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peanut
Sep 9, 2007


wow so convenience

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DrunkMidget
May 29, 2003
'Shag'd Wo'bram?" -Borra

Blue Footed Booby posted:

At this part the problem seems to be easy access to VoIP. All the calls I get have obviously spoofed info since there's no way I'd get this many calls from real phones with the same area code and first three digits as me.

I found a fun way to fight this. I answer these calls now, hit whatever number it is to speak to the scumbag on the other end, wait until they're on the line and then play Mary Had a Little Lamb on the keypad until they curse me out and hang up. The best part is they know I can't hear their screaming because all I hear is beep, bop, boop, bop, beep, beep, beep. If they're still on after the first go around you can go up a register and play it with an even more annoying tone.

"Hey! You can lower your credit card payment instantly! Press "1" to speak with a representative and start saving!"
1
:lolplant: : "Hello, this is Steve from.."
:toot: : 3,2,1,2,3,3,3,2,2,2,3,3,3,3,2,1,2,3,3,3,3,2,2,3,2,1
:byodood: : "Hello? Hey!"
:toot: : 6,5,4,5,6,6,6,5,5,5,6,6,6,6,5,4,5,6,6,6,6,5,5,6,5,4
:argh: "You mother fucker! I will gently caress your..."
:toot: : 9,8,7,8,9,9,9,8,8,8,9,9,9,9,8,7,8,9,9,9,9,8,8,9,8,7
*CLICK!*
:smuggo:

They quit calling about 2 weeks ago, it's been nice.

Edit: This might have had something to do with it too.

DrunkMidget fucked around with this message at 04:23 on Jun 23, 2017

Gobbeldygook
May 13, 2009
Hates Native American people and tries to justify their genocides.

Put this racist on ignore immediately!

peanut posted:

wow so convenience
Just remembered the name of it, they're selling "flye cards".

https://www.flye.com

goatsestretchgoals
Jun 4, 2011

Gobbeldygook posted:

Just remembered the name of it, they're selling "flye cards".

https://www.flye.com

Cool, now you can leave all your credit/debit cards in the ATM at once. Efficiency!

ToxicSlurpee
Nov 5, 2003

-=SEND HELP=-


Pillbug

Pilsner posted:

Why are you so angry about cable/sat TV and hope that the market crashes, when it's a completely voluntary service? Just don't subscribe to it if you don't like it. Calling it a "major scam" is flat out incorrect.

It's something people have been complaining about for decades; you have to pay monthly to get 300 channels when you only want like 2 of them. If you want special things (sports, HBO, premium movie channels, etc.) you probably end up buying a package. Chances are you just plain can't subscribe to only one channel even though that's all you want. Chances are you also only want to watch a few specific things on that channel. This is why people have been switching to DVDs or NetFlix; why bother with a cable subscription when it's cheaper to just buy that poo poo on DVD or on the interblag when it comes out instead?

Sports is probably the nastiest for that but that was touched on; if you only want to watch one team in one sport you end up paying for a bunch of poo poo you will never, ever watch on top of 300 other channels you will never, ever watch. It's a major scam because it's ultimately a huge monopoly. There are agreements that only one channel will be allowed to show some flavor of sporty thing so you just have to eat poo poo if that's what the cable company decides to make you do. Good loving luck getting only the channel that has what you want to watch; they're going to force you to pay for basic cable to get it in the first place then probably package it with a bunch of other crap you don't need just to watch your favorite team throw a ball around. It's bullshit.

Then again so is sports these days; the prices of tickets are bug gently caress crazy and the people that own the leagues and teams are doing whatever they can to squeeze every last dime out of it.

peanut
Sep 9, 2007


DrunkMidget posted:

I found a fun way to fight this. I answer these calls now, hit whatever number it is to speak to the scumbag on the other end, wait until they're on the line and then play Mary Had a Little Lamb on the keypad until they curse me out and hang up. The best part is they know I can't hear their screaming because all I hear is beep, bop, boop, bop, beep, beep, beep. If they're still on after the first go around you can go up a register and play it with an even more annoying tone.

