Why do they want my model number?

[Roberts]

Just wondering: Over the years we have received probably 100+ phone calls from people saying they are in the tech office, mail room, they are the tech person for the company.... whatever it is and all they want it to make sure they have the correct information and need the model number on our copier. Why do they want this information? I always hang up on them but just wonder over the years, why this is so important to them that THIS is why they are calling.

Thanks. Oh and in our 5 person office, I'm still trying to figure out which one is our tech division. I may need to downsize their division if they don't show up soon.

[djack1040]

Copier Supplies

My experience has been that the calls are from "boiler room" telemarketers selling ink cartridges and other supplies.

In some companies, purchasing controls are so lax that it seems like "someone must have ordered it" since it is for our copier.

Typically, the merchandise is non-standard of poor quality.

[jainen]

Suppose you were

Suppose you were a salesperson for, oh, let's say an office supplies vendor. Or office machines, janitorial service, whatever. What innocent question could you ask that would engage your mark, I mean customer? Once you've got them kneeling down to open the copier door and twist around to read the label, maybe they'll forget to hang up in your face!

[Roberts]

Yeah, we were told by a client years ago that if you give them the model number, you'll get a huge shipment of cartridges but that seemed a little odd. I could see maybe getting 2-3 per month with a bill attached. Often times just easier to pay than ship them back and try and get credit.

I knew they were from a boiler room operation. They are pretty slick in how they try and sound like they work for our company.

[RLymanC]

Boiler Rooms

The first thing I say is, I am on the "Federal Do Not Call List", may I have your name and the number your calling from.......click.......there gone.

[Roberts]

Companies can't be on the Do Not Call List.

[Black Bart]

RLymanC

The first thing I say is, I am on the "Federal Do Not Call List", may I have your name and the number your calling from.......click.......there gone.

I'm glad to hear that your response works. I am going to try it tomorrow. I was going to try it earlier, but somebody told us that the "Do Not Call List" had been changed and was now for individuals at personal residences only and not for business phones. That doesn't really sound right to me. Have you heard anything like that from anybody else?

We put our phone on the List as soon as it was available and it worked really well for us for about a year--our calls dropped from about seven or eight a day to maybe no more than one a day and sometimes none. Now, however, for the last several months they've been driving us crazy. We're averaging about seven or eight per day again. I thought maybe we'd been dropped of the list accidentally, so I called and put our number on it again, but it didn't have any effect at all. The telemarketers are becoming more brazen, so maybe they've found that enforcement is lax unless someone complains directly and gives the offender's name and number.

Anyway I'm trying your method tomorrow morning--no question but what I'll get plenty of chances to test it out. Thanks for the tip.

[RLymanC]

Dncl

Thanks Roberts,
Did not know that. I guess most everyone that call's does not know this either, cause they sure get of the line fast.

I listed both my residence and business number, what I'm wondering is how the lists knows it's a business line? There is no box to check if bussiness, you simply enter area code and number.

The register accepted both numbers.

[S T]

Seemed to have registered my business numbers

I also registered my numbers on the DNC list, they were all business numbers, it seemed to have worked, because the tele-marketer calls dropped drastically.

We then noticed an increase, when the phone company split our area into two different area codes. So it was like brand new numbers. We called, and we were advised it would take about 6 months and the phone numbers would be re-registered. Well true enough, the calls are dropping off again.

For those tele-marketers that choose not to abide by the rules, we simply will not take the call and instruct them to take us off of their list. Time is money for them, so they won't waste much time in calling back when they know they can't get through to a purchasing agent. They usually will ask for the owner or office manager a "dead giveaway"!

Sandy

[Jesse]

3rd time

someone has called about the model number of my copier. This time I said "could you hold please" with no intentions of picking it back up! We'll see how long he holds or if he calls back?

[RLymanC]

Bart

WELL!!!!!!!! Did those pestkie telemarketers scurry for cover?????