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**2Beers** · 04-16-2012, 09:08 PM

I hear ya Scythe and Kbb. The scammers are the dreges of the earth.

Jenn · (This post was last modified: 04-18-2012 05:57 AM by Jenn.)

(04-16-2012 01:27 AM)Scythe Matters Wrote:

The telemarketers, whether they allow you to finish your request or not, are bound by Federal law. If they should call you again, you ought to remind them of this fact.

These jerks were preying on my MIL. She is getting senile and often will just talk on the phone to anyone just to talk. These guys talked her out of her bank account number but, luckily, Ren Man and his brother got to the bank before they did. When they called back to complain (!?) about the transfer being stopped, my BIL gave them what for. When they called again, he told them that they were in violation of Federal law and did they want a complaint filed? They haven't bothered her since. But now we can't let MIL answer the phone anymore.

Yeah, but as soon as it's clear I ain't buyin' whatever it is they're selling, as I'm in the middle of saying "Please take our" that's when they hang up.
They know what I'm about to say, but the can play stupid and claim 'Oh, never heard her say...' or something just as dumb.
Fortunately, the last ones seemed to get a clue, and gave up.

But man, for a while, I was about ready to answer the phone with
"Remove this number from the list, as$h*les!" and slam the phone down.
without even checking who it was.
It was really bad, there, for a while.

...

And while I'm on a phone rant...
Where did manners go? Huh

I understand a mis-dial. Wrong numbers happen.
What's up with people getting p!ssed off at
"I'm sorry, you have the wrong number..."
I'm polite, even apologetic.
Dodgy

There's no need to get all stupid and rage-y over it.

Really.

Rey · 04-18-2012, 08:06 AM

Speaking of telephones, and harassment...
We have some distant relatives that defaulted on paying a lot of bills. They changed their phone number to avoid the constant bill collector calls. Now the bill collectors have resorted to calling the relatives of them, namely us.

Now, I know what your all thinking. I'm just saying "I have this friend, see", but no its true, its not us, its these relatives. Honest!

So anyway these bill collector calls kept coming in, all day long, once they have your number they will not let up. We tried to tell them you have the wrong house, we don't know where they are. Big mistake. That only confirms for them they have a contact, and they will keep relentlessly calling until they wear you down. I checked, and apparently, this is legal somehow through a loophole. I wasn't going to rat out the relatives, but something had to be done to stop this.

So I came up with this marvelous invention I call "The Telephone Computer". Its an old PC with a modem built in that I connected to the telephone line. On the computer I loaded this brilliant piece of software that can monitor caller ID, and when it identifies an unwanted caller, it automatically answers and plays for them a prerecorded message of your choosing. I chose that familiar message that plays the 3 tones, and then says "I'm sorry, but the number you have dialed has been disconnected". Then when the nasty calls come in you add the number to the list.

I thought this would work great, but at first, it didn't seem to cut down on the calls. I couldn't understand why, but a little research revealed the answer. They have a computer too, and their computer dials the numbers in its database. Only when the computer detects that someone has actually answered, will it route the call to a live bill collector (or telemarketer). This cuts down on all the time wasted of their personnel waiting for someone to answer.

A number of years ago the dialing computers would recognize the three disconnect tones, the ones at the beginning of my message, and if it heard them it would automatically remove your number from its database. But then the public started buying this product called the "Telezapper", which is a device that would mimic the three disconnect tones. This worked so well, that the telemarketers got wise to it and adjusted their computers to no longer recognize the tones. Now the "Telezapper" would no longer work, and neither would my computer since it was doing the same thing.

I needed a different approach to the problem. So I was thinking, how did their computer know someone answered, and to route the call to an operator? Their computer waits for an answer, and then is programmed to listen for a short sound, then a pause, as in "Hello?"...pause. An answering machine drones on for a bit, and their computer can tell the difference between that and a live answerer. So the key was to have a short sound, and then a pause, on my outgoing phone computer message.

So I modified my message so that it included one word and then a fifteen second pause. What this did is identify the call as a live answer, so it gets routed to the bill collector. Then, after the pause, my message continued with the old three tones and the disconnected message. This is a great approach because it plays the message to their live, paid personnel. And this wastes their time, something they don't want. And since a live person was hearing it, they started marking down my number as disconnected and a dead end.

And then an amazing thing happened. After about a week, all the calls stopped. If a new number showed up calling, one click added it to the list, and it soon stopped too. It was a solution that actually worked. And how much do you think this telephone computer of mine cost me? All of ten dollars, I picked up the old PC at a garage sale, and the software was available at no charge for users. Now, if I were a government agency, I suppose I would have needed thousands of dollars to solve the problem. Angel

**Scythe Matters** · 04-19-2012, 01:13 AM

Rey, you are brilliant!!!

[Image: vrav2.gif]

***NWoBHM*** · 04-19-2012, 03:52 AM

Quote:We have some distant relatives that defaulted on paying a lot of bills

It wasn`t Greece was it? Huh

Great idea though to throw the collectors of your scent.....I hate and despise people like this.......