"Hey! You can lower your credit card payment instantly! Press "1" to speak with a representative and start saving!"
1
:lolplant: : "Hello, this is Steve from.."
:toot: : 3,2,1,2,3,3,3,2,2,2,3,3,3,3,2,1,2,3,3,3,3,2,2,3,2,1
:byodood: : "Hello? Hey!"
:toot: : 6,5,4,5,6,6,6,5,5,5,6,6,6,6,5,4,5,6,6,6,6,5,5,6,5,4
:argh: "You mother fucker! I will gently caress your..."
:toot: : 9,8,7,8,9,9,9,8,8,8,9,9,9,9,8,7,8,9,9,9,9,8,8,9,8,7
*CLICK!*
:smuggo:

They quit calling about 2 weeks ago, it's been nice.

Edit: This might have had something to do with it too.


hell yeah thx for excellent idea, goon friend

PT6A
Jan 5, 2006

Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

ToxicSlurpee posted:

It's something people have been complaining about for decades; you have to pay monthly to get 300 channels when you only want like 2 of them. If you want special things (sports, HBO, premium movie channels, etc.) you probably end up buying a package. Chances are you just plain can't subscribe to only one channel even though that's all you want. Chances are you also only want to watch a few specific things on that channel. This is why people have been switching to DVDs or NetFlix; why bother with a cable subscription when it's cheaper to just buy that poo poo on DVD or on the interblag when it comes out instead?

Sports is probably the nastiest for that but that was touched on; if you only want to watch one team in one sport you end up paying for a bunch of poo poo you will never, ever watch on top of 300 other channels you will never, ever watch. It's a major scam because it's ultimately a huge monopoly. There are agreements that only one channel will be allowed to show some flavor of sporty thing so you just have to eat poo poo if that's what the cable company decides to make you do. Good loving luck getting only the channel that has what you want to watch; they're going to force you to pay for basic cable to get it in the first place then probably package it with a bunch of other crap you don't need just to watch your favorite team throw a ball around. It's bullshit.

Then again so is sports these days; the prices of tickets are bug gently caress crazy and the people that own the leagues and teams are doing whatever they can to squeeze every last dime out of it.

What they've done here is make sports channels available individually, as they're now required to do, but they're so expensive that you might as well just pay another $2/month and get the full package with some other poo poo.

I have a bigger issue with the fact that I need to buy two separate packages to get CBC Newsworld and BBC World at the same time from my current provider, yet somehow I have Fox News for free. gently caress that poo poo.

Corsair Pool Boy
Dec 17, 2004
College Slice

PT6A posted:

What they've done here is make sports channels available individually, as they're now required to do, but they're so expensive that you might as well just pay another $2/month and get the full package with some other poo poo.

I have a bigger issue with the fact that I need to buy two separate packages to get CBC Newsworld and BBC World at the same time from my current provider, yet somehow I have Fox News for free. gently caress that poo poo.

So they just substituted one problem for another? CABLE COMPANIES? You must be kidding.

Teriyaki Hairpiece
Dec 29, 2006

I'm nae the voice o' the darkened thistle, but th' darkened thistle cannae bear the sight o' our Bonnie Prince Bernie nae mair.
The lesson from the last 15 years is that people are willing and genuinely want to pay for their content, but they aren't willing to jump through a million hoops or pay more than they think the service is worth. This lesson has been entirely lost on content providers.

cakesmith handyman
Jul 22, 2007

Pip-Pip old chap! Last one in is a rotten egg what what.

To the cable company you are the product they sell to the advertisers i.e. Advert views hence they shovel as much garbage to you as possible so hey look! There are a million subscribers to your pyramid scheme channel, this is how much your adverts cost now.

