FUCK YOU, STOP CALLING ME - February 2015

It is a short month, but it does not mean these assholes are going to let up.  They have two less days days than the average month, any day and time is fair game.  Besides, they are a week behind.  Only three more weeks to harass me this month.

8 February 2015
  210-100-001 - TX, USA   This was a text message.  You know how I feel about text messages.  This shit just cost me twenty cents.  Like, what the fuck?  The 210 area code is in the San Antonio area, and no, I did not mess up typing in that number.  It was a six digit number. So, who would call me from Texas?  Actually, I know some people from Texas and there would be no reason for them to call me and there sure as shit would be no reason to fucking text me.  Oh, here is the text:

Text from 1 (210) 100-001

Let me break this down.  As mentioned, the 210 area code is in San Antonio.  I looked up "Chambers Construction", where apparently this message cam from, and they are located in Eugene, Oregon.  Now, what the fuck is a cowboy doing in hipsterville?  Oh, maybe they are building a new telemarketer office.

"Home alone, could you message me".  Uh...what?  Is this a stalker, waiting to kill me?  Or, could it be some sort of booty call?  Most likely the latter.  I looked up the number given, "434-922-1333". and it was reported that 'sexual text messages' were received from it.

So we have a text coming in from Texas, from a company located in Oregon, then a number from Virginia.  Oh, to add to this, I am in a totally different state.  Just how horny are you?  It could take half a day to get here and my boner pills are not supposed to last more than four hours.

20 February 2015
   928-638-4527 - AZ, USA   Hello, return caller.  Fuck you, return caller.

23 February 2015
   509-982-4532 - Odessa, WA   Ah, good old Odessa.  Oh yeah, this is another return caller.  You can go ahead an block this number.  Heck block all the numbers you see in this blog.  Me?  No, I keep it so I can let you all know when a telemarketer calls.  Fuck you, telemarketers!

Reading Rainbow - Kickstarter

So, I got this box in the mail, and I had no clue what it was.  Turns out, it was my rewards package from Kickstarter for funding Levar Burton's Bring Reading Rainbow Back for Every Child, Everywhere!  It had been a few months since the end of the funding period, so I was surprised when I received and unknown package in the mail.  Something on the box to tell me it was something I ordered eight months ago, would have helped.

Like many my age, we grew up with public television shows.  Reading Rainbow was one of the standouts. I will admit that I am not much of a reader, but I usually tried to hunt down books featured in the PBS show.  Oh, and several years later I was really into Star Trek:  The Next Generation.  I have been a fan of LeVar Burton for a while, as many of my peers are.  So, when LeVar Burton launches a Kickstarter campaign, it gets funded within a few hours.  Over 105,000 backers pledged over $5.4 million dollars to the campaign.

There were a ton of rewards with this campaign.  Everything from bumper stickers to a private dinner in the officer's lounge with Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge.  No really, a private dinner with LeVar Burton.   One of the things I wanted was a signed copy of LeVar's book.  What could be better than a book written by the guy who introduced many to...well, books.

Here is what I got.

Reading Rainbow reward package

• Tan Reading Rainbow logo T-shirt, with the famous quote, "But you don't have to take my word for it."
• Black 8-Bit T-shirt.  "Power up with Reading Rainbow"
• Coffee Mug with 8-Bit logo
• 8-Bit logo magnet
• 2015 Calender with birthdays of authors (including LeVar Burton) marked.
• The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm, a children's book by LeVar Burton

Close up of magnet and LeVar Burton's autograph.

Once again, LeVar Burton is encouraging kids to read and bringing books to kids, everywhere.

Received An Unknown Package from FDC

Gwyneth Paltrow's head?

I order a lot of things through the mail, even before this whole online shopping thing.  I used to mail away for stuff and allow them 6-8 weeks for delivery.  Sometimes I will order something and do not remember what I ordered.

Holey damaged boxes, Batman!

Yesterday I got a suspicious package.  The box was damaged, corners were bent, flaps not secured, sides crushed, and hole on side.  The box measures 14 x 14 x 5 inches (it says it on the bottom) and weighs 4 pounds, 4 ounces (yeah, I weighed it).  I did not recognize the address nor sender so I went through my emails to see what it was it could possibly be.  I checked the usually online accounts, nothing was pending.  Little more one that later.

I checked the tracking number to see where and when the package was shipped.  Hopefully, giving me a clue of what I may have ordered.  Originating from Georgia and took ten days via USPS to get to me.

Tracking the package

Again, I cross referenced the date and location to try to get more information on the package.

The package came from a PO Box 61553 in Savannah, Georgia and from sender known as FDC.

Who in the blue hell, are you?

I did a quick search on Google, and it  seems that FDC is a fulfillment center.  This could mean that something was ordered and it just went through this place in Savannah to get to me.  Again, I checked my accounts and nothing is pending.

One thing that concerned me, if you look at the Google link, you will see there some links relating to scams.  The complaints center around a free trial of dietary supplements...which I never ordered.  Nor did I give out any payment information to any health related institute.

This company offered a free trial dietary supplement with no obligation. They asked for a CC# to pay for shipping only. We did not like the product and had no intention of reordering. Over the next 3 months, they sent us 3 shipments of product, billing our CC for $500. A confirmation email was never sent. the first 2 shipments contained paperwork with a disconnected phone number. The 3rd shipment contained 2 phone numbers, one of which was valid, allowing us to cancel. They claim we agreed to be automatically enrolled and refuse to refund our money.

Since I never ordered any dietary supplements, it was odd that this packaged showed up.  How did they get my shipping information?  Do they have my payment information?  Are they telling me I need to lose weight?

No only did I check my online shopping accounts, I immediately checked my payment accounts to see if it was hit.  Luckily, nothing...yet.  Again, why was this sent to me?  Normally, you get charged before it ships.

There is a chance that something was ordered way back and the merchant just used this fulfillment center to ship my stuff, having nothing to do with heath products.

I did some more digging and searched for received package I did not order.  Results were good, in my favour.  According to the government, I do not have to send it back, it is mine.  Also, since I never ordered the item(s), they are not supposed to charge me for it.

From the Federal Trade Commission website:

What do you do when you receive merchandise that you didn’t order? According to the Federal Trade Commission, you don’t have to pay for it. Federal laws prohibit mailing unordered merchandise to consumers and then demanding payment.

From the U.S. Postal Inspection Service website:

Furthermore, it is illegal for a company that sends you unordered merchandise to follow the mailing with a bill or dunning communication.  

Damaged goods?

So, I am in the clear.  Hopefully, I can find out who sent this.  Obviously, I am writing this to protect myself, just in case.  I have yet to open the box, I might wait a while to see if there are any actions in my payment statements.  One day I will open it and I will give an update.  I hope it is something that I ordered and be totally embarrassed by my stupidity and not some health supplies.  Stay tuned

Update:  Well, this is embarrassing...but good.  No scam, no fraud.

I finally open the box and realized what it was.  Guess what, it was something I ordered...back in June.  I guess I should have checked my records back to eight months ago.  It was a Kickstarter campaign for Reading Rainbow.  All that worrying for nothing, and I got some cool stuff.