I feel really effing stupid right now

[Dr. Sak]

It happens to all of us...I got hosed by a scalper, but got vengeance on him when I pointed the cops out to him for selling fake tickets.

[FrogMan]

nothing to add but maybe you should post about KLMN on learnfrommyfail.com...

FM

[Eaglesfan27]

Not that it will make you feel much better, but this thread helped me resist a very slick well dressed young man who was selling magazines today to "raise money to send disadvantaged youths to a summer camp."

[Arctus]

Originally Posted by panerd

When you talk about your native Chinese roommates and your strongbox I keep getting a picture in my mind of Kramer and his three Japanese guys that lived in his dresser.

I keep getting a picture of the scene in Boogie Nights when Dirk Diggler and friends try to shake down the drug dealer with the Asian sidekick who keeps setting off poppers.

[Karlifornia]

See, kids..this is the difference between "book smarts" and "street smarts"

[stevew]

Good evening Sir, my name is Steve. I come from a rough area. I used to be addicted to crack but now I am off it and trying to stay clean. That is why I am selling magazine subscriptions.

[JHandley]

Originally Posted by Izulde

Long story short, I was in the bath, trying to just zone out after a stressful day, when my roommates shouted for me to come to the door. They're native Chinese who haven't been in the US that long, so their English isn't very good.

There's a guy standing there and he starts talking about how he's in this contest, can win money to pay for voice lessons and how he has this dream about being on American Idol, etc. Literally sings for us and he was quite good, in all honesty. Now, I know this is going to be some magazine subscription thing, but I'm thinking okay, maybe I'll buy a magazine, help support the dream, etc (admittedly I was thinking of my own MFA hopes here).

So then he tells me he only needs 60 points to meet his max goal. Now, keep in mind, I'm tired, stressed and still hungry by this point and not thinking clearly at all. But I pick out a magazine and then he's talking about how I can gift one of the magazines to a family in need and all this and that. My fogged over brain thinks okay I'll get him his 60 points so he can be done with it, so I gift a magazine.

Total price.. $184. By this time he'd written out the receipts, so I felt obligated, even though if I was thinking clearly, I would've told him no, or at least just gone the cheaper of the two. But I wasn't so I paid it.

Then after he leaves, I'm feeling really, really sick, like on top of my already physical and mental stress state that's been going on for months. So I google the name, KLMN Reader Services, and it's a fucking scam. I don't hold out much hope for the cancellation notices and I have a sinking feeling that if I do send in, that just gets my name and address on a ton of junk mailing lists.

So yeah... I'm smarter than this which really pisses me off and I'm doubly pissed off because I can't afford that kind of money. I'm a fucking grad student for Chrissakes.

All you need is your own radio show in Seattle and you could have a very winnable character likeness suit on your hands.

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by JHandley

All you need is your own radio show in Seattle and you could have a very winnable character likeness suit on your hands.

Yeah like Fraiser...

[panerd]

Originally Posted by stevew

Good evening Sir, my name is Steve. I come from a rough area. I used to be addicted to crack but now I am off it and trying to stay clean. That is why I am selling magazine subscriptions.

What am I going to do with forty subscriptions to Vibe?

[Karlifornia]

Originally Posted by cartman

What are you going to do with 40 subscriptions to Vibe?

Originally Posted by DanGarion

Did you ask him for advice on how to launder money, and then told him your master plan to take the fractions of pennies from bank transactions?

Originally Posted by stevew

Good evening Sir, my name is Steve. I come from a rough area. I used to be addicted to crack but now I am off it and trying to stay clean. That is why I am selling magazine subscriptions.

Originally Posted by panerd

What am I going to do with forty subscriptions to Vibe?

.

[panerd]

Guess I should read more than just the most recent arrow next to a thread when I re-visit FOFC.

[Noop]

Never, under any circumstances take laxatives and a sleeping pill on the same night.

[GoldenEagle]

Originally Posted by M GO BLUE!!!

My scammed moment: Guy sits next to me at the NY Port Authority where I'm waiting for a bus and VERY tired. I stress that I was sleep deprived & just wanted to get on the friggin' Greyhound. So after a couple minutes the guy does the usual "where you heading?" stuff & tells me his destination, etc. Then he says he's going to make a quick run to the liquor store & asks me to watch his bag... then asks if I want anything. I'm tired so I give him $20 for some Jack Daniels. He split & something just didn't feel right... Sure enough his suitcase looked like it was pulled from the trash. Opening it, it had some trash in it.

You're not the only one.

In fairness, he probably did go to the liquor store.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by Drake

I once bought a $1500 Kirby vacuum cleaner from a door-to-door salesman because he showed up while I had a fever of 102.

My entire house is hardwood floors and tile.

(That said, I've had it for five years now and it is far and away the best vacuum cleaner I've ever owned. It'll probably outlive me.)

Especially if you have no carpet on which to use it!

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by BYU 14
Get that no soliciting sign up.

Originally Posted by BillyNYC

From my summer selling books door-to-door (in uh 1995, but presumably still relevant), these signs might have the OPPOSITE effect.

In "sales school", we were told to intentionally go TO these houses. The reasoning is that the people inside were likely more susceptible to sales pitches, thus having to put the sign up. If they answered and got angry and said "see the sign?", we were told to feign ignorance and politely continue into our sales pitch.

Guess that could be true in some cases, but your sales school never met my wife.

[Danny]

I've never been duped. I've given small amounts of money to a homeless or otherwise in need person and I am sure that on some of the occasions the money was not used for what they said they needed it for. But I gave the money knowing that might happen and if it did, it's on them.

