Lots of carpet cleaners use prerecorded calls. Well, at least one does; they might just be very busy. Every so often my phone rings, bearing only a prerecorded message from some guy named Mike, who wants me to know about carpet-cleaning specials. Last two times, he’s told me that “Electronic Coupon Code B1” qualifies me for special pricing. Caller ID is blocked. The only way to talk to them is leave a message for a callback.
First time I tried it, I got hung up on as soon as I tried to get any information beyond their alleged name - “C&R Cleaning” or “Carpet & Restoration Cleaning”.
Second time, I got them to give me a callback number. 651-264-9616. It’s in the wrong area code for the 264 prefix, but that’s okay, it’s disconnected anyway. They also said they were in the phonebook, but the only C&R I could find in the phonebook claimed to be no relation. They called back this morning, and gave a new number – 952-264-9696. Also disconnected, but long distance! And, when I started asking for confirmation that they were for real, “Brenda” hung up on me.
All of their calls come with caller ID blocked; it says “private caller”. So. We have the information that this is a carpet cleaning company, doing both regular cleaning and water damage, and also upholstery. People there have identified themselves as Mike, Brenda, and (I think) Lisa. They’ve violated the TCPA a couple of times, but what’s really interesting is their absolute commitment to lying about everything. A search of the Secretary of State records doesn’t turn them up, unless they’re one of the handful of assumed names, or the “domestic corporation” which doesn’t provide even a street address, not even to the secretary of state! Neat.
So. What to do? Looks like I have to initiate a John Doe suit against them, to do subpoenas, to make Qwest stop actively shielding fraudulent entities from being identified by their potential victims. Woo!
Comments [archived]
From: Shivering Timbers
Date: 2005-05-02 15:42:58 -0500
Okay, so they blast out prerecorded messages presumably in the hopes of getting new business.
But they don’t leave a real phone number, and they hang up on callers who want to know who they are. How is a customer supposed to actually hire them? This doesn’t sound like a recipe for success.
(By the way, 952 is not long distance from 651. At least not until St. Paul decides to formally join the Confederate States of America)