>Ed (and other victims)
>
>I am going nuts these last few months with ***daily ***robotic calls. Over & over, the same few numbers. Always when I'm cooking or in the garden or in the bathroom or otherwise occupied!
>
>After a while, I started screening calls, figuring that real people will leave a message - I hope!
>
>At first I called the incoming number back to tell them to stop bothering me. But I always got a message that it's not a working number, or out of order, or words to that effect.
>
>1. So how come a number shows in the window of my phone, if it doesn't exist?
>
>2. Is there any way to track them down?
>
>3. Would the state's Public Utility Commission be the place to complain? I don't want to start making my through the bureaucracy if members of this NG have tried that one w/o result.
>
>4. Is there ANYBODY a victim can turn to?

P&M

I usually get calls from Cardholder Services. The calls annoy me so
I press 1 so that I can talk to them. When they want to know how
much money is on my credit card, I think of a big number. $6000. I
know some owe more but I'm embarrassed to say I owe that much.

I think once I said I owed on two cards and they said they couldn't
help me, so now I say only one card.

When they want my account number (which isnt' the same as the credit
card number, but I still wouldn't give it to them.) I say I have to go
upstairs to get it. They say okay, so take a while.

Then I do a variety of things. I say, My father-in-law is here and he
said I shouldn't do business with you. That's not enough to get them
to stop. He said you were violating the do-not-call list, so you
can't be trusted.

I went away for 8 days and none of these numbers called me while I was
gone.

A couple weeks later, Cardholder Services did. When I brought up the
do-not call list, she reminded me that she had told me that the credit
bureau had given them my name and number. I pointed out that the
credit bureau doesn't do things like that. She seemed honestly
confused, so I told her her boss was lying to her. Later I admitted
I owed no money, and I said, You lie to me so I lie to you. She
didnt' deny lying to me.

She claimed I wouldn't actually be doing business with them, that they
would just get my credit card bank to lower the interest rate. I
said, So you're doing this out of the goodness of your heart. She
said, Oh no, and I guess was going to tell my how they made money on
it

My goal is to keep them on the phone as long as possible, either
talking or especially waiting for me, and then have them get nowhere.
If everyone would do that, they'd stop calling.

Anyhow, only that one last call in 3 weeks, instead of the two or
three companies that used to call me.

Next time I'll eventually ask them why they call me again when I
wasted their time the last time. Your boss is wasting your time. They
know you can't sell me anything, but they don't bother to take my name
off your list. What's the point of your calling anyone 3 times in a
month. If we did what you wanted before, we can't do it again (you've
already "lowered my interest rate"), and if we didn't do what you
wanted before, you can be sure we won't do it this time either.

(PeteCresswell)

unread,
Jun 20, 2013, 1:55:09 PM6/20/13
to
Per The Daring Dufas:
>I have a lot of fun with telemarketers by answering the phone as a
>crazed Chinaman screaming at them, "Who are you?! Why you call here?!
>Why you bodda me?! You don't call here no mo! and on and on. ^_^

I heard a standup comedian say "When a telemarketer calls, I tell them
that my wife left me, the dog died, my son is on drugs, my unwed
daughter is pregnant, I've lost my job, the bank is going to foreclose
on the house...... and eventually THEY hang up on ME."
--
Pete Cresswell

micky

unread,
Jun 20, 2013, 3:11:06 PM6/20/13
to
On Thu, 20 Jun 2013 13:55:09 -0400, "(PeteCresswell)" <x...@y.Invalid>
wrote:
That's a good one. I can't wait to try it out. I hope some nudnik
calls soon.

Oren

unread,
Jun 20, 2013, 3:20:58 PM6/20/13
to
On Thu, 20 Jun 2013 15:11:06 -0400, micky <NONONO...@bigfoot.com>
wrote:
Tom Mabe is a master at messin' with telemarketers.

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAb8vGSRBoE>

nestork

unread,
Jun 20, 2013, 7:49:43 PM6/20/13
to

'The Daring Dufas[_8_ Wrote:
> ;3081958']I have a lot of fun with telemarketers by answering the phone
> as a
> crazed Chinaman screaming at them, "Who are you?! Why you call here?!
> Why you bodda me?! You don't call here no mo! and on and on. ^_^
>

How do you say " retarded monkey-f*ck" in Chinese?




--
nestork

The Daring Dufas

unread,
Jun 20, 2013, 9:42:47 PM6/20/13
to
I could ask one of my Chinese pals but I'm not sure there is a way for
them to say "*" asterisk. o_O

TDD


Wes Groleau

unread,
Jun 20, 2013, 11:42:37 PM6/20/13
to
Another comic answered a call trying to sell windows.

