Solicitations

You ever get tired of those random calls from solicitors wanting to sign you up for satellite television, extended car warranties, medical insurance or mortgage loans? I get tired of them.

I do not answer any phone calls with an unknown number. If there is not a name, I do not answer. But all these unwanted calls leave a message.

The best one is political surveys. I have a Colorado cell phone number, I live in Texas. Every election year, I get phone calls wanting to know my opinions on Colorado political candidates. If by accident I answer the phone call, I tell them I do not live in Colorado and have not for years. I had one person tell me I needed to change my phone number.

I do not change my cell phone number as I have people and family that sometimes get in contact with me. I do not want to go through the trouble of informing everyone in my contact list or who may have a business card, I changed my number. Who cares what state my cell phone number is in, no one pays for calling an out of state number anymore. I would also have to remember a new number.

Or, Direct TV telling me I can get a discount on my account if I sign up for a certain plan. I have never had a Direct TV plan, my husband did twelve years ago.

My least favorite is extended warranties. I accidentally answered one of those calls. I asked about restrictions on getting an extended warranty, like miles on the vehicle and year of the vehicle. They do not apply to vehicles with over 200,000 miles. Both our vehicles are over or at 200,000 miles. One person was rather pushy about wanting to sell me an extended warranty, told me I needed to buy a newer vehicle, “no one drives a vehicle with over 200,000 miles”. I think he thought I was lying to him.

I have asked where do you get my phone number from. They say a list.

Where do you get the list? We buy the lists from companies that compile the lists.

What companies compile the lists? We would rather not say.

Medical facilities, grocery stores, cell phone companies, insurance companies and others sell your name and number to companies that compile those lists. They can not give out your date of birth-but can give your age group, can give the state you reside in-but not the street address.

They sell just enough of your information so solicitors will pay for a list to harass the general population with.

Used to be, ages ago when I was a wee lass, you could get a private telephone line. No one was allowed to know your phone number or information, unless you gave it to them directly. We changed cell phone carriers a couple of years ago. I asked the sales person for a private number. Her reply, “What is a private number?” I described to her what a private number was. “I have never heard of that. And no the company does not provide private numbers,” she replied.

We can put our numbers on a no call list, but that only last for a year or two. You have to remember to call each year to keep your number on the no call list.

Yes things have changed.

Thank you for stopping by.

Who is your least favorite soliciting phone call?

amtolle