Telephone calls

[carbking]

We are increasingly being bombarded by telephone calls with "unknown name" or "invalid name"  or "private" on caller ID.

 

The other day, just to get some statistics, I answered all within a day. There were 18 of which 17 were "garbage" calls, either robocalls, or a person wanted to scam us.

 

The one that was legitimate was an auto parts house that came up unknown. I asked the individual about it, and he said he would refer the question to their tech department.

 

We are now ignoring calls with "unknown name" or "invalid name"  or "private" on caller ID. If you should call us during normal telephone hours, and get our recording, would suggest you check how your telephone is configured.

 

Jon.

[zepher]

If you have your caller ID blocked by default you can bypass that and send your number when you place a call by dialing *82 first.

That works with most systems but not all.

 

[JACK M]

I usually answer and  see how much of their time I can waste before they hang up. (a perk of being old and retired)

Of coarse the robos and recordings I hang up.

I was warned not to hit the opt out button as this only confirms that you have a working number.

[Vintageben]

15 minutes ago, JACK M said:

I usually answer and  see how much of their time I can waste before they hang up. (a perk of being old and retired)

Of coarse the robos and recordings I hang up.

I was warned not to hit the opt out button as this only confirms that you have a working number.

I’m not old or retired but there are days here when life is a little boring that I like to a have a bit of fun with these con artists some of them get a bit upset when they realise the joke is on them. Unfortunately more and more they are only robocalls and there is no fun in those

[46 woodie]

Carb, the easiest way to discourage them is to get an answering machine. I like you, got about a dozen garbage calls a day. Since I installed an answering machine I get about two. They won't talk to the machine and after a few tries they get the hint and give up.

[carbking]

Woodie - the robots NEVER give up! Since we only answer the telephone on certain days, have had the machine for probably 15 years. The robots still call!

 

The ONLY way to discourage them is by firing squad to the humans controlling them!

 

Jon

[TTR]

While I generally dislike/disprove any off-topic threads on (car) forums and rarely participate in them, my solution to this for nearly 30 years now (i.e. ever since I opened my shop) has been that my business phone number has always been unlisted and, while some find or have found it odd, remains so.

Besides, I never answer that phone anyway, since I'm rarely near it and it has a voicemail recorder which instructs callers to leave a message with their number and good time frame for call-back, which I do when I can and/or deem necessary.

This, of course, over the years/decades has led to a (fortunate) situation that my shop phone rings now less than a handful of times per week and most of those don't leave a message, which I take meaning they weren't worthy of answering anyway. ✌️

 

My cell phone (also kept private) doesn't ring much either and everyone I care to talk with, including clients, are on my list of contacts and any incoming call that's not, I let go to voicemail. 

 

Those who really need or want to get in touch with me are usually resourceful enough to manage that and if they aren't,...    ...well, maybe it's for the best.

 

Few years ago, someone  suggested that perhaps I just foresaw all this nonsense decades ago, but it still doesn’t come close to how one of my good and lifelong friends has managed this.

In nearly 50 years I’ve known him, he’s never had a phone of any sort and I’m pretty sure he’s never touched a single key or “mouse” on a computer, yet has managed to become one of the wealthiest individuals from the group of guys I grew up with.

What makes it even more interesting is that in his late teens & early twenties he worked few years for a telephone company as a lineman and perhaps that helped him to foresee all this long before I did.

Edited November 2, 2019 by TTR (see edit history)

[ply33]

59 minutes ago, 46 woodie said:

Carb, the easiest way to discourage them is to get an answering machine. I like you, got about a dozen garbage calls a day. Since I installed an answering machine I get about two. They won't talk to the machine and after a few tries they get the hint and give up.

 

I switched to a Voice over Internet (VoIP) provider a long time ago for cost reasons. But one of the nice things my provider has is what the call "call treatments". Based on the caller ID I can do all sorts of things. If you are in my address book and not marked as blocked, my phone will ring directly when you call. If you aren't in my address list the call goes to a telemarking block where a random digit is selected and a voice prompt says "Press N to continue" where N is the number. If that is not pressed the call is dropped is a short amount of time. Almost no telemarketing or robo calls get through that filter. So when the phone in the house actually rings it is very likely that it is someone we are willing to talk to.

 

I wish my cellphone carrier had a telemarketer block too. Best I can do is tell my phone to decline all calls from people not in my address book. Unfortunately there are times I have to turn that off, the most recent being waiting for the tow truck driver to call back from a number unknown to me after I called AAA.

[Ronnie]

If you want to stop robo calls look into NoMoRobo.com.   I've used it for several years and it stops about 85 percent of the robo calls.

