One for Evo (maybe) 000-000-0000 call.

[turbo]

My phone just rang, and I looked at the caller ID before deciding whether to pick up. It said "name unknown" and gave the number as 000-000-0000. I let the answering machine pick up, and the caller left no message. I'm assuming that this was an automated call from an outfit with equipment that can spoof phone numbers. Anybody else get these?

I'm on the do not call list, but I still get calls from companies that block their ID.

 

[GCT]

I get calls everyday where there's a single click noise after I pick up ... and that's it.

 

[Evo]

Ok, I confess, I'm calling and hanging up on all of you.

 

[Lisa!]

Ok, I confess, I'm calling and hanging up on all of you.

So it's you who usually call me at the mid of my nap?

 

[humanino]

Ok, I confess, I'm calling and hanging up on all of you.

Do you call with a foreign accent for advertising purposes too ?

 

[GCT]

I wonder why this happens , there's no automated system , it's just a click and it happens everyday. Do I have a stalker? Uhm ... not referring to you Evo. I kind of wish that it wouldn't happen.

 

[turbo]

I wonder why this happens , there's no automated system , it's just a click and it happens everyday. Do I have a stalker? Uhm ... not referring to you Evo. I kind of wish that it wouldn't happen.

The hang-ups are from automated calling systems. The computer dials a bank of numbers, and drops every other line after the first target picks up. If somebody is practically sitting on their phone and picks it up on the first ring, everybody else in the bank of calls gets a single ring or a hang-up call.

 

[binzing]

You can do this with websites that'll call and have an automated voice read a message...And cover up or make up an ID

 

[Focus]

Has anyone actually ever purchased anything from these phone calling salesman?

 

[wolram]

Has anyone actually ever purchased anything from these phone calling salesman?

No, but often they go away with some thing they did not want.

 

[tribdog]

I've been a telemarketer before. I can't ever seem to last more than about three days before I just can't handle it anymore. You want a job that will make you feel like crap, this is it. Constantly being yelled at or hung up on will wear you out. One of the places I worked for was actually offering something worthwhile, absolutely free and it wasn't a scam. They would help people refinance their homes. It was free to have them figure out the exact amount they could save you and it was up to you whether you wanted to take it or not. Another place I worked at focused on old people they tried to sell a box that got rid of telemarketers for only $500 that was a total scam. I only worked there one day and I wrote down the numbers of everyone who fell for the scam and as soon as I got off work I called each one and told them it was a scam and to not fall for it.

 

[Focus]

I've been a telemarketer before. I can't ever seem to last more than about three days before I just can't handle it anymore. You want a job that will make you feel like crap, this is it. Constantly being yelled at or hung up on will wear you out.

I had one caller repeatedly question why I would not switch my phone line to them. I told him no and he was being really rude and forceful. Why the heck would you do that? Do they get commission or something? I usualy just say "no thanks" and then hang up.

One of the places I worked for was actually offering something worthwhile, absolutely free and it wasn't a scam. They would help people refinance their homes. It was free to have them figure out the exact amount they could save you and it was up to you whether you wanted to take it or not. Another place I worked at focused on old people they tried to sell a box that got rid of telemarketers for only $500 that was a total scam. I only worked there one day and I wrote down the numbers of everyone who fell for the scam and as soon as I got off work I called each one and told them it was a scam and to not fall for it.

Very nice of you to do that. Isn't it illegal to sell something that doesn't work? Its a bit mean that they target the old people who probably don't know much about technology. Just out of interest, how/why did you get a job as a telemarketer?

 

[lisab]

I was a telemarketer, too (this is starting to sound like a confession thread!). I sold vinyl siding when it was the newest, hottest thing. I never even saw the product, but I sold a bunch of it.

I did door-to-door sales, too -- it's actually worse than telemarketing.

I had lots of odd jobs in college - cocktail waitress, live-in maid, "slime line" worker (processing fish on a ship). The maid job was the worst.

I say "no thanks" and hang up on telemarketers, but I'd never be mean or rude to them.

 

[Andre]

My youngest daughter apllied for the job, she was selected and did it for one day. She found it horrible.

 

[NeoDevin]

I did door-to-door sales, too -- it's actually worse than telemarketing.

I did door to door sales for a while too, it wasn't that bad, I made really good money (I've never done telemarketing, so I can't compare the two).

I say "no thanks" and hang up on telemarketers, but I'd never be mean or rude to them.

If I'm not busy, I usually try to keep them on the line for as long as possible, talking about random things.

 

[Evo]

I've never been in telemarketing, but I've had clients that were collection agengies and telemarketers. One of their biggest problems was staffing, the churn was unreal. I was always nice to telemarketers in the past though, they're just doing a job. At least they are working and not collecting welfare.

I don't even keep my landline phone plugged in at home, I only use my cell.

 

[Integral]

No one has addressed the original question. I saw the same thing just yesterday (Caller ID shows 000-000-0000)

 

[Evo]

They are probably calling from a Voice T1 or T3, depending on the size of the company, these voice trunks are not assigned phone numbers for caller ID. I do believe that the law is that they cannot solicit without an identifying number. Outbound number identification can be added to the voice trunks, but it is up to the telephone solicitor to arrange for this service from the local telephone company. I'm sure a lot of fly by night solicitors fail to meet regulations.

It's been years since I've handled voice trunking, I've been designing data & IP networks exclusively for over a decade.

 

[tribdog]

I worked for one company that sold children's magazines to "day care centers" which were pretty much anyone who wants to call themselves a day care. When the laws changed to quit letting telemarketers bother people all this guy did was change the first line of his presentation to "This is a business to business call"

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I wonder why this happens , there's no automated system , it's just a click and it happens everyday. Do I have a stalker? Uhm ... not referring to you Evo. I kind of wish that it wouldn't happen.

I had something similar happen. Telemarketers are taking a different tack. I was receiving this phone call a couple times a week that would just be dead air when I picked it up. Eventually when I wasn't busy and called it back. It was a telemarketer. I think that they are trying to be cute and do this so they can say you called them. I had to tell them a few times to stop calling before they actually did.

Most recently I have been receiving various calls, sometimes in other languages, and I am fairly certain that it coincided with submitting for a credit check for my new apartment. One of them keeps calling telling me (every time) that this is my second and last notice to renew my warranty even though I have received about a dozen calls from them.

The worst was the one that my bank hired. My Bank. I guess they have these special insurance programs and such, some of which are free, but I'm not interested. So I kept getting call after call after call from these people always early in the morning when I am going to bed (I work graveyard). I told them every time to stop calling me or I just hung up on them because I wanted to go back to sleep. One day I got pissed and asked for a manager. I asked the manager what the name of the company she worked for was and she said it was my bank. I asked if she worked directly for my bank and she said no. We went on like this for several minutes as I asked who she worked for and she told me my bank and I asked if she worked directly for them and she said no all in various wordings but with the same result. Finally she simply refused to tell me the name of the company that she worked for. I told her that I wanted off the call list and we went round about again about the national 'do not call' list with my telling her that I do not need to be on the list to tell them to not call me any more. So she tells me that she will take me off of their list but that with in three months I would be added back onto the list. WTF? I told her that I wished to never receive calls from them again and she told me that was the best she could do. ?! Absolute craziness. So I called my bank and gave them an ear full and they removed me from the list but told me that they could not find the name of the company that was calling me. In all I probably got about a dozen calls from those people.