Watch out for AllAboutTheBaby!
StarrDeath
member
(Warning: It's pretty long! I got a little caught up!)
Hey ladies, I just thought I'd warn you guys about this.
I just got off the phone with All About the Baby (www.allaboutthebaby.com), phone number 845-694-7045, who say they were calling to "verify" my information that I signed up with to receive free baby stuff. I had to ask again what site it was supposed to be from, since I had signed up with a couple different sites for free samples of baby stuff.
EVERY piece of information, besides my phone number, was wrong. It was correct at one point in my life, but the information was 3 years old! And it said that I had a child that was already born! (my first is due in December) He then started rattling off different offers, like free college information, pre-approved Visa cards, sweepstakes, "Free trial" memberships to things I dont need or want. The more I said no to, the angrier this guy got!
While saying no to all of his offers, I went online to the website to see exactly what it was all about. And you can tell that this entire operation is set up to try and gather information from people. So, at the end of his list of offers, he tried to hurry off the phone with me, so I had to slow him down and I asked him to go back over everything that I had been signed up for, since he offered everything so quickly and ended the offer description with "okay? okay." to try and get me to say yes without realizing it. Well, that did NOT make him happy!
Then I asked him after he said that I had declined all offers except the free baby samples, I asked him what the privacy policy was for their company, so I know how they are going to use my information in the future. He said he "had no idea." I asked if he could look it up, and he said he had no access to "things like that." It's legally required that they provide easy access to the privacy policy, so I checked the website and voila, and upon looking, it clearly states that they well sell your information to other advertisers for "marketing purposes." So, I said that I'd like to get all of my information removed from the system.
No surprise, he "couldn't do that." He just kept saying that I had to call a special number to get removed. The "special" number was the number that showed up on my caller ID! I also asked for his name, and any employee number or ID number to identify him. I've worked in call center customer service and know that they don't have to give their full name, but they do have to provide you with some sort of identifier, so when there is an issue, they know who to go to to get it solved. He was very snippy and said he didn't have ANY identifying information beyond his first name!
After he hung up on me, I called the "special" number to get removed from their list, and upon telling the representative that I wanted to be removed, HE got angry! So he said that I had been removed, and I just wanted to verify, so I simply asked "Okay, so I won;t be receiving any free stuff, any advertisements and no more phone calls?" which, in my opinion is a fair question to ask, for verification. The answer? "Yes. CLICK, Dial tone"
On the website, there is a page to "Unsubscribe," so to make absolutely sure, I went there and entered my email address and the CAPTCHA and submitted... Error page. I tried this several times, and kept getting an error! There is also no contact information, besides an email for prospective advertisers and affiliates. I also found that this company has only been around for 6 months (started in March of 2011), which definitely makes it fishy that they had such old information on me, and clearly obvious that I did not sign up with them!
Sorry this was so long, but I thought I should put this out there so that no one else gets duped into giving them their information. Everything I've found from searching online says that it's just info gathering and selling. I've not even found someone who actually got any free stuff!
If they call you, DO NOT give them your information!!
Re: Watch out for AllAboutTheBaby!
Yeah, I have a separate email for that stuff, too, but they had an old address (from literally 3 years ago) and my maiden name. It was so obvious they had bought this off of another company.
According to their company info, their CEO is one of the founders/former president of BabyToBee, which I was a member of when my best friend was pregnant a LONG time ago, so I'm wondering if maybe they got it from there?
Great Info!! thanks for sharing!! I'm going to save that number!... I kind of want them to call.. My poor husband has gotten all my bad attitude this pregnancy, I need to take it out on someone else! lol
Thanks again for the heads up!!
You'd think they'd realize they're calling and bothering a bunch of hormonal women who are looking to release some frustration at anyone they can, and not be such jerks!
This cracks me up- seriously what a miserable job to have to do this- I can't imagine a call that they are no chewed out by a hormonal pregnant lady. Thanks guys for sharing info about this- what jerks!!
OMG! I wish i had seen this sooner! I had been receiving calls from this 845 number for a week now. Today I picked up and they gave me this crap about me having signed up at their website. I NEVE DID. But before I finally managed to get out of the conversation and hang up, I had given my baby's birth date and the spelling of my last name! When they asked for my birthday, I said..."Now why would you need to know that?" I was rattled off some malarky and I responded with, "before I say anything more, I'd like to check out your site again."
As soon as I typed in the web address, this thread popped up! yes BEWARE!!!