Got A Call From Nra

[FC]

You know those famous phone calls where a guy surveys you with a polically loaded question that leads you to NRA renewal of membership? "Would you agree that ..... policies will lead to ....?"

 

Well, I'm no dummy. I told the guy I was not going to renew. I'm tired of being inundated with NRA junk mail (that's where my membership money went in the past), and don't want phone calls begging for money. Well, he had good news for me! There was an NRA program where I could give him money and not get as many mailings!

 

The NRA needs a massive make-over. It isn't reaching beyond the choir, it mismanages money, and it is not innovative. It has a horrible public image. Time for a change!

 

Well the phone call ended when I told him he could mail me the information for me to look at. That abruptly ended the phone call. Guess he gets no brownie points without a sale?

[BradD]

Tony, I'm a Patron Life Member and plan on becoming a Benefactor in the future (then you're really out of things they can sell you).

 

A funny thing happened, when I became a regular Life Member years ago all the junk stopped coming. I now just get a life insurance offer once every year or two and a letter or two from the ILA.

 

Apparently when you go Life they treat you with more respect and I actually like the NRA now.

 

Might be worth trying.

 

Brad

[AzRednek]

I still get calls after becoming a Lifetime member many years ago. I act surprised and say "no guns in my home is this a joke" when they called. I did get a call about a year ago selling NRA life and long term care insurance. As I usually I usually do with phone solicitors except charities, I screw with them, say yes to whatever they are selling. The caller said he would send the information and a couple days later got a call from a local person wanting to know when he could bring it by. I made an appointment, sent him to the wrong address and when he called after what I assume was showing up at the wrong address, I played dumb. I have a bunch of queers that live down the street from me I often give their address when contacted by phone solicitors. The most recent, getting a call on my cell selling air conditioning service.

[FC]

You are truly evil, do you know that?!

[dindvik]

I still get calls after becoming a Lifetime member many years ago. I act surprised and say "no guns in my home is this a joke" when they called. I did get a call about a year ago selling NRA life and long term care insurance. As I usually I usually do with phone solicitors except charities, I screw with them, say yes to whatever they are selling. The caller said he would send the information and a couple days later got a call from a local person wanting to know when he could bring it by. I made an appointment, sent him to the wrong address and when he called after what I assume was showing up at the wrong address, I played dumb. I have a bunch of queers that live down the street from me I often give their address when contacted by phone solicitors. The most recent, getting a call on my cell selling air conditioning service.

If you care that little, why not quit?

[BradD]

Well, I think we're not all on the same track here, but AZ I loved your post.

 

Brad

[AzRednek]

If you care that little, why not quit?

 

It is not that I don't care about the NRA, I despise telephone solicitations no matter whom they are representing.

 

I have placed both my phone numbers on the do not call lists but somehow I still keep getting calls. A call from like the Salvation Army or Goodwill saying they will have a truck in my neighborhood wanting to know if I have any usable discards I don't mind. Some of the other charities I give money to might call once or twice a year and that is fine. Calls trying to sell something just send my blood pressure boiling. The biggest pain are the alarm co's telling me I have been chosen to receive a free home alarm or the so-called surveys. About a month ago I ordered a CD set from Time/Life for my g/f. The woman that took the order kept trying to sell crap like travel discounts and emergency road service after she had by bank card # and the order placed. I yelled what part of no don't you understand and she just kept talking. I just hung up and sure enough she called right back with some excuse about not being sure she had the correct address. After I verified the address she started selling more garbage. Being fed-up I called her the worse possible thing one might say to a black female and she still wouldn't shut up. When I demanded a supervisor because I wanted to cancel the order I was placed on hold and after waiting apx 10 minutes I got tired of waiting.

 

 

[Dr.Hess]

Charities and politicians don't have to abide by the do not call list. Funny how the politicians included themselves in that exception. My own phone defense is:

 

Do not call list

Phone machine spoofer that sends a "not valid phone number" signal to their auto dialer

Service from phone company that blocks all anonymous or blocked caller ID phone calls. The phone company sells your number to the phone spammers, then charges you $5/mo to block their calls.

 

Between all of that, I'm down to about 1-2 calls a month, down from 2-3 every day. Any phone spammers that get through that, I report to the FTC. After congradulating them on getting through my defenses, I inform them that I'm reporting them to the Feds.

 

[Limpid Lizard]

AZ, Perhaps you are getting so many solicitation phone calls because someone down the street does not like rednecks. I find it a little unsettling that what you dislike being done to you, you enjoy doing to others. LL

[FC]

I did quit. The only worthwhile thing was American Rifleman magazine.

 

How do you report sales calls from non-charities?

