why is everything a grift?

[JohnRoberts]

I just switched off my landline for a rest. Some robocaller has tried to get me on a line 3x so far today. If nobody answers they just hang up which demonstrates their less than honorable intentions. I use my 6 month old answering machine to screen calls, so far it has logged 34 robocalls that hung up when they did not detect a live human to scam.

JR

 

[Brian Roth]

This time of the year....every year....is the enrollment/renewal periods for Medicare (age 65+ folks such as me) and ACA (aka "Obamacare") for younger folks. My younger friends and I get many phone calls per day from hucksters trying to convince us to sign up for their dubious offerings.

I just leave the ringer turned off and only a few more days before the enrollment period for Medicare ends.

But then there are the grifters begging for donations ...."It's the holidays......"

If you call me and I don't recognize your number and don't answer, leave me voice mail and I might call you back.

Bri

 

[JohnRoberts]

This time of the year....every year....is the enrollment/renewal periods for Medicare (age 65+ folks such as me) and ACA (aka "Obamacare") for younger folks. My younger friends and I get many phone calls per day from hucksters trying to convince us to sign up for their dubious offerings.

Yup this round ends dec 7th... after another day or two I can turn my land line back on.

I just leave the ringer turned off and only a few more days before the enrollment period for Medicare ends.

But then there are the grifters begging for donations ...."It's the holidays......"

If you call me and I don't recognize your number and don't answer, leave me voice mail and I might call you back.

Bri

I screen calls with my new answering machine. If I hear a human calling me I can pick up. It appears that the modern robo callers hang up if they don't hear a human answer. I have logged 34 missed (?) calls in the last 6 months. With my old answering machine I used to get some robocallers who left messages. I haven't heard any of those messages lately.

I have one friend who actively messes with the phone grifters, I have better things to do with my time.

JR

 

[Brian Roth]

End of Medicare enrollment period also means the ENDLESS Medicare (Dis)Advantage ads playing on my local TV newscasts (and on a few rerun channels I watch) cease.

Talk about a grift....Medicare Part C/Medicare DisAdvantage!! I don't understand why the FCC doesn't ban those totally deceptive ads on public airwaves.

Bri

 

[JohnRoberts]

End of Medicare enrollment period also means the ENDLESS Medicare (Dis)Advantage ads playing on my local TV newscasts (and on a few rerun channels I watch) cease.

Talk about a grift....Medicare Part C/Medicare DisAdvantage!! I don't understand why the FCC doesn't ban those totally deceptive ads on public airwaves.

Bri

I use a DVR to fast forward through commercials. At some point if more people ignore the ads they will become economically unviable. Sadly there seems to be an inexhaustible supply of suckers.

But then there are the grifters begging for donations ...."It's the holidays......"

I like to think of myself as charitable, BUT.... I hate the way that charitable giving makes us an obvious mark for more charity solicitations. I slid several dollars to help victims of the major hurricanes this year. I was extremely disappointed to receive a slick glossy multiple page pamphlet from one (Samaritan's Purse) no doubt asking for mo money (I didn't read it). The donation I made to help FL victims respected my "one and done" giving philosophy.

If you call me and I don't recognize your number and don't answer, leave me voice mail and I might call you back.

Bri

I just turned my land line back on, hopefully the Dec medicare push is over.

JR

 

[sodderboy]

If the same number is calling more than a few times a day, I have an ASPI sized solution, 600 kW of retribution.
If you are not otherwise engaged, start calling the number and throw their line at them. Re-dial after they hang-up. Again, again, again, dial those a-holes like they dial you. Every 5 seconds redial it back to them "Hello, do you own a house?" "Hello, are you on medicare?" "Hello, do you have a fireplace?" until you are no longer entertained, have anything else to do, or THEY BLOCK YOUR NUMBER and your calls get a busy signal or "this number is not in service". That's what happens, after a short time. THEY block YOUR number quite quickly.
The "do not call" list was a scam, phones with number blockers are good, but even a 250 number phone will get filled-up, asking the caller to remove your number is worthless, etc.
It actually works, and although it is intense for a few minutes, it has a calming, quieting effect afterwards. Peace, one call center at a time. . . I do not get the repeat calls in one day much anymore.
Mike

 

[JohnRoberts]

