magentablue
- 383
Many of us began getting spam phone calls after we started our Pampered Chef websites. Generally, they're recordings, and offers for our "small business," "making money at home," "paying off debt," etc.
I always believed, but was never able to prove, that this was related to my Pampered Chef business. I've mentioned it on here before. Some of you had the same suspicions, while others said "I don't know what you are talking about."
My business url is purposely easy. It's my last name... which also happens to be some people's first name... so it's a really common name. So I'm a .biz/name -- my suspicion is that some spider/bot/whatever "crawls" our websites, and gathers our phone numbers...
then... and I know this is true... our phone numbers are SOLD to these spammers!
How do I know this? I got one of those calls with a ridiculous accent the other day. I assumed it was a recording. I think I swore at "it." The recording was actually a live person. "I'm very sorry to have upset you, ma'am." he said to me. I was stunned.
"I'm so frustrated with these calls. How did you get my number?"
"Ma'am, I buy lists of potential customers. Your number was on my list."
"Where does this list come from? I'm on the do not call list! I report you people all the time!"
"I'm sorry, ma'am, I don't want to offend you. I believe you have your own business, I think a Pampered Chef business. I bought that list. And your number is on your website, I believe. So even if you're on the do not call list, we can contact you, because your number is out there in the public domain."
He was actually very nice, and said he wasn't trying to upset me, and he'd remove me from HIS list, but that he couldn't stop the calls.
Just thought I'd give you all a heads up. I guess there is nothing we can do (other than advise our new recruits to come up with really difficult urls for their business), but at least if you are like me, and getting insanely angry with the spam calls, you'll know where they are coming from.
I am thinking about cancelling my website. I've received much more frustration than orders from having a website I pay a lot of money for!
I always believed, but was never able to prove, that this was related to my Pampered Chef business. I've mentioned it on here before. Some of you had the same suspicions, while others said "I don't know what you are talking about."
My business url is purposely easy. It's my last name... which also happens to be some people's first name... so it's a really common name. So I'm a .biz/name -- my suspicion is that some spider/bot/whatever "crawls" our websites, and gathers our phone numbers...
then... and I know this is true... our phone numbers are SOLD to these spammers!
How do I know this? I got one of those calls with a ridiculous accent the other day. I assumed it was a recording. I think I swore at "it." The recording was actually a live person. "I'm very sorry to have upset you, ma'am." he said to me. I was stunned.
"I'm so frustrated with these calls. How did you get my number?"
"Ma'am, I buy lists of potential customers. Your number was on my list."
"Where does this list come from? I'm on the do not call list! I report you people all the time!"
"I'm sorry, ma'am, I don't want to offend you. I believe you have your own business, I think a Pampered Chef business. I bought that list. And your number is on your website, I believe. So even if you're on the do not call list, we can contact you, because your number is out there in the public domain."
He was actually very nice, and said he wasn't trying to upset me, and he'd remove me from HIS list, but that he couldn't stop the calls.
Just thought I'd give you all a heads up. I guess there is nothing we can do (other than advise our new recruits to come up with really difficult urls for their business), but at least if you are like me, and getting insanely angry with the spam calls, you'll know where they are coming from.
I am thinking about cancelling my website. I've received much more frustration than orders from having a website I pay a lot of money for!