We frequently read about scams, hear news reports and are even
warned by our local authorities to beware of them.
Some
of us have received a phone call telling us we might have
won a jackpot. We are told if we pay an investigator’s
fee we can find out if we are a winner. Some of us receive
a mailing or email telling us if we deposit a specific amount
of money in an overseas bank, we will have a much larger
amount deposited to our account. Another scam arriving by
mail tells
us we have won a sweepstakes. All we need do is send our
banking information so the winnings can be deposited.
How
about the telephone scam received from a sweet sounding young
lady or gentleman that begins with, “How are you
today?” The conversation continues with pleasantries
for a few minutes until the announcement saying, “Congratulations – you
have won a cruise to the Mediterranean!” To avoid
litigation, cruises were actually given, but they were
for one or two
days to the Bahamas. Accommodations were in the center
of the ship,
well below deck, with no view. These cabins were often
vacant on cruises. The cost of the cruise was pre-paid
by the company
awarding it to the recipient of the phone call.
There
was a slight alteration of the itinerary of the cruise not
mentioned by the caller. Participants taking the cruise
had to sit through high pressure sales pitch’s regarding
the purchase of condos in Florida. They lasted most of the
day’s cruise and the sales persons were the type
that could sell ice in Alaska!
Most
of us are aware of the scams I’ve mentioned
and perhaps others also. We know they generally originate
overseas
and are from companies we never heard of.
Unfortunately scams are now arriving from companies we hear
of daily, and we are their customers. As I see it, we all need
to be aware of them.
In the ongoing struggle to gain supremacy of the digital airways,
the major players are beginning to play dirty.
After we landed in our winter home this year, we called the
land line phone company to inquire regarding the high cost
of our bill. We had the same number for more than 25 years
and were always pleased with our service. The rate had been
quoted, but the bill arrived 40 percent higher. After a pleasant
phone call, it was agreed credit would be issued, and the next
bill would be adjusted and reflect what was quoted. The following
month, however, the bill arrived only three dollars less than
the first month. Another call was made and a request to have
the bill brought into line with the quoted amount was once
again agreed upon.
Enter the scam. The very nice young man said we can offer you
a service that will combine your home phone and Internet. My
wife said I cannot switch my Internet provider so I would not
be able to use that system. She was assured she could just
use the phone part and all installation fees would be waived.
(A bill for $332 arrived two days later for installation charges
that disagreed with this statement.) She was told her monthly
bill would be exactly the amount she was originally quoted.
The very next day a friendly installer with a modem and very
large battery arrived. After being told we would not be using
the Internet connection, he announced the system would not
work but he installed it anyway. The phone actually did work,
but having concerns about the statement made by the company
representative, we called the company. The person we spoke
to agreed, we could not use the newly installed system.
At this point, confusion set in and we called the wireless
people who represent the same company. A very eager sales representative
said he could take care of our needs. We would have the same
phone number. So instantly we were switched over to wireless.
A very complicated usage program was explained and a promise
made that a new phone (charged instantly to our credit card)
would be shipped. It actually did show up 12 days later.
The
next day we realized wireless would not work for us and called
the landline
division
back
requesting they provide
a regular phone at the agreed upon amount.
We were told no
problem,
and the person expressed grave concerns
about how bad
our experience had been and “promised” (that
was her word) we would have service in
24 hours. She said it
was a good thing
we did not attempt to cancel the wireless
first, or we would have lost our number
forever. So
we were happily
switched
back and all was well.
No — we have no phone service and if you try to call
us on the number you may have used the past 20 years you will
hear, “The number you called
has been changed. The new number is
unknown.”
By
this time, Pat had lost her voice from being on the phone
for hours with
various
phone people.
I
got the
pleasure of
speaking to a person in Columbia
whom I could not understand. There was a
birthday party
being celebrated
in the
background, so we could not complete
our
attempted conversation and
he transferred me. I reached a young
man in Oklahoma who researched
my problems and agreed they were
concerning, therefore, he would transfer me to
his supervisor to make
matters right.
At this point, I was disconnected — and
still am.
Pat’s voice recovered after a few days rest. She called
the company on a friend’s
phone and a wonderful person said
how sorry
they
were for
our troubles.
A rush would
be put on our order. ...
The
moral of this story is: don’t ever think a familiar
company you have done business with for many years won’t
abuse you. Sales persons working
on commission will.