This evening I was called by RPR and they hung up on me when I was saying hello. As I work in the (ethical) call center industry, I understand that autodialing systems drop calls after so many rings or if there are insufficient agents to forward the answered call to.
I called them back, reached a secretary; I told the secretary that I was receiving unsolicited calls from this number—thinking that this was the number to a hotel and that a particular guest had a wrong number. The secretary took my name and number, saying that they would call back when they figured out who was calling me. This led me to believe that a Ramada hotel was then checking their guest phone logs to verify whether any outbound calls had been made to my number.
Instead, I heard from Bob: a sales rep for RPR.
I believe this was the same Bob who made the cruel rebuttal to my fellow telemarketing victims, calling these innocents by rude names.
To the best of my knowledge, Bob never told me that I was being recorded.
I let Bob talk for 20 minutes, hoping that I could save someone else from a telemarketer that evening. When he got to the end, he started to try to make arrangements for the package before I ever agreed to anything. I told him that my wife and I were not interested because we haven't budgeted for this and we are broke. He didn't seem to be phased by that.
I inquired how my info became a lead in their database. He said because I rented a car or stayed at a Ramada hotel. I have done neither; not in my life. I am new to credit and don't stay at anything above a Motel 6. I assume my lead was sold to them by a third party.
I demanded that Bob immediately remove me from their dialer and add me to the DNC list. I made it plain and clear to him that these were my demands and he agreed to meet them, then he thanked me for my time and hung up.
Within minutes, another sales rep called me saying that I had just spoken to Bob; that Bob told him I wanted the vacation and was interested but the call got dropped. I insisted that this was not the case. He insisted that it was.
So I told this representative that I supervise a call center that makes (non-sales-oriented/non-telemarketing) outsourced calls for companies like them. So I said I know exactly how this works. I told him that Bob knows full well what I told him; that, though the script may tell him to lie to me and call me back, I knew how a call script works. He said he didn't know what I was talking about and pretended to not know what a call center is. I continued explaining it to him but he became defensive and pretentiously coy.
I proceeded to tell him that I did not express interest in the package and that I told Bob I did not want it. He said he didn't believe me because I "talked to Bob for 20 minutes!" I told him plainly, "I did not talk for 20 minutes; Bob did. It was a one-sided conversation." I literally couldn't get a word in edgewise, nor find the opportunity to express said interest in the aforementioned scam.
I told the rep that he had best ensure I am truly removed from their leads database and immediately added to the national DNC list.
Then the call ended and here I am now.
By the way, this was the package they wanted to get me on... The price was something like $389.00:
4 days, 3 nights in Orlando
3 days, 2 nights in Ft. Lauderdale
your choice of a rental car with unlimited mileage or gas reimbursement up to $100
"Bonus vacations"
Puerta Vallarta 4 days, 3 nights
Las Vegas 3 days, 2 nights
I checked on donotcall.org to confirm whether or not my 3 phone numbers have been added to the DNC list the many times I have asked telemarketers to add them.
TRY IT OUT:
donotcall. Gov/confirm/Conf. Aspx
In summation, I am complaining that they:
1. Never told me I was being recorded.
2. Called me immediately again when I told them not to. They insisted I wanted the package, though I told them flat out I was not interested and that they must take me out of their dialer and place me on the DNC list.
After reading about RPR on usacomplaints.com, I called them back again and very politely inquired about all the package had to offer. Once again, taking their time away from you precious newlyweds, college students and senior citizens. This next representative's name was Jason. I approached Jason about what came up when I googled their phone number (954-351-0087). He tried to discredit results like usacomplaints.com and usacomplaints.com. He said that they were totally legit but that people will always complain because "Ramada Plaza Resorts has to have a 'telemarketers license' to make calls", and that it makes them look bad. He added that they, "would never do anything to harm the image of Ramada over a measly $300" or however much the package was this time.
Sound familiar?
Nick
Unity, Maine
U.S.A.
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