Blue Footed Booby
Oct 4, 2006

got those happy feet

Lutha Mahtin posted:

nobody lives in your mythical lolbertopia where there is a perfect free market. it doesn't exist

What? He's saying it's not a scam, and he is factually correct. It may be a lovely value but that's a completely different thing.

Edit: oh hay there was another page. Look how dumb I am

EL BROMANCE
Jun 10, 2006

COWABUNGA DUDES!
🥷🐢😬



PT6A posted:

I have a bigger issue with the fact that I need to buy two separate packages to get CBC Newsworld and BBC World at the same time from my current provider, yet somehow I have Fox News for free. gently caress that poo poo.

Xfinity, I'm gonna guess? It's quite annoying some of the channels that you don't get on the standard package that you'd think would be included.

Other than that, eh I don't really hate the service I get from them except for whenever I have to deal with them directly (their system is currently let me book engineer appointments that then never get acknowledged, luckily I was able to complete a move myself so as long as they don't charge me the $60 now I'm happy). For about $100 I get enough TV channels to cover what I want to watch live, including all my local hockey games which is invaluable, a DVR service that works nicely most of the time and can bounce things to my phone at pretty silly speeds, and a solid connection that moves faster than it's rated at. I have media boxes and add subscriptions to things as needed, but I can't be bothered to mess around beyond that.

Pilsner
Nov 23, 2002

ToxicSlurpee posted:

It's something people have been complaining about for decades; you have to pay monthly to get 300 channels when you only want like 2 of them. If you want special things (sports, HBO, premium movie channels, etc.) you probably end up buying a package. Chances are you just plain can't subscribe to only one channel even though that's all you want. Chances are you also only want to watch a few specific things on that channel. This is why people have been switching to DVDs or NetFlix; why bother with a cable subscription when it's cheaper to just buy that poo poo on DVD or on the interblag when it comes out instead?

Sports is probably the nastiest for that but that was touched on; if you only want to watch one team in one sport you end up paying for a bunch of poo poo you will never, ever watch on top of 300 other channels you will never, ever watch. It's a major scam because it's ultimately a huge monopoly. There are agreements that only one channel will be allowed to show some flavor of sporty thing so you just have to eat poo poo if that's what the cable company decides to make you do. Good loving luck getting only the channel that has what you want to watch; they're going to force you to pay for basic cable to get it in the first place then probably package it with a bunch of other crap you don't need just to watch your favorite team throw a ball around. It's bullshit.

Then again so is sports these days; the prices of tickets are bug gently caress crazy and the people that own the leagues and teams are doing whatever they can to squeeze every last dime out of it.
I'm just contesting that you call it a "scam". It's completely transparent what you get, you pay the price advertised, and cable TV / sports is an absolutely non-essential thing in life; it's not like they're forcing you to pay for cable if you also want water and electricity in your home.

You're describing precisely why it's not a scam; people like you are saying gently caress it, it's too expensive, and switching to streaming, Netflix or whatever, because you don't want to pay for it. Are you also calling Mercedes a scam because their cars are more expensive than what you want to pay for a car?

Basically, stop whining and stop paying. The more people do the same, the more open the market will/might get.

Cyrano4747
Sep 25, 2006

Yes, I know I'm old, get off my fucking lawn so I can yell at these clouds.

Pilsner posted:

I'm just contesting that you call it a "scam". It's completely transparent what you get, you pay the price advertised,

I'm not so sure about this one. They loving LOOOOVE to load you up on introductory offers that end after a specific period of time and then jack the rates up massively. They also seem to call a lot during the day with those idiotic trial promotions and I have to assume they're targeting the elderly with those. My wife's two elderly grandmothers (95 and 91) both essentially got conned into signing up for a whole bevvy of poo poo they didn't need because they thought they were saving money. During the summers I work from home and every single loving call I get about upgrading my $40 internet only to $120+ (for 12 months, after which it goes up) cable, internet, phone, and cell service happens between noon and 2pm. I can not imagine young working professionals are the target group for those calls.

