Globex Corporation Newsletter

I could dedicate this blog soley to my dealings with shit for brains telemarketers. I will relate the resolution of the "Jacob - Head of AOL" dispute that has been going on for some time now but I've got more tail twisting to do. However, I urge you to call Greg Hall at 405-782-8293 and tell him that he's an asshole. I'd suggest you call Missy Collins at 405-782-8292 but she's never at her fucking desk and never returns phone calls.

Anyway, I was doing laundry yesterday and I was coming in from the clothesline when I checked my mail. I received two items, a bill from the Casper Star Tribune and a card from same thanking me for being a subscriber.

I am not a subscriber to the Casper Star Tribune but apparently a telemarketing company mistook my hanging up on them for my acceptance of their fantastic introductory offer.

I called the Casper Star Tribune immediately and they were nice enough to remove the bill with no fuss. I asked to talk to someone I could compalain to, but apparently she was at lunch. I left a number and was told I would be contacted within the hour.

Ninety minutes later I called back as the promised call never occured. I left voicemail with the woman who was supposed to call me. I was not nice. I did not fly off into an explative laced screaming session, but I made it evident that I was unhappy, not only with receiving a bill for a newspaper I'd never received, but also for being blown off by someone who claims to work in customer service.

She called me back a couple of minutes later, saying she had received my "little message" whatever the hell that means, and that the problem was being looked into. I went off on her. How could I receive a bill for a service I never received when I never ordered said service? It's immoral and illegal for a telemarketing company to pass on orders that never occured to their client. I demanded a written apology from the Casper Star Tribune, from the telemarketing company that passed on the order and I demanded that the Casper Star Tribune sever all business ties with a telemarketing firm that would act in such an illegal and immoral fashion.

We got inot a discussion as to whether or not what occured in my situation was illegal or not. It's amazing to hear someone constantly contridict herself as she tries to explain her position which is shaky to begin with. I was told that this had never happed before. Then I was told that it occasionally happened. Then I was told it had never happened before. I was told that it wasn't illegal but that it probably wasn't legal. Whatever. She tired of the whole deal and hung up on me.

HUNG UP ON ME?!?!?

Well, you know I'm calling right back. I'm in a worse mood than before. I got her to say that she'd contact the telemarketing firm to see if I actually told them yes to the offer or not. Ah, now questioning my integrity, that really improved my mood. I laid into her at that point and started demanding the course of action that was going to ooccur. The telemarketing firm would be contacted, the tape would be listened to, and I would be kept up to date on everything that was going on.

I had the distinct feeling that I was being blown off, so I asked when I would receive a call with the information I requested. She replied that I'd get a call when they knew. I asked again when I'd receive a call. She hemmed and hawed but I eventually got a time out of her, before 11am on Wednesday.

My phone rang at 10:24am this morning. It was someone from the Casper Star Tribune (I was asleep when the phone rang, I'm working overnights this week) and was told that the tape had been listened to, that I had hung up when the fantastic introductory offer was made and yet somehow, and they didn't know how yet, that had been interpreted as my acceptance of the offer. They didn't know who's fault it was so I demanded that they figure out and then I'd be receiving written explanations and apologies from both the Casper Star Tribune and the telemarketing firm.

I was transfered to Lee the head of circulation. We got into a long discussion on whether what had happened was legal or not. It's not illegal, but it's not legal. Same old tail chasing bullshit that I'd heard yesterday. These people are a real peice of work.

He told me he'd be in contact with the telemarketing company. I asked when I would hear what had happened and he of course told me when he knew something. Oh-oh, sounds like I'm being blown off again. I told him he'd call me back tomorrow or I'd call him, that this incident would not be over until I was satisified, that I'd call back every day to find out what was going on until we all knew what was going on.

He apparently took me seriously as I received a call from the telemarketing company a few minutes later. Alright, I give Lee credit for actually doing what he said he was going to do. I shouldn't have to yell and threaten for him to do that, but I got the result I was looking for at this point.

The representative from the telemarketing company confirmed that I had hung up on the amazing introductory offer and that she had no idea how that was taken as my acceptance of said offer.

So here's what happened initially:

1) I received a telemarketing call offering a subscription to the Casper Star Tribune

2) I hung up on the person making the offer

At that point, one of two things happened:

1) The telemarketer interpreted my hanging up a acceptance of the offer

OR

2) The Casper Star Tribune got the information that I had declined the offer but went ahead and started service and billed me anyway

Someone screwed up here big time. I'm going to get to the bottom of this and I'll let you know who's fault it is and how I handled it.

BOJ