It was a dark and stormy night when Choreboy
> wrote:
>> March 9, somebody from 877 467 3277 called. I answered on the second
>> ring and they hung up. They did it again March 19 and March 29.
> Large telemarketing operations sometimes use dialers that call
> numbers, and when there is an answer shunt the call to an available
> human telemarketer. If all the telemarketers are busy (on the phone,
> on break, whatever), you get a few seconds of dead air, then it hangs > up.
> This is an efficient use of the (probably minimum-wage) telemarketers,
> as they don't waste time dialing, waiting while it rings, getting
> answering machines, etc. The efficiency, of course, comes at the
> expense of the victims like you.
That could explain what happened March 9. I answered on five rings. After eight seconds or so I heard a click.
It wouldn't explain the next two calls. March 19 I answered on four rings and got a dial tone. March 29 I answered on one or two rings and heard a click a second or so after I said hello.
I can't be sure it's Sears. In the past few months, Caller ID has shown apparent telemarketers calling from out-of-service numbers, from
888-888-8888, and from 111-111-1111.Choreboy