I just received a call from a guy named Rick who says he is working on a local project for McClintock H.S. in our neighborhood.  Left a call back number of 650-260-4705.  Our area code is 480.

Received a voice-mail from this number and the caller ID said Game Day Media. They gave an Oregon call back number and left a message saying they were "looking for an insurance agent for the families of "high school name" Athletics."

I got a call from this number, with no message left, and didn't recognize it so looked it up here. As it turns out I HAVE done business with this company (Gameday Media) and they are legit - at least they have been in business for a while and they do support the schools with your ad money.  As i understand it, here's how it works:  Rather than have the local booster club make calls and fund raise, schools (usually high schools) contract with GameDay, who promises to make a certain $$$ donation to the school. In exchange, Gameday Media will produce a high end program with rosters and individual pictures of each player, and sometimes includes other activities and teams from around the school, but typically their efforts revolve around the 'major' sports like football basketball and baseball. These programs include ad space which local businesses can buy.  Sometimes they put together packages where you can advertise in the program AND place a banner in the gym or on the football or baseball field. It's not outlandishly more expensive than you would pay to do something like this on your own, but you are not donating directly to the schools, you are buying ad space from gameday, who in turn makes a donation to the school in their name. Not a scam... but I'd prefer to deal with the school directly. unfortunately, some schools use gameday exclusively just so they don't have to deal with the day-to-day hassle of gathering art requirements and putting up banners and printing programs etc. As a result, if you want to advertise at these schools, gameday is sometimes your only option.

By the way, the national do-not-call list. Please people, please realize that anytime the national government puts your name on a list, you become a target for SOMEONE. not necessarily in an evil or under handed way, but THINK about it - do you really need to government to protect you from the big bad telemarketers?  Let's get back to some personal