New And Improved Rant Thread, now with 50% more profanity! - Page 157

ceptimus · #**3901** 12-10-2014, 03:35 PM

I'm sick of people cold calling me and then asking me to prove who I am by giving characters from my passwords.

Latest offenders are Virgin Media (phone, cable TV, and internet service provider) they phone me on my mobile and then ask me to prove who I am. When I tell them that they should be proving to ME who they say they are, since they initiated the call they get all defensive.

The latest guy told me he could see my whole password on his screen, so I told him he could tell me any two characters to prove that and then I'd tell him a different two characters to prove that I know the password too.

But he refused to do that and ended the call. That's fine for me, but it's the third such call over the last couple of days and I expect the persistent bastards will keep calling me again until I either give up and tell them my password or I get so annoyed that I decide to close the fucking account.

Sock Puppet · #**3902** 12-10-2014, 04:32 PM

Are you sure it's really Virgin Media calling? 'Cause that just seems utterly bizarre to me, unless it's a scammer trying to crack your password. I have never heard of any other company using that method to verify an account. Over here they often use the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number, which is problematic as well, but not nearly as mind-numbingly stupid as revealing pieces of your actual password.

ceptimus · #**3903** 12-10-2014, 05:30 PM

Well it's because I thought it might be a scam that I wouldn't tell them - but whoever is calling knows my mobile number and name at least and they know (or guessed) that I have a Virgin Media account. I don't know that the password would be much use to them - it's one I don't use elsewhere and it's different from the on-line one I use to log into my Virgin media account.

But I refuse to hand over any password information to anyone that calls me. If it's really important for them to talk to me, I expect them to ask me to call back, using a number from a bill or credit card or whatever is appropriate - that is, not some number that they read out to me over the phone.

If it really is Virgin media then they have a policy that sucks. I wish people would join me in my refusal to cooperate with these callers - whether they are scammers or genuine. If everyone was as uncooperative as I am when they receive such a call then these calls would quickly die out. :wish:

lisarea · #**3904** 12-10-2014, 07:01 PM

It does look exactly like a scam, but it sounds like they're basically admitting that they're real in this forum thread.

And this thread too. Someone in that one has instructions where you can supposedly opt out of marketing calls.

It's shitty either way. It's almost worse if real businesses are calling their customers and acclimating them to being grilled by anonymous telemarketers.

JoeP · #**3905** 12-11-2014, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ceptimus

I wish people would join me in my refusal to cooperate with these callers - whether they are scammers or genuine. If everyone was as uncooperative as I am when they receive such a call then these calls would quickly die out. :wish:

Already under way:

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeP

Quote:

Originally Posted by lisarea

I just did that thing again where I get a call from someone I don't recognize and ask them if they're a robot.

My approach is will one day be to launch into a security procedure for any call I don't recognise.

"I just have to go through a few questions to authenticate you, it's just part of our standard security controls."
but sir we called you
"First could you identify your full name and the full name of the company you represent?"
...
"Please confirm the account number I have with you."
...
"Please hold, I'm just accessing my records."
"Sorry, your systems are rather slow."
...
"Please state the 3rd and 7th digits of the square of my account balance."
...

LadyShea · #**3906** 12-12-2014, 01:48 AM

At work, we get 6-10 calls every day from companies offering business capital. WTF? Cold calls for that? And, they are total dicks when we ask them to remove us from their list.

Dingfod · #**3907** 12-12-2014, 03:52 AM

No, I don't want to donate to the Oklahoma Highway Patrolman's Association, not even a paltry $25 per month minimum pledge amount. And how did you get my cellphone number? My fraud alert radar went off.

Swears: telemarketers, coppers

Ymir's blood · #**3908** 12-12-2014, 02:17 PM

poopie

JoeP · #**3909** 12-12-2014, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ymir's blood

poopie

Swears for this post: polo shirt

BrotherMan · #**3910** 12-17-2014, 11:30 AM

MY ROOMMATE. :whygod:

HE HATES PUPPIES AND SANTA CLAUS.