The way that they advertise their rates is deceptive at best.

Tunicate
May 15, 2012

Yeah at least my cable company will just raise rates without twlling you, 'forget' about agreed on prices, not deliver their claimed speeds, and advertise prices that don't include arbitrary amounts of fees.

And pays off the local government to shut down municipal internet projects, to ensure their monopoly status.

Blue Footed Booby
Oct 4, 2006

got those happy feet

Cyrano4747 posted:

I'm not so sure about this one. They loving LOOOOVE to load you up on introductory offers that end after a specific period of time and then jack the rates up massively. They also seem to call a lot during the day with those idiotic trial promotions and I have to assume they're targeting the elderly with those. My wife's two elderly grandmothers (95 and 91) both essentially got conned into signing up for a whole bevvy of poo poo they didn't need because they thought they were saving money. During the summers I work from home and every single loving call I get about upgrading my $40 internet only to $120+ (for 12 months, after which it goes up) cable, internet, phone, and cell service happens between noon and 2pm. I can not imagine young working professionals are the target group for those calls.

The way that they advertise their rates is deceptive at best.

Ok, yeah, this part's scammy as hell. I'd gotten so used to turning down special offers I'd stopped noticing them.

stringball
Mar 17, 2009

Pilsner posted:

I'm just contesting that you call it a "scam". It's completely transparent what you get, you pay the price advertised

Assuming you still live in denmark there's no way this applies in america and I would hope denmark/EU enforces this and doesn't let companies like comcast to exist

I got charged for speed boost or some poo poo and the rep didn't even know why it was put on my bill

Xenoborg
Mar 10, 2007

Gotten 4 calls today from a robot that left a voicemail saying there was "an arrest warrant issues against your name and identity". I guess if I called back they would probably try and "settle" the issue with apple gift cards or western union.

Spazzle
Jul 5, 2003

Xenoborg posted:

Gotten 4 calls today from a robot that left a voicemail saying there was "an arrest warrant issues against your name and identity". I guess if I called back they would probably try and "settle" the issue with apple gift cards or western union.

Maybe the internet police are giving you a fine for your bad posting?

Zamboni Apocalypse
Dec 29, 2009

Xenoborg posted:

Gotten 4 calls today from a robot that left a voicemail saying there was "an arrest warrant issues against your name and identity". I guess if I called back they would probably try and "settle" the issue with apple gift cards or western union.

"As a self-owning non-citizen of your Federal Corporation, i (and I) am not subject to the Admiralty Law you espouse, and can not/will not create joinder. Thus your "warrant" against my Sovereign name and Free identity is refuted by all true rights, and will not be espoused."

:boom:

(Finally, a use for all that stream-of-insanity SovCit/Freeman horse poo poo.)

MightyJoe36
Dec 29, 2013

:minnie: Cat Army :minnie:

Xenoborg posted:

Gotten 4 calls today from a robot that left a voicemail saying there was "an arrest warrant issues against your name and identity". I guess if I called back they would probably try and "settle" the issue with apple gift cards or western union.

Mine was a call from the IRS saying I was going to be prosecuted for owing a fine and back taxes. I called the number, told them I was Special Agent Smith from the FBI and asked what the problem was. It sounded like a call center in India, and they hung up rather quickly.

ToxicSlurpee
Nov 5, 2003

-=SEND HELP=-


Pillbug
My personal favorite robocalls are at it again; they keep calling me to tell me that there is "no problem with my credit card." They'll claim they're from the credit card company but never, ever say which one. Then it's "however, we can..." and a suggestion that I press one and/or call them back.

