Missouri’s Attorney General has won a $300,000 judgment against a telemarketer that violated the state’s do-not-call list. It is the third-largest award so far.
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awesome
I’ve had several “warranty is expiring” robot calls. I’ll press to be connected; ask to be taken off the list and then hung up on.
Maybe next time I’ll make something up and see how long I can keep the person on the phone just for fun.
@Starfury: Those aren’t telemarketers, though, those are crooks.
@Starfury: I was able to keep the warranty people on the phone for over an hour!
them: “your car warranty is expiring”
me: “oh no! that is so concerning! I will pay anything for a new warranty!”
them: “what is the make/model of your car?”
me: “oh I’m not really a car person, I don’t know”
*riff on that for 10 minutes, eventually agree to go outside and check
*wait 15-20 minutes and return
me: “honda”
them: “honda what?”
me: “I don’t know it just says honda”
them: “your car has a make and a model, like a honda civic.”
me: “I think it might be a honda saturn?”
*riff on that for a bit, go “out to check the model”
*wait 15-20 minutes
*repeat, cause you sound clueless enough that they won’t give up
*when finished
me: “you know I’m not a moron, and I know you’re crooks right?”
them: *click*
One more reason to get rid of your landline. I used to get at least 4 solicitor calls every week. The do-not-call list helped some, but one would still get through every now and then. Finally got rid of my landline and haven’t had a single one since.
@redskull:
Robocallers call EVERY number. Cell numbers and land lines equally.
@redskull: I get these at work. Bugs the crap out of me.
Glad to see someone is putting them in their place.
Also, the “reply” button problem is back, for me anyways.
So according to the article, the telemarketer “will pay the state $300,000 in penalties.” I take it those who got called won’t be getting a piece of the action.
@N.RobertMoses: What?? handing that money to those who were inconvenienced is just crazy talk.
@N.RobertMoses: The state gets it, if you live the in state, you get it in the form of roads, parks, education, etc.
@N.RobertMoses: $300,000/Millions of calls = pennies.
Remarkably, sometime’s it’s not just about you.
@Trai_Dep: to add to that the administrative costs to figure out who gets what and how much would eat up the settlement giving everyone a penny…or less.
Hey, good for them. In MA when you complain to the state Attorney General you get back a form letter that basically says “Thanks for filing a complaint, you have a nice day now.”
The law in MA has no teeth.
I hate MA (but reply button not working). Taxes eat all my moneys, many stupid laws, idiots like John Kerry running amuck in the political system.
@GuinevereRucker: Move to Mississippi?
Move
There are 47 other states
@fatcop: Are we down to just one Dakota and one Carolina now?
@CrowMignon: I think that he means that the “detached” states are out of the question.
Telemarketers, flock to me so I can turn around and SUE you for violating the do-not-call registry, please!! I need the money.
If your an MC there are 52 states
Plenty of room to get psycho killa Norman Bates.
Yay! Missouri does SOME things right.
I guess I don’t get so upset by the expiring warranties or credit offers. In fact, come to think of it, I haven’t received one of those calls in a while. I always play along for a while, then suddenly hit mute. I’ll put the phone on speaker and set it down and listen to them frantically try to figure out where I’ve gone. I’ve even had them hang up and call right back “It seems we got cut off” they say. I play along a little more, then same deal. It never ceases to amuse. Even my kids think it’s funny.
But if you can tell me what to do about the loon from FairTrialsInAmerica that won’t stop calling and spewing his own brand of bat-shittery… boy I’d sure appreciate it if someone would go cut down his phone line trunk!
@mitchelwb:
I tell them that Ralph handles that particular issue and then place the phone in Ralphie’s bed.
It takes the average telewhore a good 2-3 minutes to figure out the grunts are really Ralphie enjoying his dogie toy.
By now, these “telemarketers” have paid their extortion to the state, changed their name and are back to making the same calls to the same people.
Only some time in jail for the owners will stop this but then, there is nothing in it for the state revenue grabbers.