Solicitor Advice

durk187

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Aug 27, 2002
Messages
150
I saw this on another forum and got a kick out of it. Hope you will too.<br /><br />---------------------------------------------<br />If you hate Telephone Solicitors and Junk mail and Bill Collectors.<br /><br />I suppose some degree of commerce would grind to a halt if telephone solicitors weren't able to call people at home during the dinner hour.<br /><br />But that doesn't make it any more pleasant. Now Steve Rubenstein, a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, has proposed "Three Little Words" based on his brief experience in a telemarketing operation that would stop the nuisance for all time.<br /><br />The three little words are "Hold on, please." Saying this while putting down your phone and walking off instead of hanging up immediately would make each telemarketing call so time consuming those boiler rooms would grind to a halt. [I/] When you eventually hear the phone company's beep beep beep tone, you know it's time to go back and hang up your handset, which has efficiently completed its task. This might be one of those articles you'll want to e-mail to your friends.<br /><br />When you get ads in your phone or utility bill, include them with the payment. Let them throw the stuff away. Think globally; act locally.<br /><br />When you get those pre-approved letters in the mail for everything from credit cards to 2nd mortgages and junk like that, most of them come with postage paid return envelopes, right? Well, why not get rid of some of your other junk mail and put it in these cool little envelopes!<br /><br />Send an ad for your local chimney cleaner to American Express, or a pizza coupon to Citibank.<br /><br />If you didn't get anything else that day, then just send them their application back! Just make sure your name isn't on anything you send them.<br /><br />You can send it back empty if you want, just to keep 'em guessing! Eventually, the banks and credit card companies will begin getting all their junk back in the mail.<br /><br />Let's let them know what it's like to get junk mail, and best of all... THEY'RE paying for it! Twice! Let's support our postal service. They say e-mail is cutting into their business and that's why they need to keep increasing postage. We can help!<br /><br /> :D DC
 

Mike NZ

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Aug 15, 2002
Messages
105
Re: Solicitor Advice

Hi duck thats very good. My method goes like this after I have my callers name I say ''(persons name) I'm not interested, dont do it to me, Bye.
 

roscoe

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
21,752
Re: Solicitor Advice

Sometimes I pretend to be interested, but real stupid, and have them re-read the offer details to me, until they get frustrated, just to see how they handle the situation.<br /><br />Or i get creative and let them hear some background conversation. Something like:<br />"Billy, STOP putting your hand in the dogs ###."<br /><br />Or "Now don't put too much brandy in the baby's bottle, we only want him to sleep for a few hours.<br /><br />The reactions can be hilarious. <br />Be careful what you say though, they have you phone # and could call the police.
 

dmessy

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 8, 2001
Messages
505
Re: Solicitor Advice

Hey Duck... don't send the cr*p inside back to them as this can be construed as accepting thier offer. Rip it in half and to the can she goes.
 

SpinnerBait_Nut

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Aug 25, 2002
Messages
17,651
Re: Solicitor Advice

If they have a reply envelope with it, "LOOK OUT" :D They are going to get someone else's stuff sent to them.HE-HE-HE :eek:
 

snapperbait

Vice Admiral
Joined
Aug 20, 2002
Messages
5,754
Re: Solicitor Advice

I've got one computer telemarketer (TLG Marketing in Ft. Lauderdale Fl.) who calls my shop at least once a week advertising "Free Tickets To Disney World, just press #1 and hold" for a timeshare outfits scam... I asked them many different times to stop calling but they don't....<br /><br />The rest of the scam goes like this.. Some yay-hoo comes on and gives me the info.. "For a $159 Reservation fee (wanting my credit card ###.. Ya-Ok-Sure Mack) we'll put you up at the Leaky Tiki hotel"... "Then attend a 90 minute sales meeting"... <br /><br />They called my shop 3 times in the same day, then called me once more at home.... 4 times in the same day.....<br /><br /> I finaly called and wrote the States Attorney and now the state is after em'... TLG has been informed by both the States Attorney in writing (I have a copy) and myself... I have a case number and caller Id list which I can print out on the fax machine.... <br /><br />Gonna Get them suckers!!... :D And too the one's who send the faxes advertizeing "Goods and Services" which in the state of Florida is Illegal... Gonna Get Ya'll Too... :D
 

ebbtide176

Commander
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
2,289
Re: Solicitor Advice

i hope you get them snappr. man are they any different than a flea? i've sent the mixed reply envelopes, paid $ to get put on do-not-contact lists, asked (no go) my postmaster if they could just trash junkmail before i get it...<br /><br />and if it helps everyone to understand how insideous the greeddriven junk(e)mail kings are- when i moved here, i got a PObox(still had a new mailbox to match the new house) and had already gone thru the stuff i mentioned. it was sweet, for a little while. but we moved in with a 4day old baby, and i started getting @ 2 junkies a week. i ended up having to call the friggin hospital, then health insurance companies to slow the growth. finally after a couple internet purchases it was a BS avalanche again. <br />talk about special interest groups with $$$ to stuff pockets with. how long have we been dealing with it?
 

RICKRICK1

Ensign
Joined
Jun 24, 2002
Messages
926
Re: Solicitor Advice

Great advice--can I send the rest of my trash? If they sent a postage paid envolope how much can you send back (weight) can I attach it to a box?<br /> :D
 

ebbtide176

Commander
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
2,289
Re: Solicitor Advice

rickrick - lmao<br />i think if enuff people did that- the opposition would be HURTIN!
 

snapperbait

Vice Admiral
Joined
Aug 20, 2002
Messages
5,754
Re: Solicitor Advice

RICKRICK1: Give the box idea a try.. Let us know what the post office says.... :D
 

Scoop

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Jul 19, 2002
Messages
1,158
Re: Solicitor Advice

I have heard of taping the business reply to a brick and sending it. You may have to wrap the brick in paper. I heard this works, but have not tried it myself.
 

roscoe

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
21,752
Re: Solicitor Advice

What I heard is that the pre paid reply envelopes are subject to the same weight limits as any other envelope. The heavier it is, the more you pay. The postal service runs these thru a puter that scans those little bar codes and then bills the company for how many letters come back. <br /><br />WARNING: Don't get carried away with your garbage such as coffee grounds or what have you.<br />Since the Anthax deal last year you have to be careful what you send.<br /><br />For me, one junk mailer gets anothers junk mail. I leave my name and address on it too, maybe they will take my name off their list.
 

Scoop

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Jul 19, 2002
Messages
1,158
Re: Solicitor Advice

My wife was sending junk mail back but made a mistake when one of the pieces she sent back was taken for a credit card application. They called and said they had some questions on a credit card I applied for. Since I had not applied, I was suspicious. A week later I found out what happened. Scared me though. I thought someone was trying to steal my identity. It happened to my brother-in-law (Yeah I got6 of them). The only thing was, they stole the identity of his dead daughter. A long story, but there were some coputer errors that were made in the national student loan computer program entries. So on top of her being killed, my brother-in-law had to deal with himself being delcared dead and hid daughter's credit cards numbers being used for a huge spending spree. Normally, she would be delcared dead and then the credit reporting agencies would not let any transaction go through. Instead all his cards were cancelled while he in the middle of a week long business trip. Man did I get off track. Sorry.
 

RICKRICK1

Ensign
Joined
Jun 24, 2002
Messages
926
Re: Solicitor Advice

Got 2 today, sent back all there stuff+two dominos coupons and 3 candy wrapers. :D
 
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