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[frustratedearthmother]

I posted the bottle buckling on Craigslist today. Had a response within 20 minutes


Him: Do you still have this for sale??

Me: Yes, he is available.

Him: --- ok thanks but i wont be coming to see it as i work out of state. i'll add extra $50 to the price for you to keep for 2 days and i'll be paying with certified check,so i will need your info to mail the check to you.

What the heck? Uh, I don't think so! But, what's the deal? Does this ding dong really think I'm going to send him my address?? Sheesh!

 

[baymule]

I do not answer my phone unless I know the number. For some reason, those numbers never leave a message. Then I block that number, for all the good that does, in a call center full of phones.

In our local paper, there is a column from a very funny guy. My favorite is what he calls Phone Creatures. He loves to jack with them and goes off on long rambling conversations of all the crazy stuff he can come up with, from digging fishing worms with his one legged cousin when he was a boy, to fights breaking out at his Grandpa's funeral. The Phone Creature tries to interrupt, but he just talks over them and keeps talking until they hang up on him.

 

[NH Homesteader]

My DH has a grand time with them too. He gets hung up on a lot lol. I ignore all numbers I don't recognize, I don't have time for that!

 

[Lazy Gardener]

My favorite way of dealing with telephone solicitors and others who have no right to be calling me: On the rare occasion when the phone HAS been answered (perhaps by a grand child), they'll say, "Grammy, it's for you." I simply take the phone, lay it down on the table and go about my business. Eventually, the caller gets tired of listening to household noise, and getting no response to his "Hello? Hello? Are you there?" and hangs up. In the mean time, this has bought a minute or so of peace for the next person he calls.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I used to be terrible with phone solicitors...once they asked to speak to DH and I told them he couldn't come to the phone because he was standing in the corner waiting for his spanking because he'd been really, really bad and bought something from a phone solicitor, lol.

On a more serious note - after moving mom and dad here and changing their address I started receiving their mail. I can not tell you how many "charities" they were contributing to. I got one letter thanking them for their generous contribution of last year ($500) and could they top it this year. I went back through their bank statements for a couple of years and they could have paid cash for a car with all the money they gave away - to various "charities" that I've never heard of....geeze.

I do support (and make my own) charitable contributions but this was insane. I keep my contributions local and give directly to the local chapters where I KNOW how the money is used and where it goes.

So sad when elderly think they're doing a good thing and they're actually being taken advantage of...

 

[baymule]

My Grandmother was the same way. She sent money to all the TV ministries, including Jimmy Swagert.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Not a day goes by that I don't get hit by at least one telephone scam. I never answer my phone, unless I know who is calling. These phone scams also use local numbers. So you might think it's someone calling from your area code, but it's not.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I did go ahead and send him an address:

Girly Girl
1 Million Park Avenue
State of Confusion, A?S

Think he'll send me a fake cashiers check?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I even googled his email name and it comes up in google as a scam... My question is why? What has he got to gain - besides my address? I wanna know how the scam plays out....ARGH!

 

[NH Homesteader]

Usually, they overpay you and ask you to wire them the difference. At least, 10 years ago when I was a bank teller that's what they did!