[AzRednek]

AZ, Perhaps you are getting so many solicitation phone calls because someone down the street does not like rednecks. I find it a little unsettling that what you dislike being done to you, you enjoy doing to others. LL

 

I can assure you the queers down the street don't mind having servicemen show up at their front door. Apparently I did somebody a favor as they now have an alarm system.

 

Tony I'm not certain whom to complain to. I've written the FCC 3 times and never got an answer. Two complaints involved being sold a record company contract and cell phone service I declined but I was signed up anyway. RCA and AT&T had my account numbers from doing business with them prior. Although I declined the offers the salesperson signed me up anyway. RCA was an easy fix, AT&T turned a month's worth of cell service over to a collection agency. At the time AT&T was my long distance carrier and automatically debited my bank account. When AT&T refused to fix it I had to reverse the charges at the bank.

 

 

[AzRednek]

Wish i had the kahonies to pull this with phone solicitors.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNDvmA-abh0

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9nJ0rpAcqk...feature=related

 

[Dr.Hess]

FC, they used to do the telemarketing reporting by email. It was FTC for a while, then FCC. Now the FCC has a web page:

 

http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm

 

It does cause the telemarketers pain.

[dindvik]

It is not that I don't care about the NRA, I despise telephone solicitations no matter whom they are representing.

 

I have placed both my phone numbers on the do not call lists but somehow I still keep getting calls. A call from like the Salvation Army or Goodwill saying they will have a truck in my neighborhood wanting to know if I have any usable discards I don't mind. Some of the other charities I give money to might call once or twice a year and that is fine. Calls trying to sell something just send my blood pressure boiling. The biggest pain are the alarm co's telling me I have been chosen to receive a free home alarm or the so-called surveys. About a month ago I ordered a CD set from Time/Life for my g/f. The woman that took the order kept trying to sell crap like travel discounts and emergency road service after she had by bank card # and the order placed. I yelled what part of no don't you understand and she just kept talking. I just hung up and sure enough she called right back with some excuse about not being sure she had the correct address. After I verified the address she started selling more garbage. Being fed-up I called her the worse possible thing one might say to a black female and she still wouldn't shut up. When I demanded a supervisor because I wanted to cancel the order I was placed on hold and after waiting apx 10 minutes I got tired of waiting.

Even the ones how are trying to help you keep your guns???

[FC]

I read the same tired arguments from the NRA that I read in 1971. It's time to get new ideas/innovation. Also, what's the value of me joining just so my money can turn around and be sent to me in gobs of mailings from the NRA? It's a waste of my money for the most part. If they did their jobs, tried to reach the average Jane and Joe with discussion they could relate to, and didn't blow their money on attempts to get more money, I'd join. A salesman for NRA that won't mail me the information to consider, and uses sales schemes on me is not serious, and is not getting my money.

[BradD]

Tony, you are the average joe. What were you hoping for?

[Horsefly]

I was a NRA member for 30 years until I started getting phone calls night after night asking for more money.It was always at 9:00 to 9:30,and I get up at 3:45,so I ask them to please take me off their calling list,but,alas,to no avail,so I drop out and blocked their calls.Years ago,right after the McDonalds shooting in California.NRA called a night or 2 after the shooting,and me and the salesman got into a big phone fuss over the rights of citizens to own fully auto weapons without any restrictions,and I nearly cancelled then.They had a promotion several years ago that as a member,you could hunt at the Whittington Center at Raton New Mexico.I checked into an elk hunt,and it was as much or more as an outfitter guided hunt.Maybe I'm a stick-in-the-mud,but I hate begging in any form and sales gimmicks mule-lip me.I belong to the Texas State Rifle Association and Black Powder Association,and that's enough for me.I would love to believe in them and be as proud a member as I was 20 years ago,but it aint worth it to me.If they would never,ever call me,or send those letters stating that we're right on the verge of losing our guns and it maybe already too late,I might join again.After all these years,I'm just tired of it.For you younger guys that are proud and happy members,I'm very happy for you and wish I could get the feeling back. Jerry

[FC]

Businesses do not achieve excellence apart from making their customers feel special, whether they are average or not.

The NRA feels like they are the only voice of gun owners- the alpha and omega of the shooting world. Well, that's an attitude that will lose them members.

I agree with Jerry.

