Community Chat

[Spurt]

---

@chrystaltree wrote:

Medicare still begins at 65 even though ages for full retirement benefits are 66 or 67, depending on the worker's age.  Some people still do retire at 65.  That's why your husband is getting all those solicitations.  I doubt that it's illegal to offer insurance by phone and the DNC list never worked well and doesn't work at all now.  They are even calling on cell phones now, I probably get 30 junk calls a day on my cell phone.  I never answer numbers that I don't know but that doesn't stop them.  Block a number and they just call you on another number.  It's not people...it's robo calling.  Aggravating but I'm not about to get all bent out of shape over it.  My cell phone provider shows "likely a scan call" for some calls and I appreciate that.  I'm sure that's because people have called and reported but honestly, I don't have the time for it.  The calls are annoying but they do not impact my life in any way.  It's like junk mail....another annoyance.

---

@chrystaltree

From the FTC Page--it IS illegall............These insurance companies BOMBARD people by calls, mail, and email when you are nearing the age of Medicare and they are NOT exempt from the Do Not Call Registry Rules!

Who May Or May Not Call? Who Is Covered By The National Do Not Call Registry?

The National Do Not Call Registry applies to any plan, program, or campaign to sell goods or services through interstate phone calls. This includes telemarketers who solicit consumers, often on behalf of third party sellers. It also includes sellers who provide, offer to provide, or arrange to provide goods or services to consumers in exchange for payment.

The National Do Not Call Registry does not limit calls by political organizations, charities, or telephone surveyors.

For more information, please see FTC INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTS below.

What About An Established Business Relationship?

A telemarketer or seller may call a consumer with whom it has an established business relationship for up to 18 months after the consumer's last purchase, delivery, or payment - even if the consumer's number is on the National Do Not Call Registry. In addition, a company may call a consumer for up to three months after the consumer makes an inquiry or submits an application to the company. And if a consumer has given a company written permission, the company may call even if the consumer's number is on the National Do Not Call Registry.

One caveat: if a consumer asks a company not to call, the company may not call, even if there is an established business relationship. Indeed, a company may not call a consumer - regardless of whether the consumer's number is on the registry - if the consumer has asked to be put on the company's own do not call list.

https://www.donotcall.gov/faq/faqbusiness.aspx#who

[Spurt]

---

@LTT1 wrote:

@Carmie

I turned 65 last spring.

Starting in about December, we started receiving these calls (to purchase their plans). 

We turned off the sound on the land-line and only a few (but persistent) callers dialed the cell.

Also, my email in-box often gets the ads. And the companies probably sold my email addy.

Top this off with the fact that at some time my email program was changed to somehow not allow batch deletions so I have 600 junk emails.  AARGH

Really all the companies have to do is search birth records to come up with the 65 year olds.

---

@LTT1

All a company has to do is use a service like Lexis Nexis to access public records to find those who are near 65 and these agents "go to town" ....it doesnt matter if you sign up for do not call lists/do not market list......

There was one company particularly persistent with phone calls, mail, and email and I reported them to the better business bureau......I received a phone call from someone in the company---they verified my name as it appeared on the solicititations asked about my email and all email addresses, all phone numbers and it stopped.  I also did it for another insurance company, and I got a call from one of the Execs and he was a bit angry to because it appears it was one of their District Managers doing these solicitations---both stopped......  Of course there are so many companies that's just 2 down and hundreds to go.........  But this may be a solution for you if get one particularly persistent and the same number keeps calling robo and leaving messages or sending junk mail.....

[Spurt]

---

@Katcat1 wrote:

@Carmie,   So sorry you had to go through this.  Thanks for the information on the Federal Trade Commission which I did not know about.  I get calls all the time not related to Medicare.  I answer and hang up.  Or, I let it ring and the answering device answers and they never leave a message.  These people especially pray on older individuals 80's &90's and ask for personal information.  We need to help any older individual we know and tell them NEVER, NEVER give out any personal informaton.  Thanks for your thread.  

