Author’s Note: If you’re finding this site after reading about “Rachel at Cardholder Services” on NBCNews.com, welcome! To see all the stories about “Rachel”, please click here…
When I started writing what became the “Rachel” series back in May, I thought I could take some newly discovered data and create a posting or two. Little did I know as I got into it, that I was going to open up so much information that it took four articles to fully explore the truth behind the scam.
After the articles started appearing, I noticed a slight uptick in visitors to the site. While I don’t post as much as I like to, the four posts, being pre-written, could go up on a set schedule. I didn’t think much of it, but the site experienced a 10-fold increase in daily visitors. The pattern was common – everybody wanted information on Rachel and how to stop her. Continue reading
With all the news this week that the Ralph Lauren produced Olympic outfits being made in China, including Harry Reid’s comment that they should all be destroyed and remade in America, I thought this parody by the “Capitol Steps” was appropriate:
Word is just now getting out that Academy Award winning actor Ernest Borgnine passed away. The very versatile actor was 95, and had remained working up until his passing, just recently completing “The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez”.
Ernest Borgnine as Dominic Santini from “Airwolf”
In his more than 60 years as an actor, he seemed to connect with every generation, portraying various roles that would stick with him through his entire career. While others would remember him in “McHale’s Navy”, or the younger set might have recognized his voice in a few episodes of “Spongebob Squarepants”, for me, it was the TV series “Airwolf”. Continue reading
It was on this day 236 years ago, that 56 brave men gathered in the Pennsylvania State House (now called Independence Hall) in Philadelphia to sign a declaration that the 13 colonies were no longer under British rule. It took 7 years and many thousands lives lost to be victorious over the monarchy.
“The Star Spangled Banner”, performed by the Voices of Liberty at Epcot, Walt Disney World, Florida
After securing our liberty, many of them returned to that same hall, realizing that the current “Articles of Confederation” were not working, and they drafted the Constitution, which has now served this great country well for the last 225 years.
Let us not forget that men died for what we celebrate today — freedom.
Editor’s note: This is the last of four parts about the annoying “Rachel” from Cardholder Services telemarketing calls. You can find part one here, part two here, and part three here.
So, by now we have a good understanding about what I suspect makes “Rachel” work, the players behind her, and how to fight back, but the question remains, what is it going to take to put her out of our misery once and for all?
What is the Government doing with the ‘Do Not Call’ list reports?
Over the last several years, there are a number of things that has had a backlash against “Rachel”, although it doesn’t seem to slow her down too much. Continue reading
Editor’s note: This is the third of four parts about the annoying “Rachel” from Cardholder Services telemarketing calls. To read part one, click here and part two here.
So now there’s a better understanding of who the players are, and what it takes to make Rachel work, we can start to fight back against her annoying calls.
What can we do?
Before I dive in too deep into this subject. The concepts I am about to discuss are perfectly legal, and can ultimately put some rain on “Rachel’s” parade. At no time will I tell you to do something that could ultimately land you on the receiving end of legal action. Continue reading
Editor’s note: This is the second of four parts about the annoying “Rachel” from Cardholder Services telemarketing calls. To read part one, click here.
Previously, I wrote about the parties that seem as being behind those annoying calls from “Rachel” at Cardholder Services. This time, I want to consider the technology behind “Rachel”, and the way that the program works, and what it is going to take to stop her once and for all.
Since my background is telecommunications, breaking down how I suspect the system works will help to understand the means of stopping it.
How to produce 2.4 Million phone calls a day…
In a typical 12 hour window, there is no way, without thousands of people, to complete calls in the millions (as reports have indicated the volume “Rachel” achieves). They have to rely on a system called a “predictive dialer” that takes a list of telephone numbers, places the call, and if a live person answers (it has the knowledge to know human versus machine, working and non-working numbers) play a recorded message. Continue reading
Editor’s note: This is the first of four parts about the annoying “Rachel” from Cardholder Services telemarketing calls.
Back in January, I spotlighted the nightmare that is “Rachel”, and a court case to stop her. Little did I know, that I was only scratching the surface, and the facts in this case go much deeper.
Since I wrote about it in January, I’ve gotten a couple of more calls from “Rachel”, who promptly got the hang up treatment. Thinking that as the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission’s case went forward against Roy M. Cox and Castle Rock Capital Management, they would ultimately stop. But, as others have shared through the comments on my earlier post, this is not the end.
I set about to thinking about an operation like this, I came up with several questions, and set about trying to get answers. Hopefully with what I expose here, it will help readers understand it is going to take patience to end this scam. Continue reading
It has taken me over 6 years and 5 months to reach this milestone. Much longer than I had ever anticipated, but the real world and making money have to come first in my life (I do work for a living, unlike some bloggers who sit in their parent’s basement cranking out hate and filth all day long, getting money from the Government for doing nothing). Continue reading
I’ve spent the last several months working on an improved look for this site. The old version was very dated and rather basic. While it served a purpose the last couple of years, I knew it was time for a change.
On The Spot Blog will soon sport a new "modern" look.
Gone will be the “off-white” background the site has supported for most of its existence, and replacing it is an eye-friendly mix of grays and blues. The “sunshine” logo that has graced these pages faces retirement, and a new logo (and tagline) will be on the site with the launch. The new logo is still being worked on, and is the last step towards the new site rollout. Continue reading
