I'm on a Mission...

I must have a lot of free time on my hands. I decided recently that I am going to prey on the telemarketers who deign to try to get me to lower my interest rate with them. I have been on the "Do Not Call" list for some time, and I re-registered once the list went permanent. I registered my home phone, my cell phone and Matt's cell phone. Our cell phones have not been called since our registration, but our home phone rings at least three times a week with calls to "upgrade our warranty" or "lower our interest rate" or "provide some financial stability by donating hundreds of dollars to needy children in Bel Air." Okay, so I made up the last one, but you get what I am trying to say.

When I get a call that could be a telemarketer and I have time, I like to play along. "Why yes, I have an older car, a 1998 Toyota Corolla. And yes, my warranty has expired. You could give me a new warranty for that car for the low, low price of more than the car is worth? Wow, that is so generous of you!" I keep them on the phone long enough to get the person's name and the offending company that would be offering me such a bogus deal. Then, I proceed to tell the helpless sales technician that I am on the Do Not Call list and that they are busted. But first, I tell them to take my name off their call list, and I do not have a 1998 Toyota Corolla. Then, I hang up, if they haven't already!

Here's the kicker. After the fun has ensued, and I am smiling from ear to ear, I get on the http://www.donotcall.gov and I lodge a complaint with all the information that I procured during the phone call. I try to do it right away, so that I don't lose any of the humorous information that I can pass on to the person reading the emails. Try it some time. You might find yourself addicted...