Remember the telemarketers who keep asking for my four year old by first name? They’re asking for the last person who had this phone number, and who apparently had either a timeshare or a lot of unpaid debts or both.
One company shows up as Texas on caller ID and they have called persistently since July. I’ve told them several times it’s not the right number for Festus McDeadbeatson. I’ve said to put me on their no-call list. I’ve done all the right things.
This time, when they called and asked to speak to Festus, I handed my four year old the phone.
Telemarketers aren’t supposed to hang up on someone who’s talking to them. This woman hung up after 45 seconds. My four year old was rather put-out by her abruptness.
I think he’d have bought a timeshare if she’d just asked. He could have put it on the credit card they called to collect payment on last week.
Is it worth calling a credit bureau, or debt counsellor, or lawyer, or banker, or private investigator? I can see this coming back to haunt him when he tries for credit. Are you sure it’s the previous houseowner, or is someone impersonating (incompletely) your son?
I often tell them to hold the line while I rescue supper. It’s my public duty to make the industry lose money. Unfortunately, they’re on to that one.
They’re not asking for Festus Philangelus. They’re asking for Festus McDeadbeatson, only they ask for the guy by first-name only. It’s consistently the same person they’re asking for, and at one point, someone asked me for “the person handling the estate of Festus McDeadbeatson,” so maybe it’s the estate that is failing to pay the bills.