[C Carl]

Do you think NoMoRobo will stop the persistent little Dolly who is constantly trying to make advances on me ? Hey ! I'd kinda like to meet her, but I don't speak Chinee'. Do any of you guys get calls from her ? Sometimes she greets me with a polite "nee-how", other times when she gets up on the wrong side of the bed, or whatever, she disposes of pleasantries, and gets right into it. Though I ask her to please speak English or Spanish, she won't let me get one word in. She even sent me a picture. But I suppose that's just a load of bull, too.   -   Cadillac Carl 

 

 

 

[C Carl]

O.K. Now I have a voice mail from Dolly. This one has a "nee-how" in it. Maybe I can get someone to translate. If anyone here could help, please get in touch with me. Seriously, I DO have a voice mail, and get pestered in Chinese frequently. Anyone else ? Might have something to do with that troublesome "Devil in a blue dress, (blue dress, blue dress, Devil with a blue dress on)", you see pictured under the Babylonian Bullhead.    -   CC 

[60FlatTop]

The Babylonian reference is amusing. If you have the time, read through Hammurabi's Laws, written in Babylonia a couple thousand years B. C. It's a riot to see the same shenanigans are still going on. Some points apply to robo calls.

 

https://avalon.law.yale.edu/ancient/hamframe.asp

 

I can't read it without laughing...... no wonder my kids say I am easy to keep occupied.

Bernie

[JFranklin]

It seems laughable but there are some real gems of wisdom therein, and I bet these kept the peace.

Edited November 4, 2019 by JFranklin (see edit history)

[Isaiah]

What we do here is we have a air phone that you can carry all over the house and we have the old push button desk phone, when you get one of those calls  we take the two hand sets together and it will squeal lake ""H""  and they don’t stay on the line long.

We had one woman that wouldn’t quit calling and I told her  that it sounded like she put her tampon in backwards!! she hasn’t called back ,

[padgett]

I just have CNID on or by all phones. If I don't recognize the caller, it goes to the machine. I get very few messages.

[rocketraider]

When i cancelled landline service a few years back, I told the Verizon CSR I felt bad for whoever got that number next as it was on every call list in the country. The nice lady says "that's why we wait about a year before reassigning it". Now why couldn't they have done something about the nuisance calls when I had the landline?

 

With elections in Vajenya, it's been really maddening the past week. At least it will all be over today. Kinda self serving on the pols' part to exempt themselves from the Do Not Call registry- which in my experience does little to no good.

 

I get voicemails from 212 area code in Chinese sometimes, and the only thing I can understand is "Blue Cross Blue Shield". I expect that to ratchet up the next couple weeks too.

[C Carl]

Glenn, I just now got another voice mail from my dear Dolly. There was no clue to the purpose. No English words. I have saved it also, hoping for translation. I suppose it could be from our would-be masters, the Chi-coms. On the other hand it might even a solicitation for Time Shares. Perhaps even a proposition for an amorous adventure. She certainly has a beautiful voice. Again, I am a little curious. If any of you may be fluent in Chinese, I would like to play you the messages. Seriously.   -    Carl 

[8E45E]

On ‎11‎/‎2‎/‎2019 at 12:41 PM, JACK M said:

I usually answer and  see how much of their time I can waste before they hang up. (a perk of being old and retired)

Of coarse the robos and recordings I hang up.

I was warned not to hit the opt out button as this only confirms that you have a working number.

When I see a number I don`t recognize, or an anonymous caller, I don't say anything, as very often it takes a voice saying 'hello' to trigger a robot to spout off its message.  After about 5-7 seconds, it will automatically disconnect.  If there is someone on the other end, they will usually say something before hanging up.

 

As for those who call and tell me excitedly that I've won a 'free' trip somewhere, I'll ask when and where I entered my name for that contest.  Naturally, they can't answer as I never entered my name anywhere for such a contest, so they immediately hang up.

 

Craig

 

 

[8E45E]

48 minutes ago, C Carl said:

Glenn, I just now got another voice mail from my dear Dolly. There was no clue to the purpose. No English words. I have saved it also, hoping for translation. I suppose it could be from our would-be masters, the Chi-coms. On the other hand it might even a solicitation for Time Shares. Perhaps even a proposition for an amorous adventure. She certainly has a beautiful voice. Again, I am a little curious. If any of you may be fluent in Chinese, I would like to play you the messages. Seriously.   -    Carl 

I had a call like that a few weeks ago.  All I said was "Sorry, WONG number and hung up!"

 

Craig

[TTR]

1 hour ago, C Carl said:

Glenn, I just now got another voice mail from my dear Dolly. There was no clue to the purpose. No English words. I have saved it also, hoping for translation. I suppose it could be from our would-be masters, the Chi-coms. On the other hand it might even a solicitation for Time Shares. Perhaps even a proposition for an amorous adventure. She certainly has a beautiful voice. Again, I am a little curious. If any of you may be fluent in Chinese, I would like to play you the messages. Seriously.   -    Carl 

Ho do you she’s calling and leaving messages specifically for you, Carl ? 🤔

What if she’s a victim of unexpected circumstances after someone accidentally gave her a wrong/your number and with her lack of English or Spanish, she may not be aware of that yet ? 😉

Or does she begin every voicemail message with something referencing to or sounding like “Cadillac Carl” ? 😳

Edited November 5, 2019 by TTR (see edit history)

[C Carl]

Right, TTR. I actually don't think my Doll has any personal motivations. But as old and decrepit as I am, if I don't have my fantasies, I have nothing. No, it surely is a robo recording, and I have to accept that she doesn't know "Cadillac Carl" from "Doozinboig Don". But that voice ! I could listen to that one all day long. If the tone of voice turned nagging, for example incessant harranging me to do something, (dishes ?), that would be a deal breaker.             Ding-how,    -    CC 

[Joe in Canada]

Do what I do. If it is someone wanting to sell windows or duct cleaning I have them come to the house. Then I tell then I change by mind and they are made I cost them time and money. Ask Lynne about my antics with telemarketer's. I would have a lonely life if it were not for them and is my form of entertainment.  

