Has the Silly Season Started Again?

[Bump]

Its been a quiet winter as far as the marketing scams go but this last week I have been swamped with calls wanting to promote my business in magazines and journals that I have never heard of. They'd have you believe that you're missing out on some wonderful business opportunity.

See what you think?

118.com: Verification as bona fide trader, only 4 Locksmiths in your area listed, free 0800 number, listing in 118.com, free single page website; Cost £399 + VAT.

Or how about this one.

"Hello this is ??????? from your local police force! We are putting together the next issue of our crime prevention newsletter".

"Oh really! And which Police Service are you?"

"Oh! Er, Where exactly do you live?"

Phone goes dead.

3 calls from the former and two from the latter in one week buffs the gloss right off the entertainment curve, especially when its been a slow week and youve just broken your neck to get to the phone.

Any other scams you know of?

[prim]

Every feb/march they ring me up trying to push adds, but I get less call as the years go by cos they get a firm no thanks and they tend to target the newer business.

[Shrub]

There is a bad one where you get a missed call, you ring it back and say youve had a missed call to which they say oh yes it was my collegue that needs you ill just get her/him, you then get put on hold for x number of minutes until you put the phone down or they come back with some excuse or sales pitch or somthing, what they dont tell you is its a prenium rate phone line and youve been kept on hold for 10 minutes paying a silly price per minute.

[Raccoon]

Don't you guys have clearly recognizable pay-per-minute phone numbers? In the US, it's 1-900- and that's all you have to worry about. There may have been 1-976- but I don't know what became of those.

[Bump]

Raccoon


Yes we do have pay per minute/premium phone numbers which are easily recognisable, however, I guess like most guys when you miss a call its instinctive to ring back out of common courtesy (fear of missing a bit of business). Rarely do I look at the number if it is dispayed, I don't; however, ring Private Call or call withheld numbers back.

I haven't been victim to the premium number scam but I'll certainly look out for it. There seems to be an increasing number of people who don't want to work for a living and try to rip traders off. I would have thought it was harder to keep out of jail doing this than earning an honest wage, clearly I am wrong.

[SteveW]

Ive been geting loads of calls in the last month or so, at leas t three about different police brochures and pamphlets, but they have all been sent packin.

I had the missed call scam yesterday. Of course i phoned back and they asked me to hold, but i just tols them to phone me back when they were free. Of course they never did.

Check the no.s when you get calls becausea few times ive had the same company phone with different scams but on the same no. I like to put them on hold for 10 or 15mins and then tell em im not interested. (and they will hold they always do

Cheers
Steve

[Shrub]

I beleive you can make any number into a costly line you need to fill a few forms out and pay an annual fee but thats pretty much that, i can make my mobile in to a prenium rate line if i desire now whether what your doing is actually paying for a line and then routing all your calls through that then on to your chosen phone i dont know but it is possable.

[toomush2drink]

Ive had a few of the "back in december you advertised in our magazine for a kiddies charity...." I cut them off as its some onetrying it on hoping i wont remember what adverts ive taken out. Had acouple more from the so called "department of trade and industry" trying to ascertain my name "for their records and so they can send me the latest legislation blah blah blah... " These calls normally are tied into the kiddies charity ones so they can sound a bit more credible when they ring you and ask for your name. I now give a false name which alerts me when they ring me up in the future asking to speak to mr false name. .
BTW ive never recieved a single thing from the department of trade even though ive told each one to send it to me, this confirms it a scam.I cut most off now before they even get going especially if they have a northern accent as most of these scammers seem to have. Do you northern guys get scammers with london accents ?

[Shrub]

Do you northern guys get scammers with london accents ?

Yes and when a number does come up its a London area code as well, so yes we do,

Now thats funny

[spudfoden]

Hi Guys, I feel i should let you know of a NEW(ish) scam that nearly got me a couple of weeks ago. When i get people trying to sell me avertising on the phone i just hang up however this one was different, they asked if they could send one of there reps to see me. They claimed they working in conjunction with two local garden centres producing a free magazine promoting local businesses. So i said certainly please come round (first mistake). 2 days later when the rep turned up. She claimed to be from an advertising company called CHAPTER 21 (based in blackpool). The advertising she was selling sounded like a great deal (too good to be true), any to cut a very long story short i ended up giving here a cheque. I did have a few doubts when she was there however i thought i can always cancel it. After she left i jumped on the internet and did some research. The comany, the address and the magazines did not exist. I phoned both garden centres involved they new nothing. My next call was to the police, and give them there dues they did catch up with here. However because at the time she had not yet not printed the mag then technically she had not broken the law so they just took her details and let her go. I am to my knowledge the most suspicious person i know when it comes to people selling me stuff and she nearly got me, so please beware!

[quacking_duck]

118.com: Verification as bona fide trader, only 4 Locksmiths in your area listed, free 0800 number, listing in 118.com, free single page website; Cost £399 + VAT.

Yes, I had this a couple of times this week. I was quoted much more than your figure to start with, but knocked them down in price. I still didn't think it was worth spending the money! Luckily I was handy for the computer at the time and was reading previous posts from 101 members while speaking to them on the 'phone.

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