(pause) "Is this some kind of cruel joke?"

"No, sir, we have ..."

"My house just burned to the ground and you're trying to sell me windows
for it?"
---
"I wonder how long after he hung up that it dawned on him that if the
house burned down the phone wouldn't he usable."

Another good one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7OgWcwgB50

Ed Pawlowski

unread,
Jun 21, 2013, 5:48:43 AM6/21/13
to
On Thu, 20 Jun 2013 23:42:37 -0400, Wes Groleau
<Grolea...@FreeShell.org> wrote:



>Another comic answered a call trying to sell windows.
>
>(pause) "Is this some kind of cruel joke?"
>
>"No, sir, we have ..."
>
>"My house just burned to the ground and you're trying to sell me windows
>for it?"
>---
>"I wonder how long after he hung up that it dawned on him that if the
>house burned down the phone wouldn't he usable."

Sure it would. One call to the phone company and in minutes, your
calls are forwarded to another phone. I've done it.

Part of the building where we leased space for our company burned down
and took all the phone lines out for multiple businesses. That was
Saturday. Sunday we had our numbers ringing at our other building a
mile away.

Stormin Mormon

unread,
Jun 21, 2013, 7:58:05 AM6/21/13
to
I figure it's a service to mankind. Every minute you
have the girl on the line, she's not pestering some
one else. I appreciate your service to your country.
.
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
.
"micky" <NONONO...@bigfoot.com> wrote in message news:1ie6s85dfcclom8og...@4ax.com...

Stormin Mormon

unread,
Jun 21, 2013, 8:01:09 AM6/21/13
to
This one is a classic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvJQxgtJW94

Mr. Mabe is no longer with us. Want to ask you a series of questions.

One time I got a call for "name" who isn't here and never was. I told the caller she had died last week in a plane crash over Bermuda, where she was on vacation.
.
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
.
"(PeteCresswell)" <x...@y.Invalid> wrote in message news:lcg6s89hja6n1aj9s...@4ax.com...
Message has been deleted

micky

unread,
Jun 21, 2013, 11:33:09 AM6/21/13
to
People forget how good the phone company is about doing certain
things, the basic phone things.

Of course, they forget partly becaue of the 10 letters a month I get
trying to sell me FIOS. And other annoying things they do.

Lee B

unread,
Jun 22, 2013, 3:16:21 PM6/22/13
to
So what I don't get is how on one hand we're being told that the
government is collecting phone #s so that they can see who's calling
whom, and see who the terrorists are calling. So they must have really
good ways of tracing phone calls, right? Yet on the other, they
apparently can't back track a spoofed phone number for some one selling
credit card services and home repairs.

(I may regret asking that because I'm really not trying to start a
discussion on the NSA surveillance thing. It just seems like either they
have the technology to track the calls or they don't. Otherwise, all the
terrorists have to do is ask the telemarketers how to spoof their numbers).

Ed Pawlowski

unread,
Jun 22, 2013, 8:20:38 PM6/22/13
to
On Sat, 22 Jun 2013 15:16:21 -0400, Lee B <not_my_r...@yahoo.com>
wrote:



>So what I don't get is how on one hand we're being told that the
>government is collecting phone #s so that they can see who's calling
>whom, and see who the terrorists are calling. So they must have really
>good ways of tracing phone calls, right? Yet on the other, they
>apparently can't back track a spoofed phone number for some one selling
>credit card services and home repairs.
>
>(I may regret asking that because I'm really not trying to start a
>discussion on the NSA surveillance thing. It just seems like either they
>have the technology to track the calls or they don't. Otherwise, all the
>terrorists have to do is ask the telemarketers how to spoof their numbers).

The technology exist. The desire to aid the consumer to banish
telemarketers does not.

The Daring Dufas

unread,
Jun 23, 2013, 12:35:26 AM6/23/13
to
I suppose most people don't understand how useful an old fashioned
answering machine is. I had one that I recorded the phone company
SIT tones followed by the voice message announcing that the number is
disconnected or no longer in service. The same thing can also be done
with an old modem equipped computer with the right software. Years ago,
I set mine up at my office and the telemarketing calls soon dwindled to
nothing. Of course I had to let the folks I wanted to speak with know
about the ruse. I did confuse the heck out of phone company customer
service representatives. There were times when I had time to have some
fun with the idiots calling me so I kept an eye on my caller ID and just
had to mess with the callers. One of my computers was setup with
all sorts of sound effects and background noise. One of my favorites
was a running gun battle between me and police with all sorts of
bullhorn demands for my surrender. It was fun when I had time but I
guess I've grown up. ^_^

TDD
0 new messages