Have YOU ever come back from vacation to FIND.....

[Catchawave]

...your answering machine is FULL of CRAP messages? Guess we should have turned the damned thing off, we will in the future. In this case, it was an automated message x13 that went on forever simply asking us to call a number...1-866-608-0400..no other info other than business hours for each of the seven days of the week....geesh....and we're on the DoNotCall registery...so...

....So I called to bitch-alot, only to get a voice mail recording to a COLLECTION AGENCY ! Finally was connected to an LIVE "rep" who couldn't help me until I gave my last name and home phone number. Then asked me if I knew a (enter fake(?) deadbeat name here)..."No" I said, then a "Thank You for Calling".

Just wondering if I could have just been scammed? What's haunting me is that before the Living/Breathing "rep" picked up, I listened to one of those "this call may be monitored" recordings. Do they (the DoNotCall Gov Cheaters) now have my number to USE and ABUSE *because* I now established a personal relationship with these creeps.

Just wondering, I smell a scam, hope this is helpful and *Alertful* to fellow DUers
too. :hi:

[skygazer]

1. I absolutely refuse to call a number

when they have not identified who they are. I get those "please call 1-866- such and such messages on my machine now and then (I don't owe anyone anything) and I flat out refuse to answer or call back. If they can't say who the hell they are, they can kiss my ass.

[Catchawave]

2. Oh, I agree......

..but, I couldn't stop this until I called the number back? After we got home, the auto-message called us AGAIN....and no human was on the other end :shrug:

What else could I do?

[skygazer]

5. Well, what I do is ignore it

I don't answer my phone and everyone who calls me knows it. If they want me, they call and talk to the machine and when I hear that it's a friend, I pick up. As for computerized calls, they can call me till doomsday for all I care - I will never call them back and I'll never pick up. And if I do happen to pick up, I simply hang up as soon as I hear who it is. Problem solved.

[Catchawave]

7. My fear of computerized calls....

...they keep redialing until you pick up ? I read that somewhere...? What happened to moi, I got caught up in Redial Hell :(

[skygazer]

10. I've never heard that

And I've never had it happen. Maybe I've just been lucky, I don't know. I get the stupid computerized calls regularly but I've never had them redial. :shrug:

[Catchawave]

13. This stuff...oy....

..so much gray area:

http://www.dmaconsumers.org/telephoneconsumerprotectionact.html

[Crazy Dave]

3. I don't use an answering machine anymore.

I'll check the caller ID and see who I want to call back. A co-worker of mine not too long ago had his answering machine "hacked" somehow by someone overseas where it would authorize reverse charges or authorize long distance calls and charge them to that number. About $500 I think it was.

[Catchawave]

6. sh*t...this is what I'm afraid of.....

Our caller i.d. was full of familiar names, though doubt they got through, and thankfully, nothing from loved ones.

I will turn the damn machine off when I leave the state/country from now on. And, I agree, if I could have only one, I'll take caller i.d. over the machine. Which may be handy during "automated" election seasons of the future!

[SoCalDem]

4. My answering machine has a cool feature

I can set a password number and only people weho have it can leave a message.. The message says."To leave a message, please punch in your 4 digit access code"..:evilgrin:

[Catchawave]

8. That is *kewl*.....

I will definitely look into it....You must be very popular :hi:

[SoCalDem]

9. My cats "discovered" that feature.

the answering machine is on their pathway to my greenhouse window, and one of them stepped on a button.. Soon after, people said.."Hey I can't leave you a message without a password number".. So I left it ON :)

I HATE phones :)

[Catchawave]

11. I hate phones too.....

..especially after having one attached to my ear for 10 years at a veterinary clinic! Can you imagine that *glee*...lol.

Seriously though, and I did "collection" calling from that number too, and NEVER would I leave a *blind message*

As for my OP, I really want to report that *callusback* phone number, not comfortable for the info I left them. D'oh me :(

[Catchawave]

12. Well, is there a number I can call....

...to report this number? Thinking there may be a scam? Or should I take this angst to GD? :hi: