Unknown Name/Unknown Number calls repeatedly (often once per day and even at night) and either says that they want to lower my interest rates on my credit cards, lower my auto loan rates, or extend my automobile warranty ("Just press 1 to speak to someone about.... Press 2 to not be called again...").

I used to press 2 to be removed from their lists. Of course, it didn't work. So now I always press 1 and ask for company information or to be removed from their call list, and they always just hang up on me.

Today I pressed 1 to talk to somebody about lowering my credit card interest rate, and pretended I was interested. I spoke to an operator who said her name was Whitney and that the company was Consumer Services. She said she just needed me to give her a bunch of my personal information and credit card numbers and they would lower my rates. She said they already had my information, including the information about my credit card rates and payment history, and just needed me to verify it all by telling it to her over the phone.

HA! Yeah, right.

She said they could get my credit card rates down to 12%! (Wow, what a crappy deal since my cards are already way under 12% fixed APR.)

So I acted like a flustered fool who was interested (those college acting classes come in handy for all sorts of things) and asked them for their company information.

She told me their number (800-847-2911) and said their address was Suite 300 W Peachtree, Ft Meyeres FL 23906. She said that they are affiliated with Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express and with all banks. I kept trying to get her to explain how they were affiliated (e.g. were they in a network, was she a part of the CCC, etc.). She kept giving very vague answers, but ultimately she said they were affiliated with everything I mentioned, including things I just made up right then and there. So I asked to talk to her manager.

The "card member services floor manager" said his name was Mike.

I asked him how it all worked and he spoke in a fast-paced salesmen voice telling me how they were affiliated with all the banks and asked me what the problem was I was having.

When I asked how they found out about me, he said they got my number from Visa and Mastercard because I have a very high credit score and good payment history.

I mentioned that the automated system that called us often calls us at night when their offices aren't even open. I asked why it did that. He said in an annoyed tone, "What does that have to do with getting a better interest rate?" When I asked him why his system often called us at night, he became clearly agitated.

I asked him if they used the Do Not Call list, and he became very upset, speaking to me quite rudely: "Is this what this is all about? You went through all this trouble to be asked to be taken off the list!" (Actually, I went through all that trouble to get as much information about them as possible so I could report them.) He insulted me for having "nothing better to do with my time" and tried to make me feel guilty about wasting his time. (Oh please! I have a mother. I have conquered threats of guilt far greater than any random stranger over the phone could do. You have no powers over me, little man.)

Then he hung up on me. Poor little Mike won't be scamming my family today.

So then I reported them to the FTC and went online and posted their info on sites about reporting scams. Apparently other people have had quite a few problems with them too.

Labels: Things that Annoy Me