h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The other day, my son (no #1) was all excited: he had had a phone call re: a competition he had taken part in at the Mainuferfest some weeks before. They told him he had been among the first to be drawn for the special 'prizes' - a € 100 voucher for a holiday, and a subscription for the Computer Bild magazine at a 'reduced price'.* He was so happy, bouncing up and down , it hurt me to have to destroy his joy by telling him that this was a scam.

A win is a win, you don't pay for it. Plus, I went online and looked for the subscription prices, and lo and behold, they were the same as the 'reduced' price they had told he would get - just that you'd get some gift with it if you subscribed to that magazine yourself.
Fortunately, he still lived here when filling in that competition, so the address he gave was this one, naturally. We agreed that if the mail came, I was allowed to open it and have a look at what exactly it said. (Thank goodness he told me about it, it's always the young and inexperienced they get this way, or the old and trustful, in one word: the gullible people). My son assured me that he had NOT signed anything, which was a relief.
So, today, the mail arrived, welcoming him as new subscriber to Computer Bild (with DVD), announcing the first delivery of said magazine for 10th November and saying that the promised 'bonus' (I don't recall what that was supposed to be) would be posted two weeks after payment receipt (the voucher arrived last week, btw. It's limited to the offers of packaged tours of one online travel agency ).

At least there was a telephone number on the letter, so I immediately called there, telling them that my son has never ordered their magazine. I was prepared for a fight, but the man at the other end only asked for the subscription number and whether I knew why my son had got the letter, so I told him, and I said that this was a scam. To my surprise, he didn't try to insist on anything, didn't even tell me that legally, I have no right to cancel anything for my son**, but told me that he'd immediately cancel this, and that he'll send the confirmation mail next week.

So now I am waiting with bated breath - this seemed somewhat too easy. Magazine publishers here aren't renowned for listening to their customers but only to lawyers, and especially this publisher.

Keep your fingers crossed that it all works out without us having to hire a lawyer to get our right.

*The main prize of several thousand Euros will be drawn in December - allegedly.

**Maybe he didn't check the data, it's probably only when children aren't yet adults that the parents call, so he must have thought I was calling for a minor, which would mean this transaction would have been illegal in more than one way.

good for you

when i get people calling like that and its a scam to get money out of me i tell them "excuse me a moment i have to get the kids away from the phone" place the receiver on the table and walk away

they are paying for the call lets see how long the will hang on hopping that you come back

when i get cold callers for surveys and things i tell them " I'll gladly listen to what you have to say but i must tell you that i am naked at the moment"

they promptly hang up

and when the call is about finance like a mortgage or a loan i say
"the thing is we just won the lottery and we are now multi millionaires"

they usually say congratulations and hang up

never take up offers of free or discounted holidays as they are usually vouchers for 10% discount, we got caught with that once

we went to a presentation because at the end you got £500 of holiday vouchers but to use them all we would have had to book a £5000 holiday

Well done, Bel!

Maybe they really won't bother you anymore? Why bother with someone who give them trouble by calling back and cancelling stuff (someone who possibly knows the law or even, gasp, lawyers!) when they can possibly trick others who won't call?

I always say they have to pay a fee to talk to me on the phone. if they do not remove me from their call list. they will get a bill if they call again, because they agree with my terms. it works usually.

disclaimer:
my phone provider did not place my phonenumber in any phonebooks so that could also be a reason that I get phonecalls...unless they use atleast 3 old phonebooks.

nice one B'El, give 'em hell


cold calling
F1926355?thread=5478302

Taff, this wasn't one of those 'calls into the blue' (or whatever the English equivalent is), this was well aimed at somebody they had the address and the phone number and the age of. My sosn wasn't even 100% sure NOT to have signed anything (if he did, he wasn't aware of doing so). He was convinced it was just a competition. Poor love, I was so aorry for him.

Toy Box, I *really* hope it was this easy - it would indicate that they have indeed no signature from my son, otherwise they'd not have agreed to cancel it like that.

may be competition had age limit.

That's possible, pheloxi, I don't know. Maybe not, though.

Well done you

My kid thinks we've won millions every week when the junk mail arrives - it takes an age to talk her down again I really wish these promoters would take a hike.

It shouldn't be allowed, really. But then maybe it sin't allowed?

I think it's allowed because of the 'careful' use of words. A lot like some of the cleverly voiced insults on hootoo.

There are insults in Hootoo?


Well, I never!

I don't know about now - but there used to be .... very cleverly worded - like competition scams.

I guess it would have worked the moment he had accepted (and paid for) the first mag. Should they still send one, I'll just refuse it, and 'back to sender' it will be.

You mean, I haven't won that free holiday to Corfu?


*wanders through the threads to see who may be using clever words against me*

Who needs clever words against you.

Don't be silly Lil ... you'll get lost.


You've won a chance to attend a time-share presentation in Corfu ---- maybe you should go.

Years ago, a friend of mine sent in a card for a record club. He soon started to get the LPs (remember those?) first the ten free ones, then others along with the invoices. As he had no money he ignored the bills until they came with threatening letters.

Finally, he told his mother. She consulted a lawyer who asked how old the son was. Fifteen is not old enough to sign a contract so, legally, the records were gifts from Columbia. She could send a thank you note.

The records kept coming for a year before they stopped.

I don't know anybody in Corfu..


Who would I share my time with?