[C Carl]

I had to go downtown today. Pulled into a favorite place. Maybe I can get a translation.   -   Carl 

 

 

[C Carl]

I am nursing a broken heart. The lady you can barely see behind the counter burst my bubble. She said it was a "You have a package" scam. To give a tip-of-the-hat to automotivedom, I am going out that door, and intend to drive home in yon white 'Benz. I will leave it to she/he who reads this to make the judgment call as to whether said vehicle has become an antiquity yet. 😘😢.   -   Carl 

 

 

[Locomobile]

On 11/5/2019 at 9:07 PM, Joe in Canada said:

Do what I do. If it is someone wanting to sell windows or duct cleaning I have them come to the house. Then I tell then I change by mind and they are made I cost them time and money.

 

Here in the states that would likely get your house torched...

 

I used to get bombarded with offers for credit card processing machines/terminals, don't do it, they are all scammers. Once I felt a bit playful, I played along with these creeps and every time they would call, I acted interested and made excuses why I couldn't do it today, call me back tomorrow, between 2 pm and 2:30 pm etc. And I made up excuses to "Oh shoot, I don't have my check book" or "my dog is fighting with another out in the yard, I gotta go, call me back"  After about two weeks of these shenanigans I told them to "Get *&%@!%" and hung up on them.

 

When I first opened a shop, I named it simply "Ron's machine" I had this young foreign lady call me and asked  "Hello, is this Mr Machine?" I thought, oh, what the hell.. I replied "Yes it iiss". She cut loose on some big rehearsed plea about some BS I wasn't interested in and kept referring to me as "Mr Machine", she ended it with "How does that sound Mr Machine?" I replied "Well, I'd have to talk to Mrs. Machine about that" .. I amuse easily..

 

The best way to deal with unwanted callers is, first: Get a caller ID and if it doesn't have a persons name or say wireless caller, Don't answer. They have automated callers that fish for live numbers, if you answer, that immediately tells their system that your number is live which puts you on the list and one of the live scammers will call back.

Secondly, Get an internet phone service like Vonage. With Vonage, you have an online account and you can log in to any time and look at your call log, and it will give you the option to block that number in the list.

There must be big money in doing that, one guy in Florida that ran a call center, received a 31 million dollar fine from the FCC if I remember correctly.

 

I don't know why they don't just outlaw it altogether, the robocalls are still legal. Voice calls are not. I read once it's like a 14 billion dollar per year industry.

 

-Ron

 

Edited November 10, 2019 by Locomobile (see edit history)

[Matt Harwood]

 

[JACK M]

So I told the lady to get a life and a real job. (some research outfit I think)

She got all pissy about the real job thing until I asked how much she made.

Then the line went dead.

[mike6024]

Today, Sunday, I have received 5 identical robo calls before 1 PM.

 

They all say the same thing, goofy computer voice says, "Hi, this is Lisa from Apple Support. There has been a security breach of your cloud storage account...."

 

I also have been getting:

 

"This is Microsoft, your account has been suspended..."

"This is Social Security and we are taking enforcement action against your social security number...."

"This is the IRS and we are going to put you in jail...."

 

And all the credit card ones, "This is Niclole with card services. Congratulations!..."

 

 

 

[Peter J.Heizmann]

1 hour ago, mike6024 said:

Today, Sunday, I have received 5 identical robo calls before 1 PM.

 

They all say the same thing, goofy computer voice says, "Hi, this is Lisa from Apple Support. There has been a security breach of your cloud storage account...."

 

I also have been getting:

 

"This is Microsoft, your account has been suspended..."

"This is Social Security and we are taking enforcement action against your social security number...."

"This is the IRS and we are going to put you in jail...."

 

And all the credit card ones, "This is Niclole with card services. Congratulations!..."

 

 

 

 

Wow, Mike!!  This is the AACA Forum not Verizon, Comcast, etc.  

[C Carl]

Whether this is ATT, AACA, or ?, with our filthy hobby, unwelcome telephone pests are particularly vexing. Ever noticed ? You just finished a messy repair job, and the call comes just when yer pudgy potato peelers are slopped with hand cleaner ? You were expecting an important call in 1/2 hour, that's why you were cleaning up. And there's that Dolly again. (She is now giving very short solicitations, but I am on to her at this point). Deepest sympathy, Mike. I've never had that many in such a short period of time.   -    CC