Oh crap. I just got a call from Rachel at Cardholder Services.

[lpbk2713]

I thought my phone was going to get a break with the election over.
She didn't waste any time.

[Totally Tunsie]

1. Rachel is a busy little beaver, isnt she?

She calls everyone!

[Wellstone ruled]

2. And she calls from so many different Phone numbers.

[Stuart G]

3. Did she say something about you are going to loose your opportunity to get a

very low interest rate on your credit card? She likes me, calls every two or three days. I am not good at charging stuff. I either pay, or don't buy. Now, I got an old TV, an old Computer, a used printer, and an somewhat old car. I guess that is because ..I am not very young...some might say I am getting ..old..

I had to get up to answer a call...It was from an opposing "electric company" offering a special deal on my electric rates. Most of the time, I do get up to answer these idiotic calls for only one reason: It gives me a chance to get up from the computer..as opposed to sitting forever...like I want to

I had the phone next to the computer...but I never got up....Now I got to get up because someone important might be calling, or perhaps I won one million through some contest I never entered...or Rachael the credit card lady..

[Brother Buzz]

4. Wait a minute, Rachel just called me trying to sell me a 'free' back brace...or something

Damn, that girl can multitask!

[Stuart G]

5. ........YES INDEED...!!!! A VERY BUSY LADY .....

[rgbecker]

6. Gotta relate this story:

We also get almost daily calls from Rachel at Cardholder Services. Now, before she finishes her introduction, we hang up. Our daughter-in-law is named Rachel and is from Tennessee and she sounds almost exactly like the robo caller. So once recently our Tennessee Rachel called, announced that this was Rachel calling, and then she stopped. My wife couldn't figure out why the tape stopped and was about to hang up when suddenly she realized it was our Rachel calling. "Rachel? Really? You're not calling to check our credit?"

[lpbk2713]

7. Poor Rachel.

I wouldn't be surprised if the dear girl gets a lot of that.

[TlalocW]

8. Here's how I stop them

My phone's number-reject list is already full so I get them to put me on theirs. Just asking won't do it of course so instead, I talk to them and give them a credit card number (I have a fake credit card that was part of an advertisement in my wallet that I use to help keep my story straight) so they can "help lower my interest rate." They will come back and tell me the number didn't work. I have them read it back. Oh, I feel so silly. I swapped the last two numbers. Sorry about that. I'm put on hold again while they check. The credit card still didn't work. What? What did I give you for the expiration date and special code? 740 for the special code? I'm sorry. That's supposed to be an 8. It's really worn down and looked like a 0.

Just waste their time as much as you can. Pretend to be very old and take your time getting your wallet or purse, which was given to you by your grandson. He's a good boy. Maybe you should call him afterwards to help him with his credit card. He's such a good boy.

I've done both keeping them on the line until they figure out I'm messing with them (record is about 19 minutes), and after 3 or 4 tries, I'll say something like, "I just can't figure out what the problem could be... so I must be deliberately wasting your time because I know you're a scam artist."

This gets them to put you on their do-not-call list. Plus you've kept them from scamming anyone else, and you've pissed them off.

Unfortunately, it takes time. I have experimented with a quicker method - that unfortunately involves being extremely racist - and the same number keeps calling me back

TlalocW