Watch out for parties calling and selling services claiming to have a special relationship with or claiming to be Google. Often, these parties are telemarketers that are not affiliated with Google and are trying to leverage the Google brand to sell your business some type of online service.
“I Just Got a Robocall from Google. Is it Really Google Calling?”
No, it’s NOT Google.
Google does not place robocalls.
Keep in mind the following:
Google does not call to “update your front page listing” or ask you to “claim your free website.”
Google does not charge for inclusion in Google Search, Business Profile, or Map/Places.
Practically every day, we have a client, typically a small business owner, report to us that they got a call from “Google.”
These callers are unethical salespeople from various companies, trying to sell “listing verification” services, to “update your front page listing” or ask you to “claim your free website” among other things. Again, I repeat, this is not Google. Google does not make robocalls.
Keep in mind the following:
It’s easy to mistake them for a real Google representative, because they usually call right after a Google+ Local account is established, and they seem knowledgeable, confident, and official.
When asked to clarify what they are selling and who they work for, these “Google” employees will usually hang up, although some claim to be working under contract for Google. Some actually threaten that your Google listing, places/ map will be removed if you don’t chat with them. Hogwash!
What to do when you Get that Call from “Google”
When (not if, you will get called!) you get a cold call from “Goggle” looking to “help you get on page one”, wait until a live rep comes on the line. Then ask for the name of the company, and ask to be put on their do not call list. Then file a complaint with the National Do Not Call Registry, a division of the Federal Trade Commission. It takes 30 days to become active. Good news: registrations on the National Do Not Call Registry DO NOT EXPIRE. If you have previously registered your phone number, there is no need to register again.
An End to Annoying Robocalls
We also recommend you use NoMoRobo. NoMoRobo puts a damper on annoying robocalls and telemarketers. For landlines, it’s free as of this writing, providing 24/7 real-time protection, no ads, and no gimmicks. For mobile phones, it’s $1.99 per month per device. A simple, one-time setup activates Nomorobo on your current phone line. Don’t like the service? It’s just as easy to turn it off. Legal robocalls, like school closings and prescription reminders, are allowed through. We’ve found this to be a great asset. It prevents the incessant robocalls, allowing us to focus on our work.
A Little History
The story of Nomorobo starts with the FTC recognizing the robocall problem, making an informed guess about how to encourage the right people to solve it, and then carrying through to a conclusion. In 2012, it issued its Robocall Challenge to “create solutions that will block illegal robocalls,” with $50,000 in prize money at stake. NoMoRobo Was the winner.
In Conclusion
I hate hanging up the phone on telemarketers. If it’s a live person, just doing his/her job, I try to be as polite as possible. They are just trying to earn a buck.
BUT Robocalls, are usually not live people, even though they may sound realistic. Ignoring them will just make things worse. Together we can help make Robocalls a thing of the past, but we need to work together.
So don’t just hang up. Register with the Do Not Call Registry and use NoMoRobo. While we can’t guarantee that you’ll get more no more annoyance calls, for DevineDesign, using these tools has cut annoyance calls by nearly 98%.
Ok, back to work!
