Hello everyone!
Its been awhile since I posted here. I had cancelled my previous account but decided to come back (Using my same old name) because I need some positivity in my life and to tell you all about a phone call I received yesterday.
I was working yesterday when my phone rang. A California number which I don't have saved showed up on my cell screen. I decided, not really sure why, that instead of hanging up the call like I normally would for numbers I don't know that I would instead use let Google caller id answer for me. This tells the person I'm screening the call and types out any response given by the caller. To my amazement, a person I haven't spoken to for over a decade identifies himself. I automatically answer the call because I actually enjoy speaking with him and since our relationship revolves around me working on his vehicles, I'm thinking he's calling to have me quote a vehicle repair over the phone. Buuuuuuuuttt of course that's not it.
After a few minutes catching up, I learned he's now in California which surprises me because I'm in Ohio, so maybe he's not calling for me to work on one of his cars but instead to see if he can refer me to someone else local. As you can see I'm still thinking positively. This all turns to shit when he says, "You might be wondering why I'm calling you after all these years?" I reply I'm confused since it seems he's definitely not calling for what we normally used to revolves around. Then he lays it out, "I started a business and it's booming and I'm looking to expand and you were one of the first people I thought of."
At that moment my spider senses were bgoing off like crazy. Why would he be thinking of me when I can't even recall the last time we spoke? I honestly can't recall his face, it's been that long. He also has absolutely no clue what the heck I've been up to for all these years, for all he knows I'm a drug addict, alcoholic and a thief. Like, why are you offering me a business opportunity from across the US?
So I respond, "Hmmm, okay."
And he goes on his sales pitch.
He's been a financial planner for over 5 years, business is booming, he has a bunch of guys working for him across the US, all making lots of money which he keeps calling "Passive Residual Income" (WTF?) and now he wants to "Open an office" in Ohio and needs me to make it happen.
Like bro, what the actual fuck? You have absolutely no fucking clue who I am or what the fuck I've been up to in over a decade. I automatically thought of WFG/Primerica bullshit, since years ago I tried, unsuccessfully to stop a friend from getting into it before she wasted over $2k in the scheme and I'm ready to throw the phone at the wall. What was I thinking answering the call???
So I ask who the company he works for is to confirm but of course he doesn't give me a straight answer but goes around it by telling me I'll be my own boss, work how many hours I want, start part time and build from there all the while repeating, "It's all about that Passive Residual Income!".
I told him I'm not looking for any more work, I'm perfectly fine doing what I'm currently doing but of course he wants to show me the training, via a Zoom call, which will only take like 20 minutes and will help me identify what points, in m my own financial life, I need to work on.
"So when can I out you down for?" He asks.
Like an idiot, instead of telling him the truth, I tried to avoid the obvious conversation which is that he's calling me after all these years not because he cares but because to him, I guess I'm an easy mark which will go along with it and be part of his downline.
I told him I wasn't sure what time would work for me and that I would let him know later. He asked for my email address to keep in contact and I gave it to him just to get off the phone.
He "Penciled me" for Saturday at noon and said he would send me the Zoom link for that day, just to make sure I got in before anyone else cause "he thought of me right away".
I got the email yesterday, about a half hour after we hung up. Still no desdripyof the company, business model, real way to open up an office across the nation etc etc. Just a "It was fun catching up. Glad you want to be on board. Here's the zoom link."
I spent the last hour typing and retyping my response because at first I wanted to tell him to go fuck himself but decided to instead to tell him, without personal details, that my wife and I save/invest over 30% of out income. Se have no debt but a mortgage and will be FIRE by the time I'm 52yo. I don't need his services and neither do I care to become someone's downline since I know all about WFG/Primerica/Transmerica having tried stopping a good friend from getting involved in it before she lost a lot of money.
I blocked his number and after he responds to the email, I do want to read it, will send his emails to the spam list.
I hate MLM scum.