Friday, January 22, 2010

Hello Ma'am.

That was how the unknown name and number call began. Immediately at the unknown part, I should have screened out the call.
The first go was a lady on the other end of the line. She wanted to know the interest rate on my mortgage. I refused the information explaining that I could not understand her clearly enough to continue the call.
Moments later, call numero 2 comes through. Having sparked my curiosity -YES I do know that it is this same curiosity that did kill the cat - I answered again.
This time, it was a man that did not speak English all too well. He insisted to know the current interest rate and outstanding balance on my mortgage. =ahem= no. I told him that the best I would offer was an interest rate plus or minus 2% of what I currently have. He seemed confused but accepted. I said 5% and clarified that this could mean 3% and it could mean 7% or any percent between the two.
He goes on to demand the outstanding balance on my mortgage. ummmmm....nope. Not today. So after a few ring-a-round-the-rosies I told him plus or minus $50,000 a number that he could work with.
At this point in the call I firmly state that I am quite content with my current financing arrangements and not interested in any others right now.
He says...now, dear readers, make sure you're sitting...that's fine ma'am (why am I a freakin' ma'am!) the rate that I will give you will be much better and you will switch. Then, as though oblivious to my every response thus far, he continues.
Ma'am (grrrr!), how much do you owe on your credit cards, personal loans, and credit lines? No dice. I told him I was not interested in discussing my finances. He tells me he knows that I owe money and he knows to whom. I express an interest and state that if he knows I owe then certainly he can tell me how much and to whom. I encouraged him to tell me what I owe since clearly he knows. He chuckles a nervous laughter and asks the question again to which I respond the same way. And we go round and round the mulberry bush another time. You dizzy yet?
This bombastic call continued about 20 minutes before I had had enough. There is only so much I could take.
"So tell me, Sir, what is this great offer that you are proposing is my financial salvation?"
"Ohhh Ma'am, you see. One of my colleagues will be in contact with you within 48 hours to set up an in-home appointment to meet with you and present the best offer. I can't give you that information right now. So, you can guarantee me that you will go with us, right?"
'Scuse me - WHAT! After a very short second, I reiterate his request to make sure I'd heard him right. Yes, he was looking for me to guarantee that I would switch to his guy without knowing any of the details behind this supposed best offer. He continues to tell me that it is necessary that I guarantee a switch in order to send someone out with the offer. I laugh. He says, "Ma'am?" I say, "No. No one will be phoning me from your company again and no one from your company is welcome in my house. Do not contact me again. Take your shenanigan scam to someone else but I'm not buying in."
He becomes more verbally forceful insisting that I contacted them and now how could I back out. Blah blah blah blah blah. I told him to replay the recorded call and note right from the start that he phoned me. He bickered for a moment only to perhaps appreciate my refusal (or at least that's what I would like to think) based on the fact that he hung up on me.
Really? Thanks Dude!

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