Special offer

It Is OK To Hang Up On Them

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 311291

 

 

When I get a phone call that is a telemarketer or other solicitor, I am as polite as possible. but after a  No Thanks, Not interested... enough is enough.  I just hang up.

 

 

The good thing they will never get through to me again.

How?

I make a new contact in my phone and label it SPAM

Never again do I take that call.

I know a lot of you don't take numbers not familiar to you.

I am not looking to lose potential buyers and sellers.

 

 

 

 

Spam               Scamming Alert

 

 

 

To most of us it is just an annoyance but speaking with an elderly person this week, I found out she received one of these calls that turned out to be a scam !

She won the lottery or some other sweepstakes. The person was very convincing and she only needed to send a $10,000 check to redeem the million dollar prize. And she did!

 Thank goodness, she told her good friend, a financial adviser.  

There was a hold on the check in time for it to be stopped.

 

This happens to many of our classic clients but we don't hear about it because they are too embarrassed or ashamed to share it with others.

Hard to admit they were taken.

 

How can we help these naive unsuspecting people?

 

To us it is just an inconvenience to others it is a way to lose big time.

Would love to  hear your suggestions on how we can educate the public.

 

 

Margaret Rome 410-530-2400

Posted by

Margaret Rome
HomeRome Realty
Broker/Owner/Realtor®

Baltimore, Maryland


Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

Radio Host ALL ABOUT REAL ESTATE
Sundays 12 noon.

Author: Real Estate The Rome Way

About me
My blog
My website
My radio podcasts

(410) 530-2400
CALL OR TEXT

EMAIL ME

Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Hi Margaret:

I do the same with the telemarketers. Some will close out the conversation but some just keep talking. Once I've said no thanks goodbye I'm done I block the calls.

I'm not sure how to reach out to people who are not clients or prospects about scams other than to share the information here and elsewhere and let people know about the scams we hear about. It could be a good reason for calling our database to let them know about scams.

Jeff

Oct 13, 2016 01:28 PM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400

Jeff Dowler This would be an excellent reason to contact everyone. 


I am going to bring this up on my radio show tomorrow.

Oct 15, 2016 11:48 AM
Randy Mitchelson,APR
Marketing Advisor & Squeeze Mortgage - Bonita Springs, FL
First Impressions are made at First Click

I disconnected our phone and reinvested the monthly savings into a healthier eating solution. No more telemarketers and political campaign calls !

Oct 13, 2016 01:49 PM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400

Randy Mitchelson, APR  So you are not getting any of these calls on your cell?

Oct 15, 2016 11:47 AM
Melissa Jackson REALTOR
Trinity Premier Properties - Azle, TX
Helping You Make The Right Move

I do this also.  Usually I block the number. These callers are so annoying I say NO and they keep on. What irritates me is when they question my reasoning... CLICK! 

Oct 13, 2016 01:51 PM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400

Melissa Jackson There are some persistent ones out there. 

Oct 15, 2016 11:46 AM
Lise Howe
Keller Williams Capital Properties - Washington, DC
Assoc. Broker in DC, MD, VA and attorney in DC

What a great post - we should all look out for the elderly who might be exploited. 

Oct 13, 2016 01:53 PM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400

Lise Howe We all could  help the elderly by educating them and their families.

Oct 15, 2016 11:45 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Hi Margaret... I do the same... I will always pick up the phone and block afterwards. I also don't want to take a chance losing out on a potential client whose number or area code I don't recognize. I'm now in Russia visiting my family and the phone scams targeting elderly here that I've been hearing about are insane. It's happening everywhere.

Oct 13, 2016 03:47 PM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400

Nina Hollander You are proving these phone scams are everywhere. Safe travels.

Oct 15, 2016 11:44 AM
Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

A friends mother got on the list for these scammers a while ago and her kids had to change ger phone number several times, and eventually set up a person to take care of her finances.

For me, it just involves clicking a button on Google voice and these calls will not bother me again.

Oct 13, 2016 04:08 PM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400

Bob Crane Just an inconvenience for us. For others they taken. I am going to share this on my radio show tomorrow.

Oct 15, 2016 11:43 AM
Myrl Jeffcoat
Sacramento, CA
Greater Sacramento Realtor - Retired

The minute, I hear the delay before I get a voice when I pick up the phone, I know it's a robocall.  I don't even waste my breath.  I hang up!

Oct 13, 2016 07:49 PM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400

Myrl Jeffcoat There are actually a few calls that have a delay ie pharmacy refills, utility company and deliveries.

Oct 15, 2016 11:42 AM
Sandy Padula & Norm Padula, JD, GRI
HomeSmart Realty West & Florida Realty Investments - , CA
Presence, Persistence & Perseverance

SOmetimes I do mark the call as a 'Scam' most otherr times, I just <Block> the number on my trusty iPhone. It is highly annoying and a waste of human resources. Wonder if the people doing this feel like their lives are fulfilling at the end of the day?

Oct 13, 2016 09:53 PM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400

Sandy Padula and Norm Padula, JD, GRI NMLS#1483386 


It is the small price we pay for our advertising.

Oct 15, 2016 11:41 AM
Alan Gross
PrimeLending, A PlainsCapital Company, Equal Housing Lender - Bethesda, MD
Loan Consultant

Margaret Rome, Baltimore Maryland  I'm also quick to hang up and I have a lot of "Junk" numbers in my phone.

Oct 14, 2016 02:02 AM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400

Alan Gross good to see you! Yep just hang up on those junk callers.

Oct 15, 2016 11:40 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

That reminds me of the night my Mom called me upset because she was being audited by the IRS.  She had received a call.  I had to tell her it was a scam.  

Oct 14, 2016 04:04 AM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400

Chris Ann Cleland I am going to incorporate this in my radio show tomorrow. You are welcome to call in if you have time.

Oct 15, 2016 11:39 AM
Dick Greenberg
New Paradigm Partners LLC - Fort Collins, CO
Northern Colorado Residential Real Estate

Hi Margaret - I have no qualms anymore about hanging up as soon as I realize it's a spam call, and then blocking the number - but I'm still going to answer, just in case. Have a great weekend!

Oct 14, 2016 07:47 AM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400

Dick Greenberg Of course we are going to answer and then deal with the spammer by hanging up and blocking their number. 

Oct 15, 2016 11:38 AM
Robert Vegas Bob Swetz
Las Vegas, NV

Hello Margaret

Wonderful post and poor VB gets these calls Day In & Day Out, about 2-3 everyday and I guess that's what we get for advertising with out phone numbers.

Just part of business and your post has been featured to the group:

LATE NIGHT - EARLY MORNING AT ACTIVERAIN

Bgpic04202016154932 l

Oct 14, 2016 03:03 PM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400

Robert Vegas Bob Swetz It's a small price to pay for getting our name and numbers out there.


Thanks for the feature!

Oct 15, 2016 11:37 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Margaret- In my ill-advised youth, I had a crank caller.  So, I transferred my number to the police station.  I never heard from him again.  

Oct 15, 2016 09:40 AM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400
HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD
Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

Kathy Streib In your youth you were way ahead of the times. What a great idea!

Oct 15, 2016 11:35 AM
Anonymous
Sophie Ryan

I also avoid telemarketers by blocking their phone numbers on my iPhone. But scam phone calls are getting more sophisticated these days. A relative of mine almost got scammed at one point, asking her to send money via iTunes cards. Good thing she was wise enough and reported the number to the police department. She also encouraged me to always take note of suspicious phone calls and check the phone number oh this website if it has already been reported for scam: http://www.callercenter.com/

Hope this helps!

Oct 15, 2016 02:00 PM
#15