***Neilbubbachuck*** · (This post was last modified: 04-21-2012 12:54 AM by Neilbubbachuck.)

The Tic-Tac

I was patrolling about six months ago on empty village streets bored stiff, when suddenly the craving for orange Tic Tac's overwelmed me. So I headed over to see me good buddy sleepy Joe who was sleeping behind his cash register at the Mobil Mart. Gassed of course. After about 45 minutes of mind numbing small talk and two handfulls of orange Tic Tac's, CRACK! My left lower rear toof broke off. Shaken to tears as Sleepy Joe laughed, I spit out what was left of my tooth.
I got it fixed and life went on without Tic Tacs.
I swear this is true. Last night while driving the same empty streets at 0430hrs the craving hit again. Tic Tacs! This time Sally Two shoes was working the Mobil Mart. (Sleepy Joe got caught stealing and was since fired). And after meaningless chit chat and a few dozen orange Tic Tacs, CRACK!!!
Same tooth, same gas station. And same dentist this morning. After a earful of how I haven't been in for a cleaning, he gave me the verdict. I need a crown!
He rounded off the sharp remains of my toof and I am to receive my crown in two weeks.

I quit the orange ones. White ones will have to do.

***NWoBHM*** · 04-20-2012, 11:55 AM

NBC I sympathise - I have had about 3 or 4 Buccal Fractures, eventually leading to 2 new crowns - seems when they rammed the amalgam into the fillings years ago it puts a stress onto the Buccal areas of the teeth, and later they snap off.....Nowadays they use a type of resin which tends to pull the Buccal areas togeher as opposed to pushing them apart.....

Now I avoid Pork Scratchings, grannary bread, etc........soon my food will be liquidised for me.....

***nettiesaur*** · 04-20-2012, 08:01 PM

(04-20-2012 10:18 AM)Neilbubbachuck Wrote: The Tic-Tac

I was patrolling about six months ago on empty village streets bored stiff, when suddenly the craving for orange Tic Tac's overwelmed me. So I headed over to see me good buddy sleepy Joe who was sleeping behind his cash register at the Mobil Mart. Gassed of course. After about 45 minutes of mind numbing small talk and two handfulls of orange Tic Tac's, CRACK! My left lower rear toof broke off. Shaken to tears as Sleepy Joe laughed, I spit out what was left of my tooth.
I got it fixed and life went on without Tic Tacs.
I swear this is true. Last night while the same empty streets at 0430hrs the craving hit again. Tic Tacs! This time Sally Two shoes was working the Mobil Mart. (Sleepy Joe got caught stealing and was since fired). And after meaningless chit chat and a few dozen orange Tic Tacs, CRACK!!!
Same tooth, same gas station. And same dentist this morning. After a earful of how I haven't been in for a cleaning, he gave me the verdict. I need a crown!
He rounded off the sharp remains of my toof and I am to receive my crown in two weeks.

I quit the orange ones. White ones will have to do.

It must be the orange things that break teeth.
I broke mine on a carrot last year.
1 very expensive crown later, no more raw carrots!
unless they are shredded.

(Why are you chewing tic tacs?)

**Scythe Matters** · 04-21-2012, 01:12 AM

(04-20-2012 11:55 AM)NWoBHM Wrote: NBC I sympathise - I have had about 3 or 4 Buccal Fractures, eventually leading to 2 new crowns - seems when they rammed the amalgam into the fillings years ago it puts a stress onto the Buccal areas of the teeth, and later they snap off.....Nowadays they use a type of resin which tends to pull the Buccal areas togeher as opposed to pushing them apart.....

Now I avoid Pork Scratchings, grannary bread, etc........soon my food will be liquidised for me.....

Oh man, I grok. I have 3 crowns as well. I hadn't heard that about the amalgam before but it certainly makes sense. My teeth are a problem for me. Sometimes I think I'd just like to pull 'em all and get dentures... Undecided

***NWoBHM*** · 04-21-2012, 03:25 AM

(04-21-2012 01:12 AM)Scythe Matters Wrote:
(04-20-2012 11:55 AM)NWoBHM Wrote: NBC I sympathise - I have had about 3 or 4 Buccal Fractures, eventually leading to 2 new crowns - seems when they rammed the amalgam into the fillings years ago it puts a stress onto the Buccal areas of the teeth, and later they snap off.....Nowadays they use a type of resin which tends to pull the Buccal areas togeher as opposed to pushing them apart.....

Now I avoid Pork Scratchings, grannary bread, etc........soon my food will be liquidised for me.....

Oh man, I grok. I have 3 crowns as well. I hadn't heard that about the amalgam before but it certainly makes sense. My teeth are a problem for me. Sometimes I think I'd just like to pull 'em all and get dentures...

My dentist recommended I have my old amalgam fillings removed and replaced with the resin to protect against further Buccal Fractures......which I think will definitely be worth it, plus..the resin is white so no more steel in your teeth..