Relay operator

[DByers]

Anyone ever have to deal with a Relay Operator before? I ended up taking several calls over the last few days at work from what I am sure is a scam. RO (relay operator) says they have a person who can not hear on the line and they will "relay" information back and forth for the person on the other line. I take the call and the person is looking to buy something from my business. I ask the the RO if there are any charges applied to the call and they say no. The person introduces themselves and I do the same only giving my first name. This takes close to 5 min! The person says they would like to order something and I reply that the best way for them to proceede is to fax all the info to us so that we can fax the info back. They respond okay and a few minutes later I have a fax. P&A for two items (electronic and about $300 to $400 each) which I fax back to the nuber listed. A 877 number to an efax account with a different name from the person on the phone. I receive call #2 asking if I had received the fax and had the info. I reply yes and that the fax was returned with the info. They say the have not seen it but need the info. I saw I will refax and could aslo email them the quote. They give me their email address and I hang up after 10min on the phone going thru the RO. I receive an email back the following day stating that they wanted to buy the items. But now they want 40 of each product shipped overnight to a place in Florida. Name #3 is now on the list. I barely read the email and I get a phone call from the RO saying parson A is on the phone and person A is frantic and needs to have this order filled right away and have I placed the order. I repond and say that all cash sales (non-account transactions) are to be paid in full before any thing will be ordered by us and that we have not even decided to take the order. I say that I would like to talk with my manager on this do to the dollar amount and that I would email the info back. I email saying that we were not able to take the order and that they may be better served finding a supplier local to them vs. one that was all the way across the country. I did not hear back from the last night as I left the office at 4pm and wont be back until Monday. Do you think it was a scam? My gut said walk away and after 20 years in this business my gut is usually correct. Do you think they will respond to my last email?

[masraum]

I vote SCAM. Big time scam. The part about, we need 40 of each, and then, "OMG, we need them right away!!!" is meant to prey upon peoples greed. That much money will make many people throw caution to the wind and do stuff that they would otherwise not do.

I'd say you did the right thing.

[DByers]

Todays update.
They responded saying they could use 60 now of each item but the order needed to be placed right away. Said they would send a MO right away and would be able to fax a copy of it for our verification. Again they stressed all items needed to be overnighted to them. Working off the greed thing as masraum suspected. They figured by upping the $ I would bite.
I responded again saying that we would not accept the order and that this email would conclude our business.
Last thing to do is change my temp email. I always have a temp email or two that I use for these types of things. No one gets my real email for work until I know who they are.

[azasadny]

SCAM!!!!

[Vipergrün]

Dan, I need 80 of those things like yesterday

Hope all's well man.

-B