Re: anyone there?

["J. Sullivan" <jsullivan@moscow.com>]

The reason these calls come in is because they are on an autodailer system.
The calls can be coming from a telemarketer, a collection agency, a credit
card company you do business with who wants to sell you on some new and
exciting (cough cough *L*) feature, or any other company you may do business
with.

How it works is like this; The company has a script that the operator uses, the company has an average time they figure each call should take. Let's say the person prior to you talks longer than the average, say 3 minutes longer... the call to you will automatically dial, then just hang in space with no one there. It will sometimes dial the person after you as well. A few companies will have a recording advising you to stay on the line and wait for them! The nerve!!!

So even if you do get on the Idaho State list, the chances are a company that you are in good standing with may very well have an autodailing system to try and sell you on a service they think you just can't live without.

Hope this sheds some light on this for everyone..

Janesta Sullivan

Bill Belknap wrote:

Susan, You are not the only one experiencing this.  Our home has recieved repeated mysterious calls with nobody on the line.  It appears to me that we often then recieve a telemarketer's call within the hour.  I have assumed that these dead calls must be an automated system searching for numbers with people at home?  If anyone else knows the reason I'd be interested also.  I will be signing up on the state no-call list this week as I have tired of what seems to be 2-3 telemarketer calls a night!Bill Belknap 

-----Original Message-----
From: Susan [mailto:susanp@moscow.com]
Sent: Saturday, November 17, 2001 5:19 PM
To: vision2020@moscow.com
Subject: anyone there?
 

Visionaries, For the last 1-2 weeks, our phone has rung anywhere from 1 to 3 different times almost daily with nobody (seemingly) at the other end. We are on the no-call list with the State of Idaho, so we no longer receive telephone solitications. These mysterious calls are different--not the brief pause before a telemarketer is connected, rather nobody responds to the hello even if we stay on the line and wait. The reason I post this is that my parents have reported to us that they are experiencing the same thing, as is another couple we know. I am wondering if this recent phenomenon is fairly widespread, or is just isolated to us. I am curious if any of you are also experiencing this. Does anyone have an explanation for it? Many thanks ... and enjoy Thanksgiving. Susan Palmer