Unsolicited Calls from Marketers

So we have recently kicked off a very small part-time admin-related business for the wife. Have registered an ABN and developed a basic website without going for adwords etc and sitting way down the list in google - no surprise there. To improve our profile my IT guy suggested doing a free listing on some directories and the first one we went to was TrueLocal.
So we did this Tuesday night – no dramas. By Wednesday morning I had a service call from the TrueLocal rep trying to up-sell me some marketing – to be expected I guess, which I politely declined. Same afternoon I gets a call from some stern-voiced rooster claiming to be from the Police Union giving me a very aggressive pitch for our new business to sponsor the local Police Safety journal. Didn’t like it at all when I suggested this was not our target market and I didn’t particularly appreciate the unsolicited call. I cannot imagine this was in any way a random call and I therefore conclude that TrueLocal (Sensis) have onsold our details to any number of cold call merchants. Not Impressed. Anyone else had this experience ?

 

Yes, years ago I had a call from the so called police union advertising person who aggressively called himself 'sergeant' so and so - tried to intimidate me into advertising in their so called journal.

I wouldn't waste my time with Sensis - these days who would use them?

 

Those annoying cops call me all the time. I would rather they be protecting the streets than wasting my time. Nobody reads those magazines so it's a waste of money.

 

That seems like a scam. You know, the traditional paying for advertising that never materialises deal. I can't imagine police sergeants cold calling people for money.

 

When they call up they say that they are a Sargeant, whether it's true or not only they really know. They all have the same intimidating voice. They don't take no for an answer so I just tell them I'm closing down next month.

I advertised with them once. Complete wasteof time. Probably funds their doughnuts and coffee.

 

Did you actually see the add? It doesn't add up that someone in that position would call and act in an intimidating way.

 

Found this:


typically the scam works by the caller claiming to represent some benevolent or charitable group eg RSL, Police, land rights for gay whales, that sort of thing. Often they get your details from the Yellow Pages. If necessary, they will send you a sample of their magazine or send you the issue with your advert. the publication usually has adverts on every other page. The ads are either photocopied from the yellow pages or written in plain text. Typically (again!) there are only a small number of magazines printed, basically enough to satisfy the advertisers that their advert appeared. Sometimes, the magazine is produced for a legitimate organisation, but often it is one with a small membership, on the basis that the organisation doesn't have to pay for publishing it and the 'scammer' gets to keep all the advertising revenue.

 

Actually that reminds me a friend about 10 years ago was sent a bill for a business advert placed in the police union magazine with no permission granted by my friend.

 

It makes you want to refrain from giving to those charities doesn't it.

In Sydney CBD we have lots of people wearing cowboy hats hassling people as they walk by trying to strike up a conversation and get a donation out of them. These people get a large cut of whatever is given and are best avoided.

 

Re the Police union, they are not police at. It is a call centre in Surrey Hills a legit operation but dodgy in the way they phrase their script on the phone. Had the same calls many times and I just say to them would you mind hanging on while I record this call, I know that you are not the police at all and it is a serious offence to impersonate a police officer! I don't know why but they then hang up on me

 

They sent me the magazine with my add in it. My add made me look dodgy as! Waste of $300.

 

That has been happening since the early 90's from my experience.
They send you an invoice for an ad - usually around $100 dollars or so.

I got one a few months ago - first one for several years. Not the Police Union, but an advertising company invoice....$196.

I get unsolicited cold-calls on the phone almost every day at my workshop; folks wanting to speak to the Owner, or whoever is in charge of Energy/Phone account, etc....

My favourite game is to say I'll get the person they need to speak to to come to the phone, and ask them their name and tell them to hold for a second....

Then I put the phone down with the speaker on, and walk around doing what I was doing before, and just listen to the phone.

It's great fun.

They usually last about 30 or so seconds.

 

I tell all callers that:
1) I never donate over the phone - I don't care how genuine or not they are...I resent the intrusion on my privacy. I will choose if, when and what I donate and to whom.
2) If I was seeking their service, advertising, utility, double glazing, insurance, whatever.. I would be contacting them and since I haven't, they are wasting both my time and their own by cold calling - Goodbye!
Interestingly, I'm getting fewer and fewer calls.
I've been on the 'do not call' register since it came out and that seemed to make absolutely no difference whatsoever, whereas a negative response does.

 

I am on the do not call register and it works for me. Prior to registering my phone would ring every night with cold callers.
I saw a request on Facebook to take part in The Baker Institute Survey. I read the script and it looked like a worthwhile exercise for someone older, like me. I went through all the questions truthfully. I then received a thank you in my email. Two weeks later I received a phone call, again thanking me for taking part then hitting me for $10 a month donation, explaining the cost of all the research they do needs funding.
Lesson learnt...do not take part in Surveys no matter how innocent they look.

 

Not having a home phone works best

 

Yep - going through all this now for the second time. First time when I set up my business and now for my husband's business.

Calls from charities, local publications, marketing 'experts', people calling on behalf of google promising to get your biz on first page of google, local directories, service seeking etc etc.

Unsolicited phone calls for my biz have tapered off a bit but my husband is being harassed several times a day. Him being new to it all thought it was all legit and told them "my wife handles that side of the biz, here is her number"..... *sigh*.

 

A true Tradie.

 

I've been gettin' those calls at work for decades.

That Police Union mob are never-ending.

Great fun.

Depending on how busy I am and what mood I'm in, my response ranges from immediate cut-off of the call without a single syllable uttered, right up to saying "I'll get the business owner for you; what is your name?"....and then I just put the phone down with the speaker on, and have a laugh listening to them holding on the line, then calling out "Helloo, helloo?" They usually last about 30 seconds or so.

I have also at times told the caller simply to EFF OFF. Not polite, but I didn't invite them to call me.

I had one today, and I let the girl go for about a minute, and then interjected and informed her that unfortunately she had just wasted a minute of her time and mine, then hung up.

Crackin' hilarious.

 

I ask that they talk to our manager of benevolence and charitable support - Helen Waite. If they want a donation, they can go to Hellen Waite.