I got this idea yesterday when I came home to find a message on my answering machine from a Mr. Eric Williams from ITS (1-800-774-1130). He promised me that he could help me become debt free rather quickly, and all I needed to do was call him with my bank balances and they would get me on the road to financial recovery. (Yes, you read right - he LEFT A MESSAGE on my machine!)

I thought: "How nice of Eric to call me. I'm not interested, but I'm sure that many millions of people are, so maybe I could post his name to a few dozen websites and see if anybody else calls him. Just for fun."

This is my first posting, but I think this could be a very interesting website. People post the numbers of direct marketers, and other people call to harrass them. They could then post the transcripts and people could rate them as to how funny, annoying etc... they are. It could even store MP3's of conversations for download!

Oh, and BTW: If you get a chance, feel free to call Mr. Williams for me. I'm sure he'd LOVE to hear from you...<GRIN>
-- gb2000, May 09 2002

Bio: Enoch Powell http://www.dkonline...e/today_in/bio.html
For those of you, like me, who only have a vague idea who Enoch Powell is (was). I guess I suffer from Britney Spearism. [bristolz, May 09 2002]

One reservation: Mr Williams would probably be delighted by the custom...
-- yamahito, May 09 2002


Well, yes, I had thought of that. However, I think the calls should be geared to be sufficiently annoying to provoke laughter and/or annoyance on the salesperson's part. Yes, they're "only doing their job", but you're "only doing yours". Heh. Anyway, maybe the site would have an "Automatic Annoyance Script Writer" or something to that effect.
-- gb2000, May 09 2002


During a 3 week spell working for Kitchens Direct when I was 16, I tried to sell Enoch Powell a new kitchen over the phone. He wasn't having any of it.
-- brewmaster, May 09 2002


// I guess I suffer from Britney Spearism. //

Then I'm even worse off. I didn't even have a vague idea who he is (was).

Yesterday I had a telemarketer try to tell me he wasn't a telemarketer.

"But, sir, aren't you interested in lowering your mortgage rate?"
I'm not interested in doing business with telemarketers. I don't support the practice.
"But sir, I'm not at telemarketer. See, if you had just asked that first..."
Are you marketing a product or service?
"Yes..."
Are you using a telephone to do it?
"Well, yes, but..."
You're a telemarketer. Put me on your Do-Not-Call list. Good-bye.
-- waugsqueke, May 09 2002


I used to work in Telemarketing. It was grim. Not only did we claim not to be telemarketers, we also operated under a false name, ignored do-not-call lists, and had to ring a bell at the top of the room every time we got a sale. Absolutely soul destroying. Croissant, although it probably should be seriouslymaimasalesperson.com.
-- stupop, May 09 2002



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