wjm@whuxj.UUCP (MITCHELL) (03/06/84)
I guess junk phone calls have to be my #1 pet peeve - I agree with everything thats been said about them on the net. The worst offenders (in Northern NJ) are Hahne's department store and the Newark "Star Ledger" - Hahne's is constantly badgering me to get one of their credit cards - Frankly, I don't like department store charge cards - why should I risk $50 for a lost card that is only good in one store - If they don't accept Amex or Visa, I'll either use cash or shop elsewhere (most of the stores in the NYC area accept Amex), and I don't buy very much in Hahnes. The last time they bothered me, I not only told them that I didn't want a card but that their phone calls were a strong inducement to shop elsewhere. The Star Ledger also calls regularly to try to get subscribers to their paper. Given that I live in Morris rather than Essex county, I can make a case for subscribing to a local paper, and the "New York Times" but not for a Newark paper. They also play the tear-jerk game where they say they will donate a token amount to some worthy cause (which I usually have donated to already - either explicitly or through the United Way) if you subscribe . My stock answer is "Yes, I think that's a great idea - I'm putting a check to the Heart Fund (or whatever) in the mail this evening and No I don't want your paper." I've found Penney's to be much worse than Sears on charge card solicitation. However, I've found that if you buy things in Penneys with a Visa card, they generally don't bother you. As for Sears, I've had good luck with what I've bought from them - they have excellent quality tools (and their unconditional hand tool guarantee is just that - defective Craftsman hand tools are replaced with no questions asked), general hardware, linens and drapes, and appliances. I shop there but I pay cash. Money saving tip - order things through the catalog , the prices (including the charge to ship it to the store) are generally lower than the retail store prices. It usually only takes 2 or 3 days for it to come in to the store and they call you at that time. I've usually been able to convince Radio Shack not to take my name and address when I'm paying cash by telling the sales person that my name is already on their mailing list. By the way, if you are served by a stored program control switching office, your phone company provides you with a way (for about $2.00 a month extra in New Jersey) to prevent those autodialing machines from locking up your phone line in an emergency - just order 3-way calling. It can also be useful to bridge the police onto an obscene or threatening call., Caveat Emptor .... Bill Mitchell Bell Communications Research, Inc. Whippany, NJ (whuxj!wjm)
rcd@opus.UUCP (03/08/84)
<> > By the way, if you are served by a stored program control switching office, > your phone company provides you with a way (for about $2.00 a month extra in > New Jersey) to prevent those autodialing machines from locking up your phone > line in an emergency - just order 3-way calling. It can also be useful to > bridge the police onto an obscene or threatening call., ...which is a nice facility to have from your local phone company, BUT I think most of us that are complaining about junk phone calls want is (1) not to have our privacy invaded and (2) not to have to pay for this basic freedom, nor continually reestablish it. (I'm not saying that the onus is on the phone company for this - it isn't.) It should be a matter of "business ethics" (if that's meaningful in general) not to bother people with junk phone calls. -- {hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd