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Direct Marketing, Telemarketing, Scams, and Credit Scores
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2005-11-21 11:49:20 (249 weeks ago)
Posted By: JWSmythe
(Read 9298 times || 6 comments)
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Editor: Before I begin, I'd like to remind everyone, Never give out your personal or financial information to a "cold caller". That is, if someone calls you and wants your name, credit card info, or whatever, don't tell them. Only do it if you initiated the call, for something you want to purchase. It doesn't matter what they say, they could claim to be anyone for any reason.
This morning (21, November, 2005), at 9:08am, I received a cold call from "Quality Resources". Their phone number is 1-727-712-0382.
Normally, I wouldn't list phone numbers, as I don't want to blatently advertise a company in a news story. This case is different, as you will see.
I was only half awake this morning. I've been trying something new. I heard if you sleep for a full night, you may feel rested in the morning.
Being that I do IT (Internet/Information Technology) work, I get "emergency" calls at all hours. The last one last night came in at 7:30pm, and the first one came in this morning at 7:00am. Both were real emergencies, which is much different from the typical "emergency" call.
I was back to sleep by 8:45, so I could wake up at 10am. The 9:08am call from Quality Resources was less than welcome. I recognized the 727 area code to be the Clearwater / St. Petersburg area of Florida, so I answered thinking it was a friend.
It was Quality Resources. They were offering a FREE $40 gas card. They told me that they already have my Visa account number on file, and I had made a previous purchase through them.
I immediately recognized this as a poor marketing scam. She went straight into the spiel of how they were going to do some huge favor for me, and all I'd have to do is give my credit card number, first born, and/or left foot.
I interrupted, asking "What did I purchase?". She wasn't the least bit stunned, and flew straight into the scripted response of how I had purchased through one of their marketing partners, either in a real store or online, blah, blah, blah.
I interrupted again, "no, what ITEM did I purchase." If they're going to wake me up and market something to me because I bought something through them before, they should be able to tell me what I bought.
No item information was available. It wasn't that she spent a long time searching for it. She became immediately frustrated, telling me that she's trying to explain the offer. I interrupted again, "so, what item did I purchase?".
"Sir, if you don't have time to discuss this now, we can call you back at a later time. Good bye."
Wow. That's the nicest anyone has ever hung up on me. Most people throw a string of 4 letter words, and you can hear the phone crashing into the cradle. I once had the pleasure of hearing a cell phone being thrown from a bridge. I know it was thrown, and not carried by a jumper, because most of my friends are not suicidial, and they told me the next day that they had thrown it. They were rather upset at me at that point, because not only were they mad, but it was my fault they threw the phone. Hmmm.
So, after the call, I searched on Google for who they were.
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Readers Comments |
Re: Direct Marketing, Telemarketing, Scams, and Credit Scores
2005-11-28 17:32:48
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Thank you for posting this article. I wish more people would
Your efforts are greatly appreciated.
Sincerely;
Mike |
Re: Direct Marketing, Telemarketing, Scams, and Credit Scores
2005-12-29 17:55:07
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| Thanks for telling me about this. I also got this phone call twice, but i was not able to answer it, but i guess i will never answer this phone call. |
Re: Direct Marketing, Telemarketing, Scams, and Credit Scores
2006-04-05 10:28:49
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Twice in the last week (March, April 2006), I got phone calls from Quality Resources - on the first call I sensed it was a scam so decided to play with the guy's head. Interrogated him - how'd he get my name, where did he get my phone number, visa number, etc. He politely and carefully explained that he didn't know; 'they' gave him my name and only the last four digits of my visa, because I'm their preferred customer. I asked who 'they' are - he avoided answering. I told him I just pulled up info on the web and found that quality resources is a scam operation. In loud voice he said THAT'S NOT US. He told me that he personally guaranteed the call wasn't a scam (it's hard for me to accept a personal guarantee from a voice over the phone. Go figure!). After few more minutes of play, I hung up.
Second call - caller was even more insistent and this time he didn't ask, he told me they would send me $40 in gas coupons; it would take about two weeks and he was sure I wanted them. I told him not to send me anything, not to call me, and to take me off their calling list. He told me to call 727-712-0382 - I told him no, that I would instead call our state's attorney general. He immediately hung up.