---

@Katcat1

What makes it bad is because it's BOTH scammers and fraudsters AND legit companies that do this....which just adds to the VOLUME that people have to deal with.....I screen all calls on both landline and smart phone and block numbers!

[Spurt]

---

@Carmie wrote:

@chrystaltree  It is illegal to call to sell insurance over the phone.  Large companies like Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, United Healthcare and the like NEVER call unless you fill out a form asking for information. They will even come to your home to sign you up, as they can.'t do it over the phone.  It must be in person, or you need to send an application in.  They will send you mailings only...because they know better.

Brokers are small firms who usually sell many different Plans from a couple of insurance companies and they think they can get away with it... and it appears that they do.

Not everyone who is turning 65 will need to buy insurance.  Everyone has to pick up Part A, but not everyone needs Part B if they are still working.  Somethimes your work insurance is Primary over Medicare, if so, you can hold off getting Part B until you don't have that insurance.  There is no penality for this.

In our case, my DH will have insurance with the company I retired from,  it will be group insurance and our out of pocket payment for it is very little.  It's part of my benefit package. He will have Part A and B from Medicare.

i don't mind the junk mail, but the calls are crazy.  It is harassment. Every once in a while, companies get punished for this type of calling.  I can only hope.

---

@Carmie

Im several years away but still get calls from United Health Care through the AARP gang, Blue Cross (just got one Monday), and Physicians Mutual--- I looked up numbers and our right many of these are local brokers/agents working for these companies..........And I DO mind the junk mail.....because there have been break- ins to subivision and apartment mail boxes and someone can obtain info and call one of these companies and use their phising schemes and contact them, pretend they are you and they get your personal information from them.(there was a story on the local news about this).....OR you have to spend time shredding all that junk mail...........

[Spurt]

---

@Carmie wrote:

@LTT1  But where did they get our unlisted phone number?

---

@Carmie

There's a data base.....the info is on the FTC website.....or some use an automated random phone dialers ---  that's why its important not to answer and screen your calls, because if you pick up the phone it tells them "this is a live (good) number"......

[Spurt]

---

@DiAnne wrote:

I have had an unlisted phone number for 30+ years and paid extra every month for it.  My number is now published in several areas on the internet.  

---

@DiAnne

I have both a landline and smart phone, but I was thinking about that too DIANNE, why should we be paying for a non-published number when this info is now available everywhere on the internet..................But a relative told me she has a smart phone but opted to retain her landline due to her health issues (ems responds quicker to landlines--GPS is quicker on landland, she was concerned what if she forgets to charge her phone or her power goes out for a couple days after a bad storm---she has an old style phone and can still make calls from a landline.....) anyway, after she opted to keep the landline but change it to the very basic plan and removed the non-published number status she said she was hit by a deluge of calls..........so you cant win for losing............

[Carmie]

---

@Spurt wrote:

---

@Carmie wrote:

@LTT1  But where did they get our unlisted phone number?

---

@Carmie

There's a data base.....the info is on the FTC website.....or some use an automated random phone dialers ---  that's why its important not to answer and screen your calls, because if you pick up the phone it tells them "this is a live (good) number"......

---

Hmmm, I check into that database information. These are not random calls. They ask for my DH by first and last name.  He is personally being targeted.

Since I silenced the call block ringer yesterday, my house is pretty quiet.  I got one new call that I blocked today and four calls from the same number that was blocked weeks ago, but I didn't have to hear the phone ring one time for the blocked calls.

Thank goodness

Today my mailbox was full of Medicare info from  the decent law abiding insurance companies. No problem though, I just shred and pitch. I don't even look at it.

[Spurt]

---

@Kachina624 wrote:

This must be something new because when I became eligible for Medicare a few years ago, I never received a single call like you describe @Carmie.  I wonder if AARP is selling names and phone numbers?  They sell everything else.  Where do they get their information? 

