S/O Beggars, Moochers and Scammers

[2littlemonkeys]

About 20 years ago I was targeted by an car insurance sales company. I told them that I didn't have a car (I was in grad school and lived in a large city with good public transit.) They kept telling me that it was common for people without cars to buy the insurance first and I was being a negligent human by not paying for it.  At that point I figured it was a scam.

One day they called me up and offered me $50 of free gas if I bought their insurance.  I said, "I don't own a car and don't plan to buy one!  I don't want your insurance so please stop calling me!"

The woman said, "Well don't you want the gas certificate to fill up your riding lawn mower?"

The sheer inanity of that made me laugh for a good ten minutes.

Wait.  WHAT?  That doesn't even make sense on so many levels! (And I know you know that but...WHAT?)

[LazyDaisy]

About 20 years ago I was targeted by an car insurance sales company. I told them that I didn't have a car (I was in grad school and lived in a large city with good public transit.) They kept telling me that it was common for people without cars to buy the insurance first and I was being a negligent human by not paying for it.  At that point I figured it was a scam.

One day they called me up and offered me $50 of free gas if I bought their insurance.  I said, "I don't own a car and don't plan to buy one!  I don't want your insurance so please stop calling me!"

The woman said, "Well don't you want the gas certificate to fill up your riding lawn mower?"

The sheer inanity of that made me laugh for a good ten minutes.

Wait.  WHAT?  That doesn't even make sense on so many levels! (And I know you know that but...WHAT?)

I think that in California at least, a car dealership can't legally sell a car to someone without proof of minimum insurance coverage...so yes, those in the market to buy a car would set up the insurance first, buy the car and then drive it off the lot...sort of like needing the drivers license first, then buying the car. But it is ridiculous that she kept it up after you indicated that you were not intending to buy a car at all.

[Shalamar]

Speaking of car rental places ... my family and I visited Orlando in March 2012.  Due to some flight delays, we arrived at the Orlando airport a few hours later than expected.  We were tired and hungry, and we just wanted to get the rental car we'd booked, find the house we'd rented, and get some food. 

The lineup at Hertz was very long.  When we finally reached a clerk, we found out why it was so long - he immediately tried to upsell us to a bigger car.

Him:  You only requested a compact.  That won't be enough room for all four of you and your luggage.
Us:  We'll make do. 
Him:  Wouldn't you like to have a bigger car?  We've got some really nice ones.
Us:   That depends - will you upgrade us for free?
Him:  Well, no.  It'll cost you an extra $x per day.
Us:  Then no, thank you.  We'll take the car we requested, please.
Him:  Are you sure?  The Blah car will be much more comfortable.

This went on for a good five minutes, despite us saying "no" over and over as politely as possible.  Meanwhile, we could feel the angry stares of everyone in the line behind us.

[2littlemonkeys]

About 20 years ago I was targeted by an car insurance sales company. I told them that I didn't have a car (I was in grad school and lived in a large city with good public transit.) They kept telling me that it was common for people without cars to buy the insurance first and I was being a negligent human by not paying for it.  At that point I figured it was a scam.

One day they called me up and offered me $50 of free gas if I bought their insurance.  I said, "I don't own a car and don't plan to buy one!  I don't want your insurance so please stop calling me!"

The woman said, "Well don't you want the gas certificate to fill up your riding lawn mower?"

The sheer inanity of that made me laugh for a good ten minutes.

Wait.  WHAT?  That doesn't even make sense on so many levels! (And I know you know that but...WHAT?)

I think that in California at least, a car dealership can't legally sell a car to someone without proof of minimum insurance coverage...so yes, those in the market to buy a car would set up the insurance first, buy the car and then drive it off the lot...sort of like needing the drivers license first, then buying the car. But it is ridiculous that she kept it up after you indicated that you were not intending to buy a car at all.

Oh, it's like that here in IL too but at least you're in the market for a car, have a make and model to work with and are usually thisclose to signing off on everything.  And you usually contact the insurance company to initiate the policy.  I can't believe they think anyone would fall for the "Well, I might have a car someday, so I really should just get insurance now." line.  I wonder how many did.

[rose red]

During a vacation in Cancun, there were people at the airport in official looking booths selling tours at a discount.  When we got to the hotel for the welcome meeting, they warned guests those are scams and if anyone brought a tour to see them.  Luckily I talked my companions out of listening because we were late for the bus to the hotel.

[magician5]

Sitting at my desk today, not a care in the world. Phone rings. It's a robot. "This is our LAST ATTEMPT to contact you regarding your winning entry to win a BRAND NEW SUV" ... I hung up.

