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Mike1951 wrote:I was watching an episode of one of the Law & Order shows and it mentioned a fictional site called 'Spoof your phone' where you enter the numbers to be called from, called to and the number to be displayed.

Since they usually rip off real life, it left me wondering if there might actually be something like that.

Yes, quite a few of these sites exist. Caller ID spoofs can be done quite easily.

Screen ALL your phone calls with your answering machine.

With rare exceptions, I don't personally answer phone calls - I experience no more indigestion regarding unwanted phone calls.

If the caller is legit, he or she'll simply start talking and if home, and I care too, I pick up.

Handling phone calls in this manner eliminates 100% (exception: politicians running for office as those crooks exempted themselves from the "do not call list" mere mortals must observe...) of computerized calls and the vast majority of all others. Calls quickly end with two rings and then a dial tone. Beautiful!

Most people turn off their answering machines when home, presumably feeling obligated to personally answer when they can avoid the bother.

Initially, the Pavlovian response to personally answer is a little difficult to get past, but believe me once used to it, you'll love it. You're are not COMPELLED to let anyone in your house via phone.

I've been employing this method for years and I have no more annoyance over 'aggravating sales pitches, surveys and beggars'.

Try it and see for yourself.

Abraham wrote:Screen ALL your phone calls with your answering machine.

With rare exceptions, I don't personally answer phone calls - I experience no more indigestion regarding unwanted phone calls.

If the caller is legit, he or she'll simply start talking and if home, and I care too, I pick up.

Handling phone calls in this manner eliminates 100% (exception: politicians running for office as those crooks exempted themselves from the "do not call list" mere mortals must observe...) of computerized calls and the vast majority of all others. Calls quickly end with two rings and then a dial tone. Beautiful!

Most people turn off their answering machines when home, presumably feeling obligated to personally answer when they can avoid the bother.

Initially, the Pavlovian response to personally answer is a little difficult to get past, but believe me once used to it, you'll love it. You're are not COMPELLED to let anyone in your house via phone.

I've been employing this method for years and I have no more annoyance over 'aggravating sales pitches, surveys and beggars'.

Try it and see for yourself.

I never answer the phone, granted 9.8 times out of 10 it's not for me anyway. If the call is important or action is required, the person calling will leave a message and I will get back to them at my convenience.

Besides all that, it drives my wife crazy

My satellite TV provider has Caller ID feature that pops up on the TV screen. When the phone rings, I don't even flinch until I check who it is calling. If it isn't someone I know, I simply don't answer. If a telemarketer persists, I block the number.

Mike1951 wrote:Also, I have received typical robo-calls where there is no one there. Googling the number doesn't return specific info, but does indicate that it was an NRA number.

Robo-calls are usually an auto dialer that waits for a connect and then transfers your call to a call taker, and the call taker doesn't even have to be in the same location, it could be on the other side of the world, The delay between your answer and the person saying "Hello? Hello? Hello?" at the other end is that engendered by the transfer process.

I usually answer their "Hello?" with "I said it first, what do you want?" and their reaction is usually something on the order of "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you." to which I respond "You called me and you were not listening, or are you just deaf?" and the conversation usually degrades after that.

Just because a number doesn't come up on Google doesn't mean it doesn't exist, just that it has never been on a web site and available to Google, and finding a number Google only means that it has been on a web site. Google is an enormous bin that never gets emptied, there are articles on there about my late wife, who died 16 years ago, and my phone number from that time is still on there too, as well as the one I had 10 years ago, and a cell phone my company issued me that I haven't had in years, and all kinds of other stuff.

Google, like Wikipedia, while sometimes a fine resource, is a product of its input, and one of the oldest maxims in the computer lexicon still holds true: "Garbage in, garbage out!"

Ask them for their home phone number and tell them you'll call them later

When they say they can't give out thier home phone number cause
they don't want to be bothered at home, tell 'em that's how you
feel and let them here the sound of you hanging up the phone.

Abrham wrote:Screen ALL your phone calls with your answering machine.

I seem to remember what an answering machine is, but I bet many have never seen a working one.

With the prevalence of voicemail, I haven't used my Code-A-Phone in over ten years.

However, voicemail is more trouble than answering. I have Vonage with home/cell ringing simultaneously. There seems to be no rhyme or reason determining whether unanswered calls go to Vonage or Verizon Wireless voicemail. Vonage voicemails go to my email, so I must have access to my computer. Verizon Wireless requires calling in.

I do believe the NRA is employing a third-party, direct-call organization. I've received such calls.

I do not believe the NRA has sold or compromised my membership information.

As an Endowment Life Member, I can say that I have never, ever had cause to suspect the NRA of sharing my personal data.

Anyone that has google voice or other similar services can "listen in" as someone leaves voicemail.

It's great.

kthxtn wrote:Has anyone experienced this sort of solicitation from the NRA?

I haven't, but then, I hardly ever answer the phone unless it's one of the special ringtones for family and friends.

OTOH, two people at work have complained about persistent solicitors from NRA. One is a life member, the other has never been a member.

Something screwy is going on, IMO.

Huge mistake on NRA's part. I really wish they would knock it off. It is embarrassing that they are behaving in manner. Nobody benefits from telemarketing other than the company that sells the service.

03Lightningrocks wrote:Nobody benefits from telemarketing other than the company that sells the service.

Really? Are you saying the NRA isn't generating revenue on this program?

Chas.

Charles L. Cotton wrote:

03Lightningrocks wrote:Nobody benefits from telemarketing other than the company that sells the service.

Really? Are you saying the NRA isn't generating revenue on this program?

Chas.

I am saying they are making more enemies than the revenue they are generating is worth. Marketing and advertising is my game. Been doing it for 30 years. Telemarketing is not the way to generate good will. Been there...done that. I am not near the big player the NRA is, but I have a company that is well known in our area. Thirty years worth of well known. We tried the telemarketing thing twice. Both times resulted in long time customers calling and threatening to leave us...in mass. Most folks are not receptive to telemarketing. It is seen as desperate by loyal customers. We decided that generating revenue by tricking it out of folks or pounding it out of them was contrary to our long term goals. I offer the small sampling from this thread as an example of what I am talking about.

Is the goal simply to generate revenue or is the goal to develop supporters of the NRA?

I have pulled support from political candidates that have used robocalling. I hate phonecalls from machines and strangers asking me for money. Fortunatly the NRA doesn't have my phone number. If they ever do call me I would only assume it was obtained in a clandestine way and they will never get another membership fee from me or my family.

One thing worth noting is that a good piece of the money goes to the bussinesses that make these phone calls. These bussinesses are among the slimiest nastiest companys allowed to exist in this country when you give money because of these phonecalls, you give credence to the same companies that raise money for democrats and various other socialists also,

I received one of these calls about a month ago. I was VERY surprised that they would not accept no as an answer. I ended up hanging up on her. Afterward I thought about what I would do if approached in a dark parking lot with the same request for money, and the same refusal to accept no as an answer. It could lead one to be fearful for their safety.
Next time (if there is one) I get a call from the NRA like that, I might just have to make a the comparison to them.