I had some fun tonight

NYMomof2 · 08-13-2009, 09:03 PM

S! will be entering 11th grade this fall, and I have gotten a number of phone calls offering SAT prep services. S1 insists that he has not given out our phone number, but maybe the school has. When the woman tonight started her spiel about how my son would be taking the SAT this year, and needed preparation, I said, "I don't see why he needs to prepare. I never did, why should he?" There was a moment of shocked silence before she hung up.

Kelowna · 08-13-2009, 09:46 PM

Collegeboard selling info?

DS participated in the regional talent search. You would not believe the amount of correspondence he got from boarding schools. At first it was fun but then plain annoying...

NYMomof2 · 08-13-2009, 09:58 PM

S1 took the SAT several years ago for CTY. It also occurs to me that he has taken two AP exams so far. Maybe the College Board is selling his information? They would know what grade he is in.

He never got any material from boarding schools.

dmd77 · 08-13-2009, 10:13 PM

I doubt if the school or the College Board gave out the information. Does your town library have a copy of the yearbook? Do they post the class lists at the elementary school? You'd be amazed how many people gather that info and keep it.

nngmm · 08-13-2009, 10:31 PM

The class year info is everywhere, including facebook. But how did they get the phone number??

IMHopeful · 08-13-2009, 10:39 PM

It is unfortunately very very easy for marketing firms to get phone numbers for a targeted list of prospective clients, with very detailed information about their circumstances and preferences. I recently had a direct marketing firm give a presentation at our business about their capabilities and frankly, it was sort of scary the level of detail they had about people.

giftedgothic · 08-13-2009, 10:41 PM

I'd be really careful of this. Earlier in the year, I got a shady person calling the house about SAT prep. The guy just sounded extremely creepy, so I looked up the number on caller ID. It ended up being one of the biggest scams out there. A girl in my AP Lit class got a call about AP prep, and he, too, was very pushy and sketchy.

We have no idea how they got our numbers.

Lafalum84 · 08-13-2009, 10:43 PM

We got a call from someone last year who started out by saying, "Your daughter checked off the box about SAT prep..." and I stopped him right there.
"What box?"
"Ummm.... the one that said she'd be interested in SAT prep."
"On what? The PSAT?"
"It was on the thing from the school."
"Well I can guarantee you that my daughter didn't check any box on anything about SAT prep. She has zero interest."
Salesman fumbles for a minute to try to figure out how to recover from the fact that I KNOW he is lying to get to his spiel.
Me: "Sorry, we are NOT interested." Hung up.

Ironically, D did eventually take an SAT prep class. But she swears - and I believe her - she was never given anything with a box to check that asked if she was interested in a prep class, and at the time she wouldn't have checked yes anyway.

scualum · 08-13-2009, 10:49 PM

Telephone Solicitors always bring this classic to mind:

google you tube The Greatest Prank Call Ever -- still laugh every time I hear it...

giftedgothic · 08-13-2009, 10:55 PM

^^That's exactly what the guy was saying to me. How I had signed up for SAT prep... and he insisted that I did.

happymomof1 · 08-14-2009, 04:08 PM

In our school district, the PTA publishes directories for "use only by members", but the exam prep companies routinely get their hands on copies and use them for marketing. One company went so far as to send the package with a note on school letterhead making it look like the school was a co-sponsor of the course. The PTA claims to be trying to crack down on these organizations, but they either aren't making much of an effort, or the organizations don't care. Happykid has a unique family name (long story) and the only way anyone would get that name and our address is through the school system or through a PTA directory. I just pitch all of this kind of mail into the recycling bin.

With unwanted marketing phone calls, I do my best to get the name and phone number of the organization (technically either one is enough), then I tell them that since they have violated the "do not call" regulations, I am reporting them. Follow the directions at www.donotcall.gov It is a cheap thrill, but maybe they will be smacked with the $500 per call fine by the feds.

And yes, Happykid knows to never give her phone number out, so any marketing call we would get would be from someone violating the federal laws.

livesinnewjersey · 08-15-2009, 05:56 PM

Tell them your S is already enrolled in Xiggi SAT Prep- exclusively available on CC