[Dr.Hess]

Well, my own personal opinion is that I don't like the spam either. However, with my phone defenses, I don't get much phone spam anymore, I've told the NRA to put me on their do not call list, and I rarely get any junk mail from them. Occasionally, but not too much. It goes in the shredder just fine. However, I think that even with all their limitations, they are a positive force for gun owners and they deserve our support. What is it? $35/yr? I think they do at least $35/yr worth of pain for the anti-gun crowd for me. I don't care about their magazine. I glance at American Rifleman, but that's about it. I think that come November, I'll be sending a check to JPFO or GOA or maybe both just to keep the pot stirred. We're going to be in for a tough spell here again.

 

[FC]

You are right Dr. Hess. I contend though that NRA has to stop being the rigid bureaucracy and get in touch with the non-shooting public. The NRA preaches only to the choir, and loses the public every time it speaks. Isn't there anyplace that has it figured out that the job at hand is not just political action committees, but the sentiments of the public at large? No, I don't think so.

Job one is not lunch with the senator, but convincing the public that there are really good reasons they should want to own a gun. All have failed at the task.

Add to it that I'm dealing with an unresponsive, large organization, but bozo who only cares about making his sale. He sure didn't send me any literature to view before making a decision.

In short- I want customer service and a product I believe in. The NRA won't flex on anything. 1971, "They're all going to take our guns away! Help now, or else!" 2008, same story, same alert that the end is near. except, for some strange reason we have conceal-carry laws, which I don't think are the product of the NRA.

So, if Obama wins, are we going back to the press with the 1970s bumper sticker, "They can have my gun when they pry it out of my cold, dead fingers", or are we going to tackle the problem with a new battle plan? I don't see any new battle plans that would get my mom or sister to accept firearms as your right.

In the NRA I don't see leadership- I see a self-sustaining organization that reminds me of the AFL-CIO.

[dindvik]

You are right Dr. Hess. I contend though that NRA has to stop being the rigid bureaucracy and get in touch with the non-shooting public. The NRA preaches only to the choir, and loses the public every time it speaks. Isn't there anyplace that has it figured out that the job at hand is not just political action committees, but the sentiments of the public at large? No, I don't think so.

Job one is not lunch with the senator, but convincing the public that there are really good reasons they should want to own a gun. All have failed at the task.

Add to it that I'm dealing with an unresponsive, large organization, but bozo who only cares about making his sale. He sure didn't send me any literature to view before making a decision.

In short- I want customer service and a product I believe in. The NRA won't flex on anything. 1971, "They're all going to take our guns away! Help now, or else!" 2008, same story, same alert that the end is near. except, for some strange reason we have conceal-carry laws, which I don't think are the product of the NRA.

So, if Obama wins, are we going back to the press with the 1970s bumper sticker, "They can have my gun when they pry it out of my cold, dead fingers", or are we going to tackle the problem with a new battle plan? I don't see any new battle plans that would get my mom or sister to accept firearms as your right.

In the NRA I don't see leadership- I see a self-sustaining organization that reminds me of the AFL-CIO.

I don't see the NRA giving money to the anti- gun dems like the afl-cio does!

[FC]

You know that I didn't say it WAS the AFL-CIO, I said it reminded me of it. Big, self-important, and mostly interested in its own sustainability.

[dindvik]

You know that I didn't say it WAS the AFL-CIO, I said it reminded me of it. Big, self-important, and mostly interested in its own sustainability.

So what is the battle plan quit the NRA and put our hope in the supreame court!

[Horsefly]

When I hear credit given to NRA for saving the 2nd from someone besides NRA,and I haven't heard them claim it yet,I'll join again if I can get a promise of no late night calls.I hope they were responceable and don't see how it happened without them.If they can get their money gathering skills up to the same level as their lobbying skills,they'll be back on track with some members.Good for us and good for the Supreme Court.Lets not fuss over the good and bad of NRA because of past bad experiences some of us older folks has had with probably paid money beggers that worked on a commission.There's something wrong when you wear their belt buckles,have their sticker on the back glass of your truck,and have kept your dues paid for 30 years,and someone calls repeatidly at 9:00pm and more or less says your a sorry because you don't send more money now,and the whole country is going to loose their guns because of you.Maybe they've changed and I can rejoin.Jerry

[724wd]

I've only received one call from the NRA. i had a year to year membership, during the middle of which, my dad gifted me a life membership. of course I let the year to year lapse, and then a woman called, trying to re-up me. i told her i was life member, and she asked for money. i'm broke as a joke, so she got nothing from me. Perhaps when i win the lottery. they may have called other times, but if i don't recognize the number on caller ID, i don't answer it. I've never received a call at 9 or later. i agree with those that say they should stop preaching to the choir and target the general public. I would like to see a public image campaign that "cleans up" the image of the NRA to the rest of the country. it seems to me like they're viewed as an extremist group, which to a point they are. i would love to donate more to them, but don't have it to give.

 

heath