Extremelyt Rude telemarketer
Complaint
Patricia Kouten
Country: United States
Telemarketer called my number and asked if this was _____ (my name?)
I asked, "who is this?"
He rudely asked again, is this ___?
I asked who is this?
This went on a third time.
I then said "goodbye."
He replied, "your mama!" and hung up
I asked, "who is this?"
He rudely asked again, is this ___?
I asked who is this?
This went on a third time.
I then said "goodbye."
He replied, "your mama!" and hung up
Comments
In this age, it is likely that ANY unexpected telemarketer calling you is engaged in some aspect of deception or fraud.
That's a bit of an overreach. Legitamate cold calling happens all the time. There are lots of laws to help minimize it all, but they are difficult to enforce - lots of complaints are needed.
Legal cold callers will always tell you who they are and always remove you from the lists they are using. Charities are the same way, they are not required to comply with the Do Not Call registries, but legit ones always remove your number from their list.
You are right that charities that tend to use cold calling have a very high overhead - it's not cheap.
True, and that is why the illegitimate callers pretty much ignore the Do Not Call laws, since they know nothing will happen.
"Legal cold callers will always tell you who they are and always remove you from the lists they are using."
They are required to maintain internal Do Not Call lists, by both federal and state laws, even if they have exceptions to scrubbing their call lists against the national information.
"Charities are the same way, they are not required to comply with the Do Not Call registries,"
They may not have to scrub, but they would have to maintain internal Do Not Call lists. The telemarketers may be calling on behalf of a charity, but they are for-profit businesses.
They also come under FCC prohibitions against autodialing cell phones, although non-compliant telemarketers often deliberately target cell phones. There are also regulations regarding excessive autodialed hang-up calls.
As for this particular telemarketer, complaints indicate they appear to be systematically evading Do Not Call requests. They also are reported to be using many caller id numbers, defeating blocking services. By your definition, I guess that makes them "illegitimate".
https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/DohsDzolwAC6XAjMa_tTLA
"SO FAR HAVE REFUSED TO PUT ME ON THEIR 'DO NOT CALL' LIST"
"They called my cell phone and left no message."
"I asked to Please Take me off your list.
Caller responded we can not do that this is a pooled number.
I asked What is your name? Caller then Hung Up.."
"we have requested at least several times for them to put us on the DNC list for their business and they never comply. We have been subjected to harassment, rude people, and complete ignorance from this company"
"I've even followed the prompts twice to remove my phone number from their list, but it hasn't worked. "
"As others reported, no relief after requesting our number be removed."
"I too am getting these calls at all hours and have repeatedly asked that my number be removed. It has been going on for a long time and now I am taking further action."
"I have called back at least twice and told at least 4 different employees to stop calling. I've also filed two FTC complaints."
One of their charities. Various reports put fundraising costs at around 50%.
"Kids wish network is a real non-profit group (check bbb.org or kwn.org) and the money does go to the organizations, but a large percentage is kept to cover fundraising costs "
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=6115
Compare with Make a Wish:
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=7496
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=8887
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=8900
If you want their calls, just call them and give them your number.
I will NEVER donate to anyone that calls my home from this telemarketing firm. Sad, isn't it. . . . they're calling for charities. . . . .
It was killed by greed driven deception and fraud, first by the telecoms as they slammed their competiors' customers with fraudulent transfers, and then by other fraudulent telemarketers who preyed on consumers, with the result being the Do Not Call laws. Today, more than half of all consumer phone numbers are on the Do Not Call list.
Charity telemarketing is on the way out, as well, being killed by similar fraud and deception. Most charity telemarketing dollars go to "overhead", really management and more telemarketing. Some send less than 20% of dollars collected, to any alleged charitable purpose, which then dissipates it further with its own overhead.
The telemarketing industry has no credibility, having lost it by violating the trust of the consumers they called.