OT - Fun with telemarketers

Caller today asked for me by name. He notifies me that all my credit card payments are up to date, but a few have high rates.

Asks if I'm the guy who pays the bills. I (speaking very slowly) said no, but I'm getting better. Might be able to do that soon. Asked if he wanted to talk about food? I'd had some really good hamburgers at the fire department open house. We can talk about credit cards in five or six months, weeks, or some thing. Asked if he likes hamburgers. I was able to keep him on the phone several minutes. As a service to my fellow Americans.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon
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Stormin Mormon wrote in news:0dzMy.3213$f62.2910 @fx20.iad:

What I don't understand is these guys (computers likely) keep calling me day after day after day. Everytime they call they all hang up on the answering machine message. Why not try another phone number? After a few times I'd think even a computer would catch on.

And these are long distance calls I assume? Or do they use Skype or something like that? Or is long distance from China or India much cheaper than ours?

There oughta be a law! Who's running with that election promise?

Reply to
KenK

Long distance? When was the last time you paid long distance charges?

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Yes, we could put all the phone data the NSA is collecting to good use.

Reply to
makolber

Even Skype charges to call a real phone. It's only free to call skype on a computer.

I did find a rate to Europe that is only 1cent a minute. And maybe if I bought in volume it would be cheaper. Still I agree with you. Why do they call the same number over and over? I had been getting a lot of calls but they stopped again after a couple weeks.

Reply to
Micky

Every month. It may be included in the bill, but you're still paying. In fact if you never call long distance, I suppose you are subsidizing those who do.

Reply to
Micky

S "And these are long distance calls I assume? Or do they use Skype or something like that? Or is long distance from China or India much cheaper than ours?"

It doesn't matter if they are long distance because it is not costing them anything extra to make those calls. KenK's question makes it sounds like he thinks they are being charged by the call like in the old days when Grandma

4 states over would say "Oh, dear, you're calling long distance just to wish me Happy Birthday? It's so expensive!"
Reply to
DerbyDad03

I need to try explaining "long distance" to my 18 and 22 year old. Right after I explain about "The Iron Curtain" and "Red China."

Maybe I could also explain "signaling" a process where you informed someone that you reached your destination, at no cost," by placing a person to person collect call to yourself and the receiver would decline to accept the charges. I still remember my mother saying "signal when you arrive."

Reply to
sms

Until two weeks ago my home phone was on Ring.To, a VOIP provider that did not charge anything for service. They filtered junk calls but it's hard because the telemarketers spoof the Caller-ID. And often the phone would ring once or twice before their system caught the call and hung up.

Ring.To discontinued VOIP home phone service on March 31st, 2016 so I ported my home number to Google Voice, also free, using the same ATA I had been using with Ring.To.

Google Voice is absolutely wonderful because of the call-screening feature where unknown callers have to announce themselves before Google Voice rings your number, and then asks if you want to accept the call. The telemarketers don't identify themselves, they give up; most of them are using a system where it waits until the call is answered before a live person even comes on, so none of these calls can get through.

Google Voice is free. If you want E911 service on your home phone that costs $15 per year. There is the one-time cost of the ATA (analog telephone adapter) of about $70. It's pretty much the same as VOIP services from Ooma, Vonage, Magicjack, Xfinity Voice, etc., except that it is free. The QOS (quality of service) is very good, though I think a real analog landline from AT&T (or Verizon) is a a bit better, and of course like all VOIP services, if your broadband Internet goes down there is no service. I put the ATA, my router, and my Comcast modem all on a UPS.

Reply to
sms

We used to use the free collect call tactic all the time.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

OK, color me confused...

First, I should say that we never *ever* answer our home phone. Anyone that we want to talk to has our cell numbers. All calls to the home phone go to the answering machine (not the voicemail provided by the carrier but the answering machine built into the phone).

Most telemarketers don't leave messages, those few that do, well who cares? That's what the delete button is for. Dental appointment confirmations, etc., even the computer generated ones, are smart enough to wait for the beep and record the message.

But here's my confusion:

Isn't the request for identification considered an "answer" by the system? How does their system distinguish between the "No one is available to take your call" message that my machine uses and Google Voice's "Who the heck is this?" message? Maybe I'm not understanding your meaning of "none of these calls can get through." How far do they actually get?