[SportsDino]

I post the 'no soliciting' sign as a first warning to door to door salesman. Then you get a second warning if you actually are brave enough to knock on the door. And finally, if your scummy enough to try a third time, you get punched. Okay, really I wouldn't punch someone, but I then decide to feign interest and make sure to waste all their time and find ways to humiliate them, dangling the prospect of easy money in front of them only to end with a 'you fuckin idiot' at the end. Or the door slam if I don't have any time for morons.

[cartman]

My favorite door-to-door memory wasn't a salesperson per se, but a couple of religious wingnuts. This was back in high school, and I was outside working on my car. A couple of guys came up and made a bit of small talk, then launched into a virulently ant-Catholic spiel. Stuff like "Did you know that every Catholic church has a cache of hidden weapons, ready to be used when the Pope orders it?" and all other off the wall conspiracies. I just nodded and continued listening. At the end, the said "If you'd like to learn more, we are having a meeting tomorrow night at our building, which is across from the high school." I asked them which high school, and they said "You know, Haltom, the one you go to." I told them, "Sorry, I go to Nolan. You know, the Catholic high school."

[DaddyTorgo]

Izulde - this should make you feel better about yourself - a serious discussion of why smart people fall for things like this

The anatomy of a sucker @ Pop Economics

[AENeuman]

I recently went to an event with the CEO of the San Francisco YMCA. On the way from the garage to the event 2 kids came up to us and said they were collecting donations for a YMCA basketball camp. The CEO told them no YMCA ever does that, and then with a wink he said they should say Boys and Girls Club from now on.

[DaddyTorgo]

lmao

[Chubby]

I'm just going to go ahead and state the obivous that you are full of shit and this is an attention grab...

[AENeuman]

Originally Posted by Chubby

I'm just going to go ahead and state the obivous that you are full of shit and this is an attention grab...

wow, that's a very good point from a very good person...

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by AENeuman

I recently went to an event with the CEO of the San Francisco YMCA. On the way from the garage to the event 2 kids came up to us and said they were collecting donations for a YMCA basketball camp. The CEO told them no YMCA ever does that, and then with a wink he said they should say Boys and Girls Club from now on.

Eh?

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by AENeuman

wow, that's mean, sorry for sharing. in truth it was about 7 years ago, when i worked for the y. if you weren't such a dick i could show you the email he sent out the next day to all the Y's.

not you knucklehead, you didn't start this thread

[AENeuman]

Sorry, my bad

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by AENeuman

Sorry, my bad

No problem.

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by Chubby

not you knucklehead, you didn't start this thread

Hi Mr. Cranky Pants.

[Dodgerchick]

Happens to a lot of us Izulde. There are thousands of people that get duped for more than that. It really sucks for those that are legit but that's the way it is unfortunately. I think you know what to do next time, just a polite "no thank you" should suffice. If they continue I see no problem with another "no thank you" and closing the door on their face. Or something like, "are you kidding, I'm living off of Ramen noodles I don't have $$ for ________ " would be good too.

[Karlifornia]

Originally Posted by SportsDino

I post the 'no soliciting' sign as a first warning to door to door salesman. Then you get a second warning if you actually are brave enough to knock on the door. And finally, if your scummy enough to try a third time, you get punched. Okay, really I wouldn't punch someone, but I then decide to feign interest and make sure to waste all their time and find ways to humiliate them, dangling the prospect of easy money in front of them only to end with a 'you fuckin idiot' at the end. Or the door slam if I don't have any time for morons.

You sure sound grouchy today. Bad E-Date last night?

[RainMaker]

Thought this was an interesting story on door-to-door sales.

Houston News - What Mainstream Publishers Don't Want You to Know About Door-to-Door Magazine Sales - page 1

[MizzouRah]

My wife signs up to get a $25 Walmart gift card - the catch.. someone is going to come over and test our water. When she said that, I said.. seriously honey.. someone is going to try to sell us a water purifier.

I was working the day this guy comes over and bores me for 2 hours.. while my wife is eating it up.

A long story short, I google his company and see all the bad comments left by customers and then see a bad rating on the BBB website.

I print one out and say.. have a nice day sir.

My wife said I was an azzhole for rushing him out like that.. I said, so you wanted to waste $3000?

[Marc Vaughan]

I grew up in a small village in England, we had Jehovahs witnesses come to the door every week without fail, my mom would invite them in listen politely and then cajole them into helping with the housework while they extolled the virtue of their church.

This arrangement seemed to keep everyone happy, my mom got to have some company and help with the cleaning - while the Jehovah's witnesses got to 'preach' to someone who was polite and listened rather than slamming the door in their faces - win/win

[Lathum]

Thats some funny shit

[SportsDino]

Originally Posted by Karlifornia

You sure sound grouchy today. Bad E-Date last night?

No, despite my rants on the board I live a rather cheery life.

I simply hate door to door salesman, a large percentage are simply frauds, a good deal of the rest are irritating, and all of them are inefficient, making a pitch for something at a time I don't care to hear about it, for a product I can always seek out when I am interested on my own time.

I think they should make a law against it entirely.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by SportsDino

No, despite my rants on the board I live a rather cheery life.

I simply hate door to door salesman, a large percentage are simply frauds, a good deal of the rest are irritating, and all of them are inefficient, making a pitch for something at a time I don't care to hear about it, for a product I can always seek out when I am interested on my own time.

I think they should make a law against it entirely.

I don't know about a law for all, but I do think that it should be a law if you have a no soliciting sign clearly visible in your door.

Then again, what about things like girl scout cookies and other stuff that actually does good in the community?

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by SportsDino

and all of them are inefficient, making a pitch for something at a time I don't care to hear about it,

In theory, sure, but trust me they are NOT inefficient.
I employ it for our security monitoring products, we maintain around a 30% close rate on cold walk up knocks.