We were in Chipotle the other day. Sitting by the front were some student people. They asked if we|I wanted to send some proceeds from our purchase to the SPCA via Paws for the Cause. I, being totes in love with pibbles which mostly live at the pound, took the flier and was completely happy. MY ROOMMATE :whygod:

DID NOT. EVEN AFTER SHOWING HIM THE CUTE AND ADORABLE PIBBLES I HAVE ON MY PHONE. INCLUDING AND NOT LIMITED TO MY SUPER AMAZING ADORABLE DOG-NIECES.

And then last night he made me miss my favorite thing that happens this time of year. The local volunteer fire department gets someone to dress up as Santa and then they drive around on the big engine, lights and horn(s) and the business and let all the people wave and get excited about Santa and fire trucks and stuff. TWO YEARS IN A ROW NOW MY ROOMMATE :whygod:

HAS MADE ME MISS THIS TINY BIT OF JOY THAT I ENJOY THIS TIME OF YEAR.

:sadcheersanta:

Ymir's blood · #**3911** 12-17-2014, 01:24 PM

"Anyone who hates dogs and [Santa Claus] can't be all bad."

LadyShea · #**3912** 12-18-2014, 01:43 AM

How did your roommate make you miss the fire truck?

BrotherMan · #**3913** 12-18-2014, 04:58 AM

By some

coincidence :airquote:

he wanted to go get something to eat. I didn't notice it was the Santa tour until we were driving out of the neighborhood.

S.Vashti · #**3914** 12-20-2014, 06:06 PM

My black cat augments her purr with her primary voice box, making her purr loud enough to aggravate everyone in the house, and giving her a pulsing purr similar to a jet engine revving.

It's off-putting. Especially at 5 am.

Dingfod · #**3915** 01-03-2015, 10:02 PM

As if Windows 8 even existing as a product wasn't bad enough, now my employer's intraweb "dashboard' page and my electricity provider's webpage have the colorful blocky stupid look of Windows 8. Windows 8 is such an embarrassment even to its maker, that they skipped 9 and are going right to 10 for the next one. They don't even want 8 being next to their new product, it might get some of the same smell on it.

Swears: microsoft, "upgrade"

Gonzo · #**3916** 01-04-2015, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sock Puppet

Are you sure it's really Virgin Media calling? 'Cause that just seems utterly bizarre to me, unless it's a scammer trying to crack your password. I have never heard of any other company using that method to verify an account. Over here they often use the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number, which is problematic as well, but not nearly as mind-numbingly stupid as revealing pieces of your actual password.

Yeah, if they are actually doing that, screw their company. They should know that posing a question like that is going to make the respondent uncomfortable; and if it doesn't, it should. They should at least be able to provide a response to your refusal explaining why they do it that way. There are plenty of other ways to identify yourself securely over the phone.

LadyShea · #**3917** 01-04-2015, 02:43 AM

I look like a corpse under fluorescent light! That's why I hate mirrors in public restrooms. Don't tell me I "look tired" when you mean "you look like a zombie "

Sock Puppet · #**3918** 03-10-2015, 08:53 PM

I guess this is some sort of anxiety issue I have, because it bugs me waaaay more than I think it should. But goddammit, it's fucking annoying, rude, and STUPID to step just far enough out of line that I can't figure out whether you still intend to be in it or not. I can't even ask "are you still in line" without sounding like an asshole. I might as well just say, "Move it or lose it, shithead." If I can't tell, what about the poor schlub behind the counter who's trying to keep track of the orders? Fuck you, when I rule the world it's gonna be, meander all over the fucking place and lose your goddamned place in fucking line, BY FEDERAL LAW. :gestapo:

lisarea · #**3919** 04-22-2015, 10:47 PM

So I'm on the phone, attempting to communicate information, and am interrupted by multiple call waiting alerts from these shit-suckers.

Watser? · #**3920** 04-22-2015, 11:40 PM

I was opening this thread thinking there'd better be some of those profanities they promised and ready to get pissed off, but you came through with that last word, sir. :golfclap:

Ensign Steve · #**3921** 04-28-2015, 01:40 AM

Listen up, phone-text-typing-nanny! If you are going to be a giant prude and never ever correctly autocomplete the extremely versatile word I use at least three times per sentence (seriously, I will never ever ever mean "ducking" or especially not "fuckibg") then for christ sake why would you keep changing "dog-sitting" to "do g-string". I'm just trying to get a babysitter for my goddamn chihuahuas, I'm not hunting for bargains at Strippers' Discount Warehouse. Fuck you.