How are messages left? If an "unknown caller" tries to reach you, identifies themselves and GV rings your phone, is there a voice mail system that picks up after a few rings, assuming there is no one there to accept the call?

How does the system know who qualifies as an "unknown caller"? Do you have to white list everyone that you want to accept calls from *before* they call?

...snip...

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Yes, but their system doesn't respond to the Google Voice request for identification so Google Voice drops the call. I was getting probably 15 junk calls per day in the past, now it's rare for even one per day to get through.

They tend to leave part of a message if an answering machine picks up but they never even get to voice mail if call-screening is turned on in Google Voice.

Yes. Google Voice includes voice mail. They will also send an e-mail with an attachment of the voice message and a transcription of the message, which is often nonsense. You can also have the call forwarded to a mobile phone (or multiple mobile phones). Say you don't want callers to know that no one is home, then you pick up the call on your cell phone.

Yes and no. If you want a contact, or a group of contacts, to not have to go through call screening then you have to select those contacts and turn off screening. Everyone else will be screened if call screening is turned on, and then you have the option to accept or reject the call. I would think that in most cases you'd turn off screening for everyone in your contact list, unless it's an annoying relative, ex-girlfriend, etc..

You can also do blacklists where the call won't even reach the call screening. But like the Do Not Call List, blacklists are of limited value. The companies that make the junk calls are violating the DNC law and they are also constantly changing their Caller ID information to avoid blacklists.

We do get a lot of calls on our home phone because cell reception inside our house is very spotty. We make calls from the home phone because we do not have unlimited minutes on our cell phones.

Of course we could also make Google Voice calls, via Wi-Fi from our cell phones. A few weeks ago we were at a lodge by a National Park and there was no cell service there but we could make a call by using Google Voice via the free Wi-Fi. We are on AT&T wireless (via an MVNO) and in a lot of rural places in California there is only Verizon coverage. I keep a $2.50 per month Verizon phone active for road trips into these areas.

Reply to
sms

Remember when Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were making Blue Boxes?

There was also the Ramparts (now Mother Jones) article on Black Boxes that allowed receiving calls free of charge to the caller.

And overseas calls were something like $2 per minute off-peak. When we called my sister who was going to college in Israel we would limit the call to a few minutes. Now it's less than 1¢/minute to call a landline there, and less than 3¢/minute to call a mobile.

Reply to
sms

Try using an operator.

I've got Centurylink (formerly, Quest). Last time an operator assisted call was made from this landline, the charge was $45-$50 fer about 2 mins of operator time. Most of the charge was fer merely accessing the operator.

In short, the major telcos now sub out operator assisted calls and yer gonna pay up the wazoo fer going down that road. I think the total was over $75 and I protested loudly, to no avail. We're talking almost 10 yrs ago. That's why yer "direct" long distance is so cheap. It's like wiring $$$$ from my bank usta be free. Now it's $20 a pop. You will get charged, somewhere!! ;)

nb

Reply to
notbob

I think the last time I made an operator assisted call in the U.S. must be 40 years ago.

I made one in Russia about 23 years ago, or at least tried to make one.

Collect calls are now mainly through third-party services. They are used a lot for calls from those that are incarcerated, and they are extremely expensive, about $1 per minute. They also provide recording and monitoring so that contributes to the high cost.

Reply to
sms

DerbyDad03 wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com:

A few days ago. I called an insurance adjustor across the country on my landline - forgot to use my cell.

Reply to
KenK

DerbyDad03 wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com:

They don't charge by the call for landline long distance? Could be, I've used my cell for years for LD. But then why do people use Skype? Evidently all this has changed and no one told me.

Reply to
KenK

sms wrote in news:ne390n$38m$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me:

I used to do that when I was much younger and still lived at home.

Reply to
KenK

Let me see if I've got this right...

You're comparing a single operator assisted call you made 10 years ago to present day prices for a direct dial overseas call?

Do you think that that is valid comparison?

Reply to
DerbyDad03
[snip]

I've had unlimited domestic long distance for more than 5 years.

A couple of years ago, I had a friend staying at my house call Norway. It was just a short call and didn't cost much.

Reply to
Mark Lloyd

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