---

@Kachina624 @Carmie

The AARP policies are quite alarming on how they collect and share info with 3rd parties.............

Information we obtain from other sources. We may collect information about you from other sources, including through interactive applications (such as mobile devices and third-party services), from Service Providers, Licensed Providers and from commercially available sources (such as data aggregators and public databases). The following are examples of information we may collect from other sources:

• Name, postal address and telephone number
• Demographic data, such as age, gender and income level
• If you access third-party services (such as Facebook Connect) through our website, your username and password for those services and other information available about you on those services
• Your interests and purchase behavior
• Publicly observed data, such as activities on blogs, videos and other online postings
• Other navigation data, such as websites visited and advertisements viewed or clicked on

Please note that all of the information we collect about you may be combined, and it may be used to help us tailor our communications to you and may be shared with third parties consistent with this Privacy Policy.

4. Information Collected by Third Parties

We may allow third-party analytics companies, research companies or ad networks to collect nonpersonally identifiable information on our website. These companies may use tracking technologies, including cookies and Web beacons, to collect information about users of our site in order to analyze, report on or customize advertising on our site or on other sites. 

We may provide links or automatically redirect you to third-party websites that do not operate under this Privacy Policy. For example, if you click on an advertisement presented on our site, you may be taken to a website that AARP does not operate or control. You should review the privacy policies and terms of use of all third-party websites you access. These third-party websites may independently solicit and collect information from you. On occasion, those third-party websites may provide us with information about your use of those sites. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PRIVACY POLICY DOES NOT COVER THE COLLECTION AND USE OF INFORMATION BY SUCH THIRD PARTIES.

If you stay logged in to your social media accounts, log-in to our website using your social media account, use a “like” button or use other social media features while visiting our website those social media companies may collect information about you.  Your interactions with social media companies and the use of their features are governed by the privacy policies of the social media companies who provide those features.

5. With Whom Your Information May be Shared

AARP is committed to maintaining your trust and we want you to understand when and with whom your information may be shared.

Your information may be shared with:

• Service Providers. Service Providers are third parties with whom we may work to offer a service or feature such as a job search feature that is operated by Indeed or LinkedIn. You can tell when you are accessing a service offered by a Service Provider because the Service Provider's name will be featured prominently. You may be asked to provide information about yourself to register for a service offered by a Service Provider. In doing so, you may be providing your information to both us and the Service Provider, or we may share your information with the Service Provider. Please note that the Service Provider's privacy policy may apply to its use of your information.
• Social Media Advertising Networks.  We may share information about you with social media networks to allow for the delivery of customized advertising about products and services that you may be interested in.  We provide this information to the social media network so they can deliver the ad to the right social media user. The delivery of customized social media ads, and your ability to opt-out of receiving those ads, is governed by the privacy policies of the social media companies who deliver customized ads to you. 
• Licensed Providers. Licensed providers are third parties who make available special AARP-branded discounts, products or services. Some of the licensed providers of AARP-branded products and services, including many of those listed on the Member Benefits page on AARP.org, pay a fee for access to our membership list. These fees are used for the general purposes of AARP. Licensed providers are required to keep AARP member information confidential, and to use the information only to offer the contracted products or services to AARP and AARP members. Some of our licensed providers may also collect data about our members through their interactions with the members. The licensed providers may share some or all of this data with AARP so that we may make available more effective and personalized service to our members. We may share information including personally identifiable information collected with Licensed Providers, even if you are not an AARP member.
• Corporate Affiliates. We may share information including your personally identifiable information with wholly or majority owned affiliates or other affiliated organizations, such as AARP Foundation, AARP’s charitable affiliate, so they can provide you with information about services and programs that might interest you.
• Approved Vendors. We may share your information including your personally identifiable information with companies we hire to provide certain a services such as sending mailings, improving advertising services, providing member benefits and managing databases or other technology.
• Selected Nonprofit Organizations. We may occasionally engage in “list exchanges” with selected nonprofit organizations in which we may share your information including your personally identifiable information.
• Aggregate Data. We may share aggregate statistics and other nonpersonally identifiable information with the media, government agencies, advertisers and other third parties. These aggregate statistics will not allow anyone to identify your name or other personally identifiable information.

