Phone rings. The caller is from some insurance company. She tells me that it is noted that the manufacturer's warranty has run out on our 2008 Chevy Aveo. She is calling to offer me an extended warranty to cover the next 6 years.
After collecting some info from me, she launches into this 3 or 4 minute soliloquy about all the grand advantages of purchasing an extended warranty. She talks about all the various systems in the car that will be included and the peace of mind a person will have KNOWING their automobile is covered from bumper-to-bumper.
Finally stopping for air, she tells me that it only costs around $2500 for the entirety of the 6 year period. However, if that is too much to cough up at one time, I could simply pay yearly.
"So, can I sign YOU up today?" she asks.
"I would want to see it in writing first," I reply.
There is a pregnant pause. "You want to see it in writing?"
"Yes."
"Oh," she says in a flat voice. "Let me see what I can do about that."
At this juncture, I expected the ever annoying muzak that so many outfits utilize when placing people on hold. In this case, however, there was dead silence. Had she hung up on me? At about the time that I thought she had, a new voice came on the line.
This time it was a guy who said he was some kind of supervisor or manager. He told me that, in looking at my file, I was eligible for a $100 discount!! Wooooo!! He had a proposition for me that he knew would put my mind at ease.
All I would need to do today was pay $280 and then they would send me the paperwork I had requested. I could read it over for an entire 30 days and, if I wasn't completely satisfied with the excellent benefits they offered, I could call them up to cancel the deal. However, if I was satisfied -- which he had every confidence that I would be -- I didn't have to do anything.
"Will you be paying by credit card?" he asked.
"Let me get this straight," I said. "You want me to pay now and then, and only then, you will send me the particulars of this wonderful plan?"
"Yes and you will have 30 days to review it."
"I've got a better idea," I responded. "How about you send me all your written information first and, if I decide it looks worthwhile, I'll call you up."
Another pregnant pause. "I'm sorry, but we can't do that."
"Then, I decline your offer."
He barely mumbled a thank you, then hung up.
If the plan was really as wonderful as these two salespeople said it was, what is the fear in allowing a potential customer to see it in writing first?
You know the answer to that question as well as I do!!!
After collecting some info from me, she launches into this 3 or 4 minute soliloquy about all the grand advantages of purchasing an extended warranty. She talks about all the various systems in the car that will be included and the peace of mind a person will have KNOWING their automobile is covered from bumper-to-bumper.
Finally stopping for air, she tells me that it only costs around $2500 for the entirety of the 6 year period. However, if that is too much to cough up at one time, I could simply pay yearly.
"So, can I sign YOU up today?" she asks.
"I would want to see it in writing first," I reply.
There is a pregnant pause. "You want to see it in writing?"
"Yes."
"Oh," she says in a flat voice. "Let me see what I can do about that."
At this juncture, I expected the ever annoying muzak that so many outfits utilize when placing people on hold. In this case, however, there was dead silence. Had she hung up on me? At about the time that I thought she had, a new voice came on the line.
This time it was a guy who said he was some kind of supervisor or manager. He told me that, in looking at my file, I was eligible for a $100 discount!! Wooooo!! He had a proposition for me that he knew would put my mind at ease.
All I would need to do today was pay $280 and then they would send me the paperwork I had requested. I could read it over for an entire 30 days and, if I wasn't completely satisfied with the excellent benefits they offered, I could call them up to cancel the deal. However, if I was satisfied -- which he had every confidence that I would be -- I didn't have to do anything.
"Will you be paying by credit card?" he asked.
"Let me get this straight," I said. "You want me to pay now and then, and only then, you will send me the particulars of this wonderful plan?"
"Yes and you will have 30 days to review it."
"I've got a better idea," I responded. "How about you send me all your written information first and, if I decide it looks worthwhile, I'll call you up."
Another pregnant pause. "I'm sorry, but we can't do that."
"Then, I decline your offer."
He barely mumbled a thank you, then hung up.
If the plan was really as wonderful as these two salespeople said it was, what is the fear in allowing a potential customer to see it in writing first?
You know the answer to that question as well as I do!!!
Sounds familiar. I signed up to be listed in the Stanford Who's Who of American Business or something, trying to get my name out there. Got a call yesterday from some guy in Dallas who went through a song and dance about all the great benefits and networking to be gained by the listing - then wanted almost $3000 for the platinum benefit plan.
ReplyDeleteThere must be an awful lot of really gullible, really wealthy people out there wanting to waste money any way they can. I sure wish one would come find me!