I don't even have a credit card. I've never had one. Of course there isn't a problem with my credit card; it doesn't even exist!

goatsestretchgoals
Jun 4, 2011

ToxicSlurpee posted:

My personal favorite robocalls are at it again; they keep calling me to tell me that there is "no problem with my credit card." They'll claim they're from the credit card company but never, ever say which one. Then it's "however, we can..." and a suggestion that I press one and/or call them back.

I don't even have a credit card. I've never had one. Of course there isn't a problem with my credit card; it doesn't even exist!

Nice credit rating you got there, it'd be a shame if

The Lone Badger
Sep 24, 2007

goatsestretchgoals posted:

Nice credit rating you got there, it'd be a shame if

...we took one out in your name.

stringball
Mar 17, 2009

Next time I get a call i'm gonna use lifelock's ex-ceo's social security number (that he publicly gave out and 13 people used it for various things). In the event they try to run the number (or whoever they sold it to) what would show up or would the attempt be flagged?

He probably got a different SSN after his dumb claims that the identity protection was so good he gave it publicly, I wonder if they even bother to track it after they came out and said it was used successfully 13 times

http://www.businessinsider.com/lifelock-symantec-ceo-identity-theft-ftc-charges-2016-11

Michael Corleone
Mar 30, 2011

by VideoGames
My dad has Lifelock, guess he is getting scammed, not that I didn't already know that.

Corsair Pool Boy
Dec 17, 2004
College Slice

Michael Corleone posted:

My dad has Lifelock, guess he is getting scammed, not that I didn't already know that.

Eh, lifelock isnt a scam perse, but it is not the be-all end-all of ID protection they initially claimed. It will trigger on things, just not necessarily all of them or in a timely manner.

Corsair Pool Boy
Dec 17, 2004
College Slice

MightyJoe36 posted:

Mine was a call from the IRS saying I was going to be prosecuted for owing a fine and back taxes. I called the number, told them I was Special Agent Smith from the FBI and asked what the problem was. It sounded like a call center in India, and they hung up rather quickly.

This is beautiful.

Lutha Mahtin
Oct 10, 2010

Your brokebrain sin is absolved...go and shitpost no more!

it isn't always the best idea to claim you are a law enforcement officer though

EL BROMANCE
Jun 10, 2006

COWABUNGA DUDES!
🥷🐢😬



As the man's hat says, he's simply the Federal Booby Inspector.

Raldikuk
Apr 7, 2006

I'm bad with money and I want that meatball!

Cyrano4747 posted:

I'm not so sure about this one. They loving LOOOOVE to load you up on introductory offers that end after a specific period of time and then jack the rates up massively. They also seem to call a lot during the day with those idiotic trial promotions and I have to assume they're targeting the elderly with those. My wife's two elderly grandmothers (95 and 91) both essentially got conned into signing up for a whole bevvy of poo poo they didn't need because they thought they were saving money. During the summers I work from home and every single loving call I get about upgrading my $40 internet only to $120+ (for 12 months, after which it goes up) cable, internet, phone, and cell service happens between noon and 2pm. I can not imagine young working professionals are the target group for those calls.

The way that they advertise their rates is deceptive at best.

They also don't really advertise their data caps or those costs. And of course they don't actually have a way to track your data usage in any useful way. They tell you how much they think you've used and you basically just need to trust the number. Never mind the order of magnitude discrepancy between router readings and their claim. They really need to start being regulated like a utility.

CannonFodder
Jan 26, 2001

Passion’s Wrench

Tunicate posted:

Yeah at least my cable company will just raise rates without twlling you, 'forget' about agreed on prices, not deliver their claimed speeds, and advertise prices that don't include arbitrary amounts of fees.

And pays off the local government to shut down municipal internet projects, to ensure their monopoly status.

Are you also in North Carolina? Or is that bullshit widespread?

Grognan
Jan 23, 2007

by Fluffdaddy

CannonFodder posted:

Are you also in North Carolina? Or is that bullshit widespread?

widespread, my cable company in the west now has no obligation to adhere to rates, tell the truth, or refund me for any service loss. We're looking at the new paradigm.

