Where the heck are these people getting their information from???
By lilmissy2700
@lilmissy2700 (2)
Canada
September 30, 2008 2:40pm CST
We all hate telemarketers I am sure and this won't just be another random rant about them in general I promise you. A few months back I was sick of getting literally dozens of calls a day (telemarketers, "free" vacations, hang ups) so I changed my telephone number. At first the silence was wonderful. Then suddenly I began getting calls for my infant son. They are trying to give him vacations, sell him services, etc, etc the list just goes on. I have yet to get an individual on the phone who will tell me where they got my phone number from. Usually the people on the other end of the phone are quite rude, adamantly insisting that my son did indeed sign up for all this information all by himself. On top of having his first and last name and our new telephone number, they have my full home address, it seems they know everything but his date of birth. AOL seems to be the worst of them all, even after repeatedly asking to speak with supervisors and requesting my number be added to their do not call list they continue to call. During the most recent call I was very rudely given a lecture on monitoring my son's internet activities more closely and this was AFTER I informed them that he was unable to reach the computer from his crib.
So.. any thought at all on how/where these companies are getting their information?
2 responses
@tryxiness (4544)
• Philippines
6 Oct 08
I think these telemarketers do get your information from a database. Same thing goes here in my country, once your name is saved in the database of a credit card company, other credit card companies can access such and from there they will call you. Or, a friend of yours availed of their services and they had you as reference thus, you keep on receiving calls. 
@jonesy123 (3948)
• United States
30 Sep 08
Anybody and everybody will potentially sell out your information. If you signed up your son for a program, a haircut, insurance, savings account, they all potentially resell the information. When we first moved here I went to one of those chain hair salons to get a cut. They wanted my phone number and address, and stupid me provided it. Our number was unlisted and this was before the do-not-call list. A couple months later I suddenly got mail and calls with offers from local stores. They only could have gotten it from that hair salon.
Years ago I also applied for a Sears card. Used it once day of sign up to get the %off the purchase price... Anyhow, they misspelled my first name. When they kept calling me daily with offers for their card program and other programs I told them to cancel the card. They never did, but I don't use it anymore. Anyhow, again a couple months later, I got offers in the mail with that wrong name on there.
Same happened with Dishnetwork. We try and have both of our names on the bill. Apparently they couldn't do that and put my name down as my husband's middle name. Suddenly we get other mail with that name on there.
There is a multitude of ways your son's name got on a list. Once it's on there it will be resold multiple times. Since AOL doesn't comply with the removal request you should document the next call (time, name of person you spoke to, what was offered, and that you asked to have the name removed from the list after pointing out that your son is only x years old and that the information sold to them was wrong.) Then, if they call again, inform them that you have asked to be removed from their list. Then hang up and report them to the authorities. There has to be something like the FCC in Canada.
Since Canada doesn't have a do-not-call list, you might want to get an unlisted number. That should be an option there. Then it's harder for them to find you.
