Do Telemarketers HAVE To Know Everything?
I just had a phone call from a telemarketer on my business line. Nothing unusual, I get them all the time. I know they’ve got a job to do but frankly I get sick of it. I’m a sole proprietor and don’t have unlimited funds to splash around from one service to another.
Today’s caller really annoyed me though. He wanted to know about my mobile phone service and when I said I wasn’t in the market for a new phone his immediate response was ‘oh, I’m not selling anything.’
Yeah, sure. I get that one a lot too. Then he proceeded to ask if I was under contract because if I was that would stop the calls. So of course I responded and asked if that was the only condition? He said ‘no’ and then told me it could depend on other things. And then I asked what if I wasn’t under contract? to which he replied there were still some conditions.
I asked what would I have to do to get off the list and he said answer these questions and then started to ask how many mobile phones the company (my business) had and… I hung up on him.
What right do they think they have to all the information about what phones I have, how many, who I’m under contract to and whatever else they wanted to ask? I get the same on my home line asking how much we owe on our mortgage, how many people live in our home, what ages are they, how much income do we get and so it goes on and on and…
How do you feel about this intrusion of privacy? Because that’s what it is. I’d like to know when it was deemed ok to start asking personal information for their records. And while I’m on the subject, that goes for any membership type websites that ask for your birth date before they’ll let you join whatever club it is. I mean, what’s with that? It’s not their business when my birth date is and I really do not want to give that information out. Too many organisations know too much about individuals now - why should I make it any easier for them?
Ok, so I’ll get off my soapbox now, I’ve had my rant, but perhaps you feel the same way too, and I invite your comments. KMT
I received one of these calls only they were from Telstra checking something on my account. When she asked for my date of birth, password and address I simply replied “because you rang me, I’m not willing to give you that information” to which she replied ok and ended the call.
I agree about safeguarding our personal information.
Kylie Short
I feel the same way! I have a friend who has a standard fake birthdate he uses for all his online activities.
Hi Kathy,
Something that has had me hopping mad lately is this:I have a credit card that is almost never used. I make all my payments on time and always pay more than the minimum. Every month I get a call from someone who claims to be calling from the Credit Card company reminding me that my payment is due next week, and asking if I would like to process my payment “while we are on the phone”. Really, in this day and age of identity theft do they honestly think that I am going to just hand over my credit card information to some random person on the phone just because she knows my name and telephone number? Is paying on the due date not good enough anymore? What is with these people who feel that they have a right to bug us as home.
Thanks for listening!
Ros