If the same number is calling more than a few times a day, I have an ASPI sized solution, 600 kW of retribution.
If you are not otherwise engaged, start calling the number and throw their line at them. Re-dial after they hang-up. Again, again, again, dial those a-holes like they dial you. Every 5 seconds redial it back to them "Hello, do you own a house?" "Hello, are you on medicare?" "Hello, do you have a fireplace?" until you are no longer entertained, have anything else to do, or THEY BLOCK YOUR NUMBER and your calls get a busy signal or "this number is not in service". That's what happens, after a short time. THEY block YOUR number quite quickly.
The "do not call" list was a scam, phones with number blockers are good, but even a 250 number phone will get filled-up, asking the caller to remove your number is worthless, etc.
It actually works, and although it is intense for a few minutes, it has a calming, quieting effect afterwards. Peace, one call center at a time. . . I do not get the repeat calls in one day much anymore.
Mike

I have an old friend who takes the active push back approach. He has even successfully taken bad actors to small claims court and won. I do not choose to waste my time wrestling with pukes. It is disappointing that the government does not shut them down, they surely could deny them access to our phone networks. If I am sitting by my phone when it rings I will pick it up but not say anything. Most robo dialers will hang up when they reach a quiet line. My machine has logged 35 missed calls (robo hangups) so far.

Right now my land line is turned on and not ringing. No doubt a benefit of living in a poor zipcode.

JR

 

[Brian Roth]

I get a kick listening to my friend when he gets spam calls. He leads them on for a couple of minutes, then explodes into profanity.

"F** you and F*** your mother you C*** sucker..." etc etc. A short pause, and my friends announces "Seems that they hung up."

He always makes me smile.

Bri

 

[JohnRoberts]

This is the time of the year for TV ads full of starving puppies to raise money (with Sarah McLachlan sound track).

Then theres the kid who still can't pronounce "adorable" after years making the same ad.

JR

 

[scott2000]

I don't get the tunnels for towers and wounded warrior project. You'd think the gov would take care of everything.To see them have to ask for money to take care of the families.??. Is there not large insurance policies for soldiers and first responders or is that left to the individuals to handle and pony up for?
Maybe there's some insight I'm missing....

 

[Brian Roth]

I'm an Olde "softy" when it comes to the Salvation Army bell ringers this time of year. I know which stores they are at and I always have at least a couple of dollar bills in my pants pocket ready to put into the kettle. I have no reason to believe the Salvation Army is a grift and am happy to donate. My brother (RIP) stayed at their shelters several times in his troubled life and I feel like I'm helping in a tiny way to thank the Salvation Army.

Bri

 

[JohnRoberts]

I don't get the tunnels for towers and wounded warrior project. You'd think the gov would take care of everything.To see them have to ask for money to take care of the families.??. Is there not large insurance policies for soldiers and first responders or is that left to the individuals to handle and pony up for?
Maybe there's some insight I'm missing....

T2T org is pretty well regarded for low overhead and putting donations to good use.

I'm an Olde "softy" when it comes to the Salvation Army bell ringers this time of year. I know which stores they are at and I always have at least a couple of dollar bills in my pants pocket ready to put into the kettle. I have no reason to believe the Salvation Army is a grift and am happy to donate. My brother (RIP) stayed at their shelters several times in his troubled life and I feel like I'm helping in a tiny way to thank the Salvation Army.

Bri

I usually slide a few greenbacks into the red bucket. Oddly I haven't seen them in front of Wally world this year. Maybe it's a quirk of the day Christmas falls on. My next scheduled food shopping day is the day after Christmas.

JR

 

[analag]

People still use land lines? Anyway I get them on my phone everyday. After the second ring or so I just end the call.

 

[JohnRoberts]

People still use land lines?

I do

Anyway I get them on my phone everyday. After the second ring or so I just end the call.

Them? I see robo callers spoofing local phone numbers hoping to get more pickups. At the moment I'm up to 37 missed calls. If they don't get a human they bail.

=====
I continue to be disappointed by Samaritan's Purse. I use them to make a charitable contribution for the NC hurricane damage. First they sent me a glossy brochure asking for more money. Today I got another mailing asking for another contribution. I really hate when a charity uses my donation to fund lobbying me for more giving.

I used red cross to donate for the FL hurricane recovery. So far they haven't ticked me off.

Sadly whenever we give to any charity we self-identify as a mark to be milked.

JR

 

[scott2000]

T2T org is pretty well regarded for low overhead and putting donations to good use.

Yeah I was just wondering why the Government wouldn't handle things to that level for our service people.. But then again, substituting Government for T2T in you're quote wouldn't make a whole lot of sense...

I really hate when a charity uses my donation to fund lobbying me for more giving.