Bottom line - they're persistent, insistent, and use tactics to try to get you to feel stupid if you don't take them up on their offer. |
Re: Direct Marketing, Telemarketing, Scams, and Credit Scores
2006-07-26 17:06:54
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This number has called me 10 times in the last two days and has called me numerous times in the past. Thank you for telling me this because once i read it i imediately allerted my phone company and they are running an investigation.
Thank you |
I have been called twice....
By: R.B.McConnell
2007-02-12 14:46:48
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Incident occurred 02/08/2007
My cell phone records indicate the following
information.
Date TIME Source PHN# Minutes
02/08 02:42 PM CLEARWATER 727-712-0382 DT 4
02/08 02:24 PM INCOMING 727-712-0382 DT 18
Normally, I don't get telemarketers calling me on my Cell Phone, so when I got this phone call, I was not only a bit ticked off, I was VERY interested in how they got my phone # and the last four digits of my credit card. I got the same basic explaination that everyone one else here seems to be getting, that they received the information from a "marketing partner" and that I had been chosen because I was a "preferred customer". I repeatedly asked the caller who identified himself as a "Mike Kromer", who gave them or sold them the information. They said that they didn't know. Well, I didn't buy that answer so I sort of played dumb for a while and tried to fish as much information out of them as I could. They knew my name, address, my cell phone number and the I had a Visa Card and they had the last four digits of that card. I demanded that they reveal to me, who gave them my information due to the fact that it WAS my information and that I had a flipping right to know who gave it to them. At this point, they got rude and started saying stuff like fine then, sir, if you are going to go off on a tyrade, we will just give the $40.00 in gas cards to someone else. They said that I was running my mouth so much, they were unable to share the benefits of this service with me and that I needed to calm down and stop acting like a jerk. Hmm....WELL!!
These guys are not very studied in customer Service.
I asked to speak to a supervisor who was just about as dumb if not dumber than the guy who called me. He had no interest in giving me ANY information about how he came across my private information. So I told them I was going to have to pass on the deal as it sounded very fishy. They said in a very smart-arsed tone, FINE THEN, WE WILL JUST GIVE THE GAS VOUCHERS TO SOMEONE ELSE!!" I hung up on them....But it really got me thinking on my last few purchases with that card.
The phone calls did not start until after I paid H&R Block for doing my taxes. I used that card this year to pay for the service. Any other purchases had been done in my small town grocery store and at walmart. I have been shopping there for years without ever having any problems. And they DO NOT KNOW my cell phone #!! But H&R Block Had it! So now what am I supposed to think?? |
Just was called....
By: Isabel
2007-02-20 22:40:36
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Quality Resources just called me 20 min ago on my cell with the 727-712-0382 number. My wonderful scamer....er...sales rep either had no idea how to read his lines that they gave him, or he was new to the job and just really was so nervous he could barely get out what he was trying to say. I mean he was literally reading so fast I was left staring at the phone with a raised eyebrow wondering if he was okay.
Anyway, what I managed to understand out of all of that was $40 of free gas and subscriptions for only $1, and that if I didn't like the subscription, I can cancel anytime and keep the $40 of gas. (?) Then he kept asking me if I still lived in the same address and that my last 4 digits of my credit card number was so and so. I asked again who he was and kept going in circles with him. Afterwards he kept trying to transfer me to some sales lady (I couldn't really understand him) but I told him flatly no, not to mention I'm working and for them not to call me again. He insisted it would only take 5 seconds(sure 5 seconds to bleed me dry, I'll pass), but I told him no and ended the call.
Afterwards I researched to see if there was any info on them and was grateful to find this article. (Oh I also reported them to my credit company and they have it on file as well as told me to make a report with the police.) Tomorrow I'm calling my phone service provider and see what the deal is.
Honestly I think I got lucky that I got such a bad "sales pitch" on the phone and got the guy I did because he made it easier to pick up on it.
Anyway thanks so much for the article! Helped out a lot. |
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