Ham Equity
Apr 16, 2013

i hosted a great goon meet and all i got was this lousy avatar
Grimey Drawer

CannonFodder posted:

Are you also in North Carolina? Or is that bullshit widespread?

Definitely happened in Seattle, too.

Corsair Pool Boy
Dec 17, 2004
College Slice

CannonFodder posted:

Are you also in North Carolina? Or is that bullshit widespread?

It happens all over the country. Google has gotten cock-blocked the same way in several municipalities as well.

Tunicate
May 15, 2012

MANime in the sheets posted:

It happens all over the country. Google has gotten cock-blocked the same way in several municipalities as well.

Yeah they do the same thing everywhere. Which I guess makes it a common con.

Ganson
Jul 13, 2007
I know where the electrical tape is!

Tunicate posted:

Yeah they do the same thing everywhere. Which I guess makes it a common con.

Moving somewhere with 3 internet options helped. GoGo Pittsburgh.

CannonFodder
Jan 26, 2001

Passion’s Wrench

quote:

the bullshit has spread
:smith:

Goatse James Bond
Mar 28, 2010


I've made a huge mistake.

DrunkMidget posted:

I found a fun way to fight this. I answer these calls now, hit whatever number it is to speak to the scumbag on the other end, wait until they're on the line and then play Mary Had a Little Lamb on the keypad until they curse me out and hang up. The best part is they know I can't hear their screaming because all I hear is beep, bop, boop, bop, beep, beep, beep. If they're still on after the first go around you can go up a register and play it with an even more annoying tone.

"Hey! You can lower your credit card payment instantly! Press "1" to speak with a representative and start saving!"
1
:lolplant: : "Hello, this is Steve from.."
:toot: : 3,2,1,2,3,3,3,2,2,2,3,3,3,3,2,1,2,3,3,3,3,2,2,3,2,1
:byodood: : "Hello? Hey!"
:toot: : 6,5,4,5,6,6,6,5,5,5,6,6,6,6,5,4,5,6,6,6,6,5,5,6,5,4
:argh: "You mother fucker! I will gently caress your..."
:toot: : 9,8,7,8,9,9,9,8,8,8,9,9,9,9,8,7,8,9,9,9,9,8,8,9,8,7
*CLICK!*
:smuggo:

They quit calling about 2 weeks ago, it's been nice.

Edit: This might have had something to do with it too.


While I have some fragments of sympathy for the minions, this is goddamn hilarious.

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D.N. Nation
Feb 1, 2012

DrunkMidget posted:

I found a fun way to fight this. I answer these calls now, hit whatever number it is to speak to the scumbag on the other end, wait until they're on the line and then play Mary Had a Little Lamb on the keypad until they curse me out and hang up. The best part is they know I can't hear their screaming because all I hear is beep, bop, boop, bop, beep, beep, beep. If they're still on after the first go around you can go up a register and play it with an even more annoying tone.

"Hey! You can lower your credit card payment instantly! Press "1" to speak with a representative and start saving!"
1
:lolplant: : "Hello, this is Steve from.."
:toot: : 3,2,1,2,3,3,3,2,2,2,3,3,3,3,2,1,2,3,3,3,3,2,2,3,2,1
:byodood: : "Hello? Hey!"
:toot: : 6,5,4,5,6,6,6,5,5,5,6,6,6,6,5,4,5,6,6,6,6,5,5,6,5,4
:argh: "You mother fucker! I will gently caress your..."
:toot: : 9,8,7,8,9,9,9,8,8,8,9,9,9,9,8,7,8,9,9,9,9,8,8,9,8,7
*CLICK!*
:smuggo:

They quit calling about 2 weeks ago, it's been nice.

Edit: This might have had something to do with it too.


My go-to is to ask if whatever scam they're pushing is certified by BOFA.

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