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Calling a real estate robocaller back

philly.com

31–40 of 127 posts

Re: Calling a real estate robocaller back

#31
post #27

I want a phone service that automatically charges the caller a small amount ($1-$2). I can waive the charger for known numbers. Each time an unknown caller calls, I get an SMS right after the call to waive the charge for this and all subsequent calls or to proceed with the charge.

And how would you expect to collect on any of that?

I think it's easy, right? Forward your number to a voice that says, "to call me, please type your credit card number on the keypad. a charge of $2 will apply." If they pay, you connect the call. If they don't pay, the call disconnects. Easy.

Nobody will call you, of course, including spammers.

Re: Calling a real estate robocaller back

#33
What many of these real estate investors do is have a phone number on their bandit signs or use in their robodialer voice mails that forwards to the answering service. That phone number might be provided by services like callfire or callrail where you can generate lists of numbers. Some services let you script all actions.

Callfire allows for things like enabling recording on the call forward (potentially illegal) when someone calls it. Then investor themselves or pays a virtual assistant like $3hr to sift through all those calls for any potential leads. You can hear the entire call to patlive if you wanted to. Or they just trust patlive to forward messages as they’re the answering service.

So long as your answering service or where you’re generating your numbers doesn’t blow your cover then you can keep this game up for a long time. That’s what these answering services are trained to do is protect their clients identities. But I doubt that holds up when the FTC comes knocking.

Re: Calling a real estate robocaller back

#34
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And how would you expect to collect on any of that?

I think it's easy, right? Forward your number to a voice that says, "to call me, please type your credit card number on the keypad. a charge of $2 will apply." If they pay, you connect the call. If they don't pay, the call disconnects. Easy. Nobody will call you, of course, including spammers.

Why not just not have a phone line, instead of inexplicably paying for a service to not have a service?

Re: Calling a real estate robocaller back

#35
post #4

There's an idea for a dystopian comedy skit somewhere in this: > Will’s so busy leaving messages all over town that he never answers the phone when you call him back...Sometimes calls were forwarded to a host of people who went by “Pat.” They said they worked for PATLive, an answering service firm that takes calls for businesses when they’re busy or closed. Pats were taking messages for “Steven’s Office” in Alexandri…

"What, your name's not Pat?"

"No, it's Michael."

"That's going to cause a little confusion."

Re: Calling a real estate robocaller back

#36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's easy, right? Forward your number to a voice that says, "to call me, please type your credit card number on the keypad. a charge of $2 will apply." If they pay, you connect the call. If they don't pay, the call disconnects. Easy. Nobody will call you, of course, including spammers.

Why not just not have a phone line, instead of inexplicably paying for a service to not have a service?

I think the point is to send a message.

Re: Calling a real estate robocaller back

#37
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And how would you expect to collect on any of that?

I think it's easy, right? Forward your number to a voice that says, "to call me, please type your credit card number on the keypad. a charge of $2 will apply." If they pay, you connect the call. If they don't pay, the call disconnects. Easy. Nobody will call you, of course, including spammers.

How about "Please press 7 to prove you're not a robot."

Re: Calling a real estate robocaller back

#38
post #13
post #9

Why are Robocalls so common in the US, but not in other countries?

Here in the UK they died out about 20 years ago when our Data Protection Act came in to force and stated companies could only call people who had given them prior permission. Calls still happen (either illegally from UK companies or from overseas companies to whom the UK law doesn't apply) but they're much less common.

Naw, they never died out at all. We used to get bombarded with international calls prior to blocking international calls. Now, they just spoof them from an adjacent city - we've had them purportedly from Liverpool and Bristol. Bizarre, but still happening.

Re: Calling a real estate robocaller back

#39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why not just not have a phone line, instead of inexplicably paying for a service to not have a service?

I think the point is to send a message.

And that message is "Don't call me."

Re: Calling a real estate robocaller back

#40
post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's easy, right? Forward your number to a voice that says, "to call me, please type your credit card number on the keypad. a charge of $2 will apply." If they pay, you connect the call. If they don't pay, the call disconnects. Easy. Nobody will call you, of course, including spammers.

How about "Please press 7 to prove you're not a robot."

or:

"Please enter the result of 7 modulo 5 to prove you are somebody I want to talk to."

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