Snake oil salesmen

[mythteller]

I got a call yesterday from someone who assured me that there was nothing wrong with my credit card, but it was urgent that I speak with a representative to lower my incredibly unreasonable interest rate. Confused, I pressed 1 and was transferred to a voice with a headset and a script.

After many promises of reducing my interest rates on my credit cards, mortgage (don't have), and all my outstanding debts (don't have), I finally got a word in edgewise and said "What is the name of your company and why are you contacting me instead of my own bank?

"Sir, your bank doesn't care about you the way we do. You've been specially selected by MCS for this golden opportunity, so you really don't want to miss out. Do you have a VISA or Mastercard?"

*alarm bells a ding-a-linging*

"Wait ,wait," I interrupted. I could hear her script pages a-rustling. "What is the name of your company so I can check this with my bank?"

Reluctantly, she said "We're called MCS sir and we work with all the major banks and institutions, so there's no need for you to waste your time being on hold with their customer service. They'll just confirm what I'm telling you, so if you'll give me your credit card numb--"

"Hang on, how do you spell your company name," I opened up my browser, ready to check this out.

"It's spelled em, see, ess," she replied.  What?!?!

"Lady, I know how to spell MCS, but what does it stand for?"

"MCS stands for mutual consolidated services, sir. Your telephone number was provided to us by your bank so that we can reduce the interest rate on your credit cards considerably... *YADDAYADDASCRIPTBUNKBUNK*"

I googled Mutual Consolidated Services and sure enough I found several stories of other people getting the same calls, except they followed though and found themselves charged with up to $750USD on their credit cards by this company for their "services". I hung up.

You can read lots of similar stories about MCS at 800Notes.com. If you get a call like this, hang up. If you feel like sticking it to them, come up with something creative to whet their appetite and scare the beejesus out of the caller by saying something like:

I don't make enough money as an RCMP officer in the Telephone Fraud Investigation team, so lower credit card ratings would really help. Although it is satisfying to nail these bastards and all their employees, it just doesn't cover my own personal lifestyle choice as a vigilante.

My therapist says I have anger issues, especially when it comes to money matters.

This break on my credit is going to be a great help. You'd be amazed how expensive it is to clean blood out of a trunk, especially when it's a few days old. *laugh* Money well spent though... that'll teach that bastard to cheat me!

Every little bit helps, y'know. Although the last settlement I got out-of-court from that investment company I sued for bad investment advice was so satisfying. What was your name again?

Comments

[fearsclave.livejournal.com]

If an unsolicited caller doesn't identify themselves and their organization immediately, I hang up on the spot. I hang up on plenty of the ones that do identify themselves too.

Basically, I have all my bases covered and if I want or need something, I take my own steps. The odds of a telemarketer actually having something I want or need but don't already have and being able to offer it to me at a competitive price are infinitesimally small.

[hoppibadge.livejournal.com]

I've been getting the same calls. I challenge them to identify themselves before they get a word in, and insist they remove me from their lists - which of course they don't.

It pisses me off royally that American telemarketing/finance firms are allowed to operate in Canada, especially with the economy melting all around us because of predictably damaging, unscrupulous business practices. Defrauding unwitting Canadians with deliberately misleading sales pitches like this is not what the Free Trade agreement was supposed to be about.

aaargh *end rant*

ow! steam hurts when it pours out the ears ;)

[fearsclave.livejournal.com]

I'm of the view that a legitimate business call begins with "Hello, I am X Y from Z Co., may I please speak to A B." or vice versa.

Anybody who doesn't do that is guilty of bad business and telephone manners and doesn't deserve my time or money.

And yeah, there are a lot of scamsters out there, exploiting their callees' good manners, tolerance, and credulity. Pretty much the only way we're going to get rid of them is by making their business unprofitable, and the only way to do this is either hang up on them and/or put them on terminal hold.

[ai731.livejournal.com]

I say "No, thank you," politely, once. If they continue, I say, "No, I'm not interested, goodbye," and then hang up without qualms. And every time I do (which isn't often these days thanks to a) being long distance from almost everywhere, and b) the No-Call list) I feel bad for the poor souls who have no other job options than these horrible telemarketing/fraud enterprises.

[kallisti.livejournal.com]

The ones who are worse are the energy resellers that come to your door. I've seen them mis-represent themselves as being from the gas company, the electric company, and one ever said the government sent him! After the first few, I just told them that if they didn't leave the building, I would be calling the police. That is about the only thing that made them back down...

ttyl

[pdaughter.livejournal.com]

I've had messages from this company myself and right away knew something was up when they told me "there's nothing wrong with your credit card" when I don't have one! Of course there's nothing wrong with it, it doesn't exist!

Whenever I've actually been home to receive the automated message I just hang up.

[tcaptain.livejournal.com]

You are awesome.

I hope they call me sometime soon on a quiet evening! (I love messing with telemarketers...actually fraudsters should be a blast!)

[silly-imp.livejournal.com]

See, I just waited until the end of the call where they say something like "to be removed from our call list, please press 1". But your solution sounds much more fun.

[tocityguy.livejournal.com]

From what I hear there is also a fraud going around. It works like this:

1) They call you pretending to be your credit card company
2) They "verify" that you haven't made several outlandish purposes
3) They confirm by asking the pin number on the back of the credit card

If they get the pin they then start charging your card.

Be warned!