...humane society is real bad....
And my son donated to some Jewish survivor thing and those mailers come every day it seems....
Seems counterintuitive to target people that already know you exist and have donated. I'm not into sales so wouldn't know the theory.. Guess a hot lead is a hot lead...

 

[JohnRoberts]

Yeah I was just wondering why the Government wouldn't handle things to that level for our service people.. But then again, substituting Government for T2T in you're quote wouldn't make a whole lot of sense...

The government does not have infinite money, they mostly take our money and spend it (or borrow more money to spend).

I don't know if you know the story behind T2T but it was started by the brother of a NYC fire fighter who gave his life on 9/11. It started out to support fire fighters, but expanded to support military and all first responders. I don't follow them closely but they apparently provide lots of low cost housing to thousands of homeless veterans.

...humane society is real bad....
And my son donated to some Jewish survivor thing and those mailers come every day it seems....
Seems counterintuitive to target people that already know you exist and have donated. I'm not into sales so wouldn't know the theory.. Guess a hot lead is a hot lead...

It's worse than just a hot lead, it's a proven charitable giver. If you have given before you are logically more likely to give again.....BUT it's possible to irritate the golden goose with too much lobbying for new donations.
====
I actively avoid watching TV commercials that this time of year are loaded with multiple charitable requests. Even with fast thumb on my DVR FF button I still see partial commercials. Sometimes if away from the remote I will hear actual commercials. I understand the calculus of spending money to raise money, but I always strive to understand the money trail behind specific ads. It always bothered me to see ads paid for by the government. A recent(?) new development is now seeing commercials with someone offering a verbal prayer. I haven't quite figured this one out yet, but I don't watch the full advertisements to the end.

JR

 

[scott2000]

The government does not have infinite money, they mostly take our money and spend it

I'd rather see my money go towards some things than others but digress instead of listing them...lol
I like participation and my electrical chops don't provide me many opportunities to ..

I don't know if you know the story behind T2T

Yes. I think it's a nice charity.

I actively avoid watching TV commercials

I feel like I'm in an episode of Seinfeld when I have to visit the same store 2 sometimes 3 times a day and there's the ask to donate on the card reader. I'll do it once but then feel I have to prove I already gave the next time I'm in there or the cashier thinks you're a grinch..lol

Even worse feeling with the bell ringers or the kids outside collecting for their baseball trip.... "hey you don't remember me? I gave you a $5"

 

[Rusan]

I usually slide a few greenbacks into the red bucket. Oddly I haven't seen them in front of Wally world this year.

I was just thinking a couple of days ago about the complete absence of Salvation Army bell ringers this year. There are 3 locations in my town where they always set up, every year. This time, zero.

I like to think of myself as charitable, BUT.... I hate the way that charitable giving makes us an obvious mark for more charity solicitations.

I once gave $10 to the Arkansas State Police fund that provides teddy bears for State Troopers to hand out to children at crime and disaster scenes. After a couple of months passed, I started receiving donation request cards and aggressive donation solicitation phone calls continuously. I felt like I was being stalked - but what do you do when it's the highest law enforcement agency in your state that's stalking you? After several times of telling them no, they thankfully finally backed off.

Along those same lines, I received a letter from the U.S. Census Bureau a couple of weeks ago, stating that my address had been randomly selected to participate in some "between the 2020 census and 2030 census updates," and that I'd be getting a visit from a Census Bureau employee. Beginning a couple of days later, someone from the Census Bureau visited my house every day while I was at work, and every day left another card on the door with their phone number stating that it was VERY IMPORTANT for me to call them IMMEDIATELY. Well, my wife and I went out to eat lunch last Saturday, and when we returned home the census lady was in our driveway... We drove on past and wasted a few minutes, returned home (she was gone), and I called her later.

After answering her endless questions, she informed me that this was a year-long project, in which I'd be contacted monthly to update if my employment status, income, address and a hundred other things had changed! In the one week that's passed since the call, I've received 4 more letters and two new, unknown numbers have been calling me several times per day. Call all you want to, I don't answer unknown numbers.

I only called the employee because I feel that similar to jury duty, responding to the census is a civic duty, and also because I thought she'd quit stalking me... Now, I'm not sure how to stop this madness I've been suckered into, but if I could, I would.

 

[JohnRoberts]

Now, I'm not sure how to stop this madness I've been suckered into, but if I could, I would.

You have to make it not worth their time.... easier to say than do.

Good luck.

JR