AARP May Share Your Information With Other Third Parties:

• Pursuant to Legal Requirements. AARP will disclose your personally identifiable information in response to a subpoena or similar investigative demand, a court order, or a request for cooperation from a law enforcement agency or other government agency; to establish or exercise our legal rights; to defend against legal claims; or as otherwise required by law.
• To Protect Our Website and Users. We will disclose your personally identifiable information when we believe disclosure is necessary to investigate, prevent or take action regarding illegal activity, suspected fraud or other wrongdoing; to protect and defend the rights, property or safety of our company, our employees, our website users or others; or to enforce our website terms and conditions or other agreements or policies.
• In Connection With Business Transfers. We may share your personally identifiable information as required by law, such as in response to a subpoena or court order or in the unlikely event of a substantial corporate transaction, such as the sale of AARP or our affiliates, a merger, consolidation, asset sale or bankruptcy.

6. How We Keep Your Information Secure

AARP uses commercially reasonable physical, procedural and technological security measures to help prevent unauthorized access to and improper use of the information we collect about you. For example, only authorized employees and authorized third parties are permitted to access personally identifiable information, and they may do so only for lawful purposes. When we share aggregate data with third parties we prohibit them from reengineering nonpersonal data to permit identification of individual users. We maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards that comply with federal standards to guard your nonpublic personal information. However, no website or Internet network can be completely secure. Although we take steps to secure your information, we do not guarantee, and you should not expect, that your personal information, searches or other communications will always remain secure. Please refer to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's website for information on how to protect yourself from identity theft.

7. How You Can Keep More of Your Information Private

You have options for limiting who can see your information:

• If you choose to share contact information with us, you will have the opportunity to update or delete that information or to shut down your account
• You may request that we not share personally identifiable information about you with Licensed Providers and Selected Nonprofits at any time,. It may take up to 12 weeks to complete this process. Note that we may still share your information with Other Third Parties (see section 5 of this Privacy Policy)·
• You may request to stop receiving communications from us. Please note that if you opt out of receiving communications from us, you may continue to receive material from Service Providers, and/or other parties to whom we provided your information before processing your request to opt-out of communications. You will need to directly contact those third parties in order to opt out of receiving such communications. You also may opt out of receiving such emails by clicking on the "unsubscribe" link within the text of those third party emails.

Do Not Track:  AARP is in favor of the development of a Do Not Track standard that gives consumers control over the collection and use of web browsing information. Even if you opt out of the sharing of information for the purpose of customizing ads to your interests.......

Accessing Information We Collect From You

If you would like to review and/or request changes to the personally identifiable information that we have collected about you, please contact us by:

• Emailing us at  AARPmember@aarp.org
• Calling us at 1-888-OUR-AARP (1-888-687-2277)
• Writing us at AARP Membership Center, 3200 E. Carson St., Lakewood, CA 90712

If you ask us to delete your information, it may take up to 12 weeks to complete this process. Please note that we may need to retain some information about you in order to satisfy our legal and security obligations. For example, some of your information may remain in back-up storage even if you ask us to delete it. In some cases, you may be entitled under local laws to access or object to the processing of information that we hold relating to you.

[LTT1]

@Spurt

Well, I guess AARP isn't above collecting, selling and using our information? 

and adding to the bombardment are all of the junk emails! TONS of it!

[Carmie]

---

@LTT1 wrote:

@Spurt

Well, I guess AARP isn't above collecting, selling and using our information? 

and adding to the bombardment are all of the junk emails! TONS of it!

---

Maybe those people who move out somewhere off of the grid are not so nutty after all.  

I am am shocked that we have no expectation to privacy anywhere at anytime