I answer the phone and a RECORDED message says "you are the next caller, please hold" .This cheesy steel drum music is playing. I hold, figuring I will have them put me on their do not call list. I get the please hold message a couple more times, then it hangs up. GRRRR!!
I answer the phone and a RECORDED message says "you are the next caller, please hold" .This cheesy steel drum music is playing. I hold, figuring I will have them put me on their do not call list. I get the please hold message a couple more times, then it hangs up. GRRRR!!
ID: R762, 215-383-5507:
Answered call. I interrupted the spiel to ask:
1. Q: What is the name of the group you are representing? A: "Community Support Inc."
2. Q: Are you a charity organization? A: yes
Next I requested that they send information, and that then I would check for BBB accreditation. I requested that we not be called again, and the representative said that because it was auto-dialed, she couldn't do that. When I asked to speak to her supervisor, she declined. I told her that by law she must remove me from the call list. She replied "Have a nice day" and hung up.
Next I checked the BBB (go to http://www.bbb.org/us/Charity-Reviews/), as well as American Institute of Philanthropy (go to http://www.charitywatch.org/azlist.html#c). The organization is not an accredited charity or even accredited as a BBB business. Four organizations with this name were listed as telemarketers or solicitors.
We signed up for the "do-not-call" registry (go to https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx) on March 6. They say that calls may continue up to 31 days. If we receive any more such calls from telemarketers after April 6, I will submit a complaint to the registry.
The BBB site will identify telemarketers/solicitors. Get on the do-not-call registry. Answer calls after the 31 days, then start submitting complaints about numbers that the BBB does not register as accredited chariites. Charities are allowed to call, but they must by law honor your request to not be called again.