[pause ... pause...] I started to think "HOW BLEEDIN' STUPID DO THEY THINK..." and then my brain broke. Really, broke right in two.

[mumma to KMC]

Mooch: My in-laws bought a house to use as a rental for BIL1 (convicted felon, couldn't live in certain areas due to his conviction). BIL1 ended up back in jail and BIL2 had just been evicted from his rental and moved in. Neither of them paid rent the entire time they were living there. BIL2 ended up getting married and his wife moved in with their daughter (long story) and they ended up having two more children before BIL1 was released from jail. BIL2 and his wife were asked to move out (after not paying rent for 3 years) so that BIL1 could move back in. SIL got upset and phoned the police, making up a parole violation about BIL1, so that they could keep living there rent free. (This whole thing was fun to watch from afar, I will assure you that.)

Beggars/scammer: BIL1, prior to being sent to jail in the first place, called my dh's (then DF) phone at midnight to inform him that their father wanted the money lent to my dh back. (DH was fresh out of school and had a small car repair that needed to be done between paydays and didn't want to put it on his credit card, so he asked his dad for a loan of $150 to cover for a few days.) How BIL1 knew about the loan in the first place is beyond me, and FIL had no idea why the heck BIL1 would be making that call, at midnight, no less. I think that BIL1 heard the exchange between FIL and my dh and was upset that FIL would not lend him any money, so while in an "altered state" placed the call.

Scammers: When we first bought our house, we needed to have a landline to have internet, so we had one installed and plugged a phone in, for ER use only. (It cost $.10 a minute to call out on it; incoming calls were free.) From time to time, my dh would call the house line, mainly to get a hold of me, b/c I wasn't answering my cell (because I didn't hear it), but mainly the calls were for a certain family who had a hard time paying their bills. The calls would come in not daily, but weekly from bill collectors and were fairly annoying and I usually let them go to the answering machine. I suspected they were still giving out our # as theirs when we started getting new calls from different collection agencies, a year after we moved in.   I managed to confirm this with an insurance agent, who said that they were just given the number a few weeks back and with the bail bondsman who said that it was the number given when they signed the bond form.  We switched ISP over the summer, so who knows who is getting these calls now.

[heartmug]

Scamming SIL has struck again.  Just when we think she can't think up a new one......

This morning she has a facebook invite "Come see off my parents before their big trip and say hi to my brother" was basicially the title of the invite.  This is a big deal anniversary trip for his parents that they have been talking about forever and finally get to take.  DH will  happen to be in town next month for business and decided to spend the weekend with them and then take them to the airport.  So SIL takes it upon herself to throw a party that Sunday at a place where everyone will pay for themselves and when you open the invitiation, oh by the way, it will be just a few days before her daughter's birthday so they will be celebrating that too.  She is the queen at hinting for gifts.

[gramma dishes]

^^^  My, wouldn't it be just so sad if no one shows up is able to come to her party?   

Is there any way you can persuade your DH to take them to the airport early or something so they won't be there?   

[heartmug]

^^^  My, wouldn't it be just so sad if no one shows up is able to come to her party?   

Is there any way you can persuade your DH to take them to the airport early or something so they won't be there?   

I like your idea.  Maybe.

[gramma dishes]

Just out of curiosity, what do your parents in law think of this SIL's party plan?

I would think the very last thing I'd want to do the night before venturing on my "trip of a lifetime" would be to attend a party, even if it was in my honor!   Maybe especially if!  I'd just want to double check to be sure I'd packed everything, have my ID and passport ready and where I can't forget it, have arranged for my mail to be held or delivered elsewhere during my absence, etc. 

I would not want to be around of bunch of other people keeping me up too late so that I couldn't start the day refreshed! 

[snowflake]

About 20 years ago I was targeted by an car insurance sales company. I told them that I didn't have a car (I was in grad school and lived in a large city with good public transit.) They kept telling me that it was common for people without cars to buy the insurance first and I was being a negligent human by not paying for it.  At that point I figured it was a scam.

One day they called me up and offered me $50 of free gas if I bought their insurance.  I said, "I don't own a car and don't plan to buy one!  I don't want your insurance so please stop calling me!"

The woman said, "Well don't you want the gas certificate to fill up your riding lawn mower?"

The sheer inanity of that made me laugh for a good ten minutes.

Wait.  WHAT?  That doesn't even make sense on so many levels! (And I know you know that but...WHAT?)

