posted
OK... so I'm going to pay my AT&T bill last night and I notice an early termination fee of 30 bucks. Well, since I hadn't terminated my service, I called to complain. Turns out, my long distance service isn't with AT&T anymore... it had been switched to another company. He couldn't tell me who.
So he said he'd get me switched back and that I didn't have to pay the fee.
My wife remembers getting a call, supposedly from AT&T taking a survey about our service which I suspect is when this happened. They evidently worded things in just such a way so that she was actually authorizing the transfer.
So here's my question: Is this legal? Am I liable for the inevitable bill? I have no intention of paying it and I will certainly be placing a call once I find out who it was. To them and to Consumer Affairs. Anyone got any info on this BS?
posted
It's calls like these is why I don't answer surveys over the phone. I keep getting calls about stuff like additional protection on my ID and the like, and I keep telling them I don't authorize any business over the phone (especially from a call I don't initiate), but they never seem to take "NO" for an answer.
Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
Well, that's pretty much what I told her. If she gets any more calls (cause they'll try it again), she should just hang up and we'll call AT&T back to see if they actually called.
posted
When you get calls like that, the trick is to wait until they give their name then pause and say in a husky voice "what are you wearing?" End of call.
Registered: Jul 2006
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posted
Even better, over here in the UK it is perfectly legal for a phone company to sell customers to another provider. The first you hear is when the bill comes and it's from a different company.
Oh, and Zipacna, I may try that...
-------------------- I have plenty of experience in biology. I bought a Tamagotchi in 1998... And... it's still alive.
Registered: Apr 2005
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WizArtist II
"How can you have a yellow alert in Spacedock? "
Member # 1425
posted
Usually it is a third party provider who will call and ask you about your service then ask you "if you could get long distance for 0.285 cents per minute would you switch?" When you reply "Yes" that is all they need to slam you onto their provider/carrier. It is very shady
-------------------- There are 10 types of people in the world...those that understand Binary and those that don't.
Registered: Nov 2004
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posted
My house usually gets calls from "The Buffalo Diabetes Society", I checked there isn't one. Anyways, It is usually an Indian guy on the other end of the line, and I usually respond like this; " Heloh. I eem Looking for a meester Adam Chick" ( They somehow think My family's name is actually the whole name of a guy) " Sir, I'm sorry to tell you that Mister Adamchick has been killed and an ongoing homicide investigation is being conducted. Are you by chance Mister Adamchick's sexual partner?" ...CLICK
I heard it in a joke and it actually works sometimes.
I think here in New York at least you can demand to have your number removed from their call list, in the case of telemarketers. I think this removal lasts for 5 years or something.
-------------------- "Kosh, I'd like to introduce you to our Resident schmuck and his side kick Kick Me."-Ritten
"Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity". -George Carlin
Registered: Jul 2007
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posted
Demented. Totally unexpected. Something they will discuss among themselves for many days and perhaps waste their manager's time with. I like it.
My wife couldn't pull it off though. For her, I think I'll stick with the hang up on them response. For me... it's homicide investigation.
I'm a little curious about what's going to happen here though. I'm sure I'll get a bill from the little 'tards. I have no intention of paying it. But that will probably lead to a collection notice or something dumb like that.
I'm currently preparing my "How do you go home to your children at night knowing you've spent the whole day tricking people into spending money they don't have" speech for when I call their customer service number in a huff.
posted
I just got off the phone with someone from the Jehova's Witness awareness group. THey wanted to me to donate a quarter of my monthly pay to their cause. I told them I am an atheist, and then they decided that I needed to be sent pamphlets about the advantages of going to church and giving them money, and how by not believing in god, I am sinning and will go to hell. THey had my address on file for some reason, so I expect these pamphlets any day now...
-------------------- "Kosh, I'd like to introduce you to our Resident schmuck and his side kick Kick Me."-Ritten
"Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity". -George Carlin
Registered: Jul 2007
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posted
Sean, it is http://www.donotcall.gov and there is not an expiration date or time frame, that is a myth started by telemarketers to try to get people to not report them.
I usually come up with off the wall crap, like answering the phone yelling something about wanting to kill them, then realizing that it wasn't the person I 'thought'.
-------------------- "You are a terrible human, Ritten." Magnus "Urgh, you are a sick sick person..." Austin Powers A leek too, pretty much a negi.....
Registered: Sep 2000
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Daniel Butler
I'm a Singapore where is my boat
Member # 1689
posted
We never had the Witnesses round here, but a pair came to my parents' door the other week and I answered. I was so utterly shocked I said "I'm not interested" rather rudely and quickly; felt kinda bad. I mean, most of them are 16 year old kids being forced through that crap by their parents and can you imagine how hard it must be at that age to knock on strangers' doors and ask them to join your kooky religion that everyone hates?
Anyway, about telemarketers, there's a national do-not-call list you can get yourself added to. Must work because my parents hardly get any calls at all anymore. (Me, I don't have a phone. Skype ftw.)
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
Whenever I get telemarketers I usually tell them I'll be moving with the week and give them my new contact information and ask them to change it in their system.
I'll give them the phone number to a random sex line that will cost them just by calling or someone's number I hate. I don't know if it's working or not but I never seem to get the same place calling me twice.
Registered: Jul 2006
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