When Birdbrains Call

Unsolicited calls have become a part and parcel of our life. It seems that we just cannot get rid of them. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recently issued new guidelines Under the new guidelines, a penalty of Rs 500-1,000 will be imposed on telemarketers for every unsolicited commercial call (UCC) made to subscribers registered with National-Do-Not-Call (NDNC) registry. In the US, such calls can make companies pay fines of up to $11,000 USD.

Only time can tell if these calls will one day become extinct. But for now, I would like to share a conversation I had with a telemarketer earlier today:

BirdBrain Caller: Hello Sir, I am calling from XXX Bank.
Me: Ma’am I do not want to take a load from you?
BirdBrain Caller: But Sir, I am not selling any loan. I’ve called up to inform you that I have a pre-approved credit card for you. I just wanted to have it sent across to you.
Me: So you want my address, is that it?
BirdBrain Caller: Yes and also two photographs, last two salary slips, six-month bank statements, and a canalled out account payee check for ECS payments. I would also like to know your name and address.
Me: First you say you have a pre-approved credit card for me and then you want all these documents from me. Don’t you ever call back.

These telemarketers are such a desperate lot that they will make up any story to get people to buy their products. It doesn’t matter if by doing so, they not only make themselves, but also the banks they represent, as imbeciles of the first order. Now if a bank has issued a pre-approved credit card for me, why would it want and income proof? Also if the bank doesn’t even know my name, how could it issue a credit card? Last time I checked, all my cards had my name printed on them and not my telephone number.