I think that in California at least, a car dealership can't legally sell a car to someone without proof of minimum insurance coverage...so yes, those in the market to buy a car would set up the insurance first, buy the car and then drive it off the lot...sort of like needing the drivers license first, then buying the car. But it is ridiculous that she kept it up after you indicated that you were not intending to buy a car at all.

That's true where I live too.   But real insurance agencies ask for the information of the car and driver and how much driving will be done.  They don't randomly offer car insurance for any make/model/driving history.  I'm pretty sure people without cars cannot just buy a generic insurance that covers everything.

[LazyDaisy]

About 20 years ago I was targeted by an car insurance sales company. I told them that I didn't have a car (I was in grad school and lived in a large city with good public transit.) They kept telling me that it was common for people without cars to buy the insurance first and I was being a negligent human by not paying for it.  At that point I figured it was a scam.

One day they called me up and offered me $50 of free gas if I bought their insurance.  I said, "I don't own a car and don't plan to buy one!  I don't want your insurance so please stop calling me!"

The woman said, "Well don't you want the gas certificate to fill up your riding lawn mower?"

The sheer inanity of that made me laugh for a good ten minutes.

Wait.  WHAT?  That doesn't even make sense on so many levels! (And I know you know that but...WHAT?)

I think that in California at least, a car dealership can't legally sell a car to someone without proof of minimum insurance coverage...so yes, those in the market to buy a car would set up the insurance first, buy the car and then drive it off the lot...sort of like needing the drivers license first, then buying the car. But it is ridiculous that she kept it up after you indicated that you were not intending to buy a car at all.

That's true where I live too.   But real insurance agencies ask for the information of the car and driver and how much driving will be done.  They don't randomly offer car insurance for any make/model/driving history.  I'm pretty sure people without cars cannot just buy a generic insurance that covers everything.

Liability insurance (minimum required by law in California) covers only the damage I do to another car or driver so doesn't require any information about what car I drive, my record, or how much I drive. I've had liability insurance without having a car so that I'm covered if I rent or borrow a car. When I purchased a car, then I called up the agent and set up the rest.

[weeblewobble]

During a vacation in Cancun, there were people at the airport in official looking booths selling tours at a discount.  When we got to the hotel for the welcome meeting, they warned guests those are scams and if anyone brought a tour to see them.  Luckily I talked my companions out of listening because we were late for the bus to the hotel.

We went to a resort in the Caribbean and when we landed at the island airport there was a big sign that had all of the different major resort chain names on it. "Resort A, Resort B, Resort C, Resort D - Visitor Orientation Here!"  right by the baggage claim. So if you were a guest at these resorts, you would naturally assume that you were supposed to stop there and do your orientation.  And if you didn't assume that, there were "travel agents" posted at the entrance to tell you to come into the session.

Fortunately, we'd been warned ahead of time by friends who had traveled to the resort before, and said "No thanks."  The "travel agents" were insistent that we had to come in and we got pretty firm with them in order to get through to the area where the resort buses were loading up.

We were told that once you went into this session, the travel agents started giving a time-share presentation for a resort that was in no way attached to the resorts advertised on the sign.  So you were staying at one resort and a completely different resort was trying to suck you into buying future vacations with them. If you tried to leave the presentation, two travel agents posted at the entrance would steer you back into the meeting room. It was very high pressure and unless you were willing to get downright hateful with the travel agents and making a scene, you were stuck.

To add insult to injury, when the tourists emerged from this hour-long sales pitch, the buses that were supposed to take them to their respective resorts had already left. And wouldn't you know it, the time share salesmen had a bus available but it was $35 to $50 a head, depending on where you resort was.

So it was a sort of double-scam. If they couldn't get you for the time-share, they'd get you for the bus fare.

We got to our resort unscathed, but that night at dinner, we heard several complaining about the strong arm tactics used.  Our waiter explained that the resorts had tried to stop this time-share company from doing this, but the time-share company kept finding legal loopholes to get away with it.

[Julian]

Weeblewobble's airport scammer story above brought to mind an incident that happened several years ago.

My exGF and I used to fly very regularly out of Home City all over Australia.  During the early days we'd catch a taxi to the airport, it was around $20-22 depending on time of day and traffic.

One day, on return, a limo driver was in the baggage collection area touting for business (which I believe is illegal).  Anyway, he saw us getting our luggage and offered to take us home for the same price as a regular cab.

Woohoo!  Great deal.  He put the bags in the boot, we got buckled up, and off we went.  Halfway home, he said 'So, what's a cab usually cost you?  $50?  $60?"  No, we replied in unison, usually around about $21.  I could see his face fall in the rear view mirror!

Anyway, he made the deal, hoped for a scam, and got beaten.  Scammer Fail!