Nuisance calls rant...
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I just got a call, purportedly from my bank who started the conversation by asking me security questions. Now, as a rule, I never provided them unless I am expecting the call or I ring up the bank myself. The call I had went roughly like: “Hello this is XYXZ is it a good time to talk?” “Well, maybe – is this a marketing call?” “I’m afraid I can’t answer that question until I ask you some security questions” “...” “To start with, could you please tell me the last three digits of your post code” “Could you tell me what the call regards?” “No, sir, you have to an-” *click* I googled the number and it is supposedly a number used by my bank, but FFS, they can’t tell me if it’s about marketing until I answer security questions? Piss off, that just sounds suspect. And even if they do have to contact me by phone - surely the most secure way is to ring me up and state that they would like to talk to me, and that I should ring the customer services number on the back of my bank card as soon as possible. They shouldn't be encouraging people to give out security details over the phone to any tom dick or harry. Honestly. :|
"Benjamin is nobody's friend. If Benjamin were an ice cream flavor, he'd be pralines and dick." ~ Garth Algar "If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." ~ Paul Neal "Red" Adair
"Hello this is XYZ do you have time to answer a few questions?" "Sure - hang on a minute there's someone at the door..." Now just leave them waiting on the line, I once had a telemarketer waiting for nearly half an hour using this technique. As a variation occasionally pick up the phone and say "Be with you in a minute!" do it quickly though so they don't have time to get a word in :)
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I had two of those last evening, both form the same company. Although in fairness both of them declared that they were a Marketing Company upfront. "Hello" - My standard telephone answering phrase. That, or "Yes!". :) "Hello I'm Frazer from xyz Marketing can I speak to Henry please." "In what connection?" "We sent him an Email a few days ago and would like to speak to him about it. Are you Henry?" "What was the Email about?" "Are you Henry?" "What was the Email about?" "I can only discuss that with Henry. Are you Henry?" "What was the Email about?" "Err... Don't worry, we'll call again when it's more convenient." "Don't bother, bye". The second call went pretty much the same way although from a different person. I got the impression that the second caller was Frazer's supervisor or similar. Whether or not that was the case, it was obvious that their scripts did not have a section for this situation. :laugh: I have no idea if I got an Email from them (if I did, it went straight into the bin as soon as I saw 'Marketing'), and what's more I don't care.
Henry Minute Do not read medical books! You could die of a misprint. - Mark Twain Girl: (staring) "Why do you need an icy cucumber?" “I want to report a fraud. The government is lying to us all.”
Awesome!
"Benjamin is nobody's friend. If Benjamin were an ice cream flavor, he'd be pralines and dick." ~ Garth Algar "If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." ~ Paul Neal "Red" Adair
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"Hello this is XYZ do you have time to answer a few questions?" "Sure - hang on a minute there's someone at the door..." Now just leave them waiting on the line, I once had a telemarketer waiting for nearly half an hour using this technique. As a variation occasionally pick up the phone and say "Be with you in a minute!" do it quickly though so they don't have time to get a word in :)
I'd not thought of that one! Great idea!
"Benjamin is nobody's friend. If Benjamin were an ice cream flavor, he'd be pralines and dick." ~ Garth Algar "If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." ~ Paul Neal "Red" Adair
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I just got a call, purportedly from my bank who started the conversation by asking me security questions. Now, as a rule, I never provided them unless I am expecting the call or I ring up the bank myself. The call I had went roughly like: “Hello this is XYXZ is it a good time to talk?” “Well, maybe – is this a marketing call?” “I’m afraid I can’t answer that question until I ask you some security questions” “...” “To start with, could you please tell me the last three digits of your post code” “Could you tell me what the call regards?” “No, sir, you have to an-” *click* I googled the number and it is supposedly a number used by my bank, but FFS, they can’t tell me if it’s about marketing until I answer security questions? Piss off, that just sounds suspect. And even if they do have to contact me by phone - surely the most secure way is to ring me up and state that they would like to talk to me, and that I should ring the customer services number on the back of my bank card as soon as possible. They shouldn't be encouraging people to give out security details over the phone to any tom dick or harry. Honestly. :|
"Benjamin is nobody's friend. If Benjamin were an ice cream flavor, he'd be pralines and dick." ~ Garth Algar "If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." ~ Paul Neal "Red" Adair
I have an unlisted number, which makes it potentially illegal to cold-call me. I get more wrong numbers than junk calls. On the very rare occasions I get a junk call, my line is "Where did you get this number?" I only ever got one answer to that, which was "From the local phonebook". Silly b*gger hadn't suppressed Caller ID, so I told him (a) he's lying and (b) I'm going to report an unsolicited call from ....... (his number). You could hear his panic. Bet that wasn't in his script. ;P
Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994.