In the last couple weeks I've gotten a couple of bizarre telemarketing calls. One was from a woman who mumbled her company's name totally incoherently, then went on about how she'd gotten my information from my credit card (she even had the credit card NUMBER) and wasn't I so lucky! Because she was going to send me a big packet of materials that offered discounts to all these different retailers! AND there would be $120 in free gas vouchers! And I didn't have to do anything! It was all free!
For the first month, that is. After that, if I didn't call to cancel, it would be $30 per month.
I asked her REPEATEDLY if this was opt-in or opt-out. As in, if the envelope arrived in the mail and I tossed it straight in the trash, would they start billing me? And she was the master of evasion. First she told me that I wouldn't throw it in the trash because it was a clearly marked red and white envelope. Then she said a few things that sounded vaguely like it was opt-in, and I wasn't committing to anything, but weren't quite that clear-cut.
FINALLY she transferred me to another woman to verify my address. And I asked that woman the same question... is this opt-in or opt-out? And after asking several times, she FINALLY clarified that it's opt-out. That's when I learned that I would have to call to cancel or else I'd start getting charged. Also, she still had my DC address. How do they have my correct credit card number but a year-old address?
This woman called during working hours. I answered the phone despite not recognizing the number because I thought it might be a coworker calling from a cell phone. I was busy trying to meet a deadline at the time. If I hadn't been paying attention, and just said sure, go ahead, send me the damn thing, thinking I'd deal with it later? I assume I never would have received it, it wouldn't have been returned to sender because it's essentially junk mail, or if I had received it I would have thrown it away without knowing what it was, and then a $30 monthly charge would have shown up on my credit card bill.
The second call I got was from someone who said that I was so lucky, because my credit card had qualified me to be entered in a sweepstakes! Yay me! And if he could just get a bit of info from me, he'd go ahead and enroll me.
This time I didn't even wait to hear his spiel. I just told him I wasn't interested, asked him to take me off his list, and hung up.
Is this even legal? I don't know who sold them my info... whether it was the credit card company themselves (trying to find a new way to make some money now that stricter regulations have been put in place?) or someone I purchased from... but how can it possibly be OK to give out my credit card number without my permission? I mean, what the hell? And has anything like this happened to you?
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My credit card company has been calling me relentlessly trying to sell me on some account protection program. I believe that if you are on the do-not-call list the only folks who can call, even for sales calls, are people you already do business with. Verizon does this too - always trying to upsell.
ReplyDeleteSounds like both definitely need to be reported to the FTC and/or your Attorney General. Always ask telemarketers to be on their DNC list. The gas coupon thing definitely sounds like a scam. Check this out: http://text.broadbandreports.com/forum/remark,14623560
ReplyDeleteSounds like a complaint is warranted.
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My question is, why did you even engage the FIRST caller in conversation? That kind of call is an automatic "Never call me again" and hang up in my book. Although I guess that wouldn't give me the opportunity to complain, because I don't even stay on the phone long enough to know who it is.
ReplyDeleteYou should complain, if you're willing to take the time; this is the kind of operation that ends up costing elderly people loads of money because they don't know how to say "no."
I got into trouble once from Drugstore.com because I took what appeared to be a 20% off coupon based on my purchase (i.e. I though I had earned a 20% coupon from the amount of money I had spent at drugstore.com), but what ended up enrolling me for a service that started charging me $15/month three months later without ever contacting me about it (not drugstore.com; this other outfit called Reservation Rewards). The company is the subject of a class action lawsuit for its practice of tricking people in this way, so whoever called you could easily be a similar kind of gig.
I just had something like this happen to me with Bank of America. They sent me information about some coupon discount program that I could enroll in and I'd get a $40 Bank of America giftcard just for enrolling. Then I could cancel within 30 days and not be charged the monthly fee of $15. I'm super vigilant about that kind of thing so I figured it would be ok. I got the info in the mail, sent off the postcard for the free giftcard, and promptly called and canceled the membership. And at the end of the month, my account was charged $15. I called them and they said that by sending in the postcard I'd somehow unknowingly enrolled for ANOTHER, DIFFERENT program that was also $15 a month. I was livid. I asked to speak to their manager and finally wrangled my money back. Then I sent a nasty letter to Bank of America requesting that they not send me offers like that (or any offers, for that matter) ever again. I've not heard back from them yet but I have learned my lesson. Arg.
ReplyDeleteWow, I haven't gotten a telemarketer call in a long time. Probably b/c we are on the do not call list, and also I've weeded out a lot of junk mail via https://www.dmachoice.org.
ReplyDeleteIf you guys are on the do not call list you may want to call your bank or credit card company to make sure this info isn't available to telemarketers, or also check with your phone company. Otherwise you might want to report the call...that's pretty creepy.
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ReplyDeleteStuff like this makes me so glad (a) I'm on the Do Not Call list and (b) I don't answer my phone if I don't recognize the number. I swear, offers like this pray on people who aren't smart enough to ask questions and/or don't have time to do anything other than "send me some information."
ReplyDeleteIt's absolutely not legal for any merchant to use your credit card number like that. I would assume it's somehow connected to the card issuer, but I would call the credit card company and try to find out if they're the ones responsible, and make it clear you're displeased.
ReplyDeleteDef call the cc company and complain. I'm on the do not call list, but my own cc companies still call me all the freaking time with this "special program" or that "rewards program." ANNOYING!
ReplyDeleteStuff like this drives me nuts. I need to remember to get on the Do Not Call list for cell phones as I'm already receiving texts from telemarketers!
ReplyDeleteAck! That is ludicrously annoying. Also, so dishonest, I think, when they're all trying to trick you into saying yes without giving you all the details.
ReplyDeleteI would DEFINITELY call the credit card company to find out what's up. And if you get another call like that I would demand to know how they got your info.
ReplyDeleteIt is good that you told them to take you off of their list. This is pretty much the only way to get them to stop calling you. "Sadly, never call me again" just isn't enough to get it done since they have ways of wrangling around that (aka having a different call center employee call you the next time) (yep, that actually happens).
Er. This does NOT sound good. It sounds like scamming to me. Maybe they wanted your social security number or CID number on the back of the card?
ReplyDeleteI am pretty sure that they can contact you because the credit card gave them your information AND since you have "done business" with your credit card company in the past year, the Do Not Call register does not apply.
ReplyDeleteGood luck getting off the lists. When I call my cards about the annoying telemarketers, they basically shrug at me.
We had a similar experience lately, but with home security systems, not with credit card company. Not as bad, except it was like 5-6 calls a day - and I have KIDS. So, if I have to get up from feeding a baby to answer a call it BETTER NOT BE THE SIXTH ONE. Finally, one of the guys calling, who could probably hear my toddler shrieking in the background gave me the Do Not Call list number. He said that you have to give it a week, and then if they call you again you can use your phone number to call in and report them. He also told me our cable company called in and reported us as a 'transfer service' and that the companies purchase large quanitites of phone numbers from them.
ReplyDeleteIf that doesn't make me angry ENOUGH at my provider, they also gave me the former number of the PORTLAND CENTER FOR PSYCHOLOGY AND MENTAL HEALTH. At first, it was hilarious - weeks later, and aftera bout 1000 calls, not so much. You would think they would like retire that number for awhile or something.
In general…
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Wow - we've been getting calls from a credit card company that neither of us has ever been with and we just ignore them - no messages left. These companies are getting desperate - I ran into a similar issue with Priceline who sold my credit card number and automatically enrolled me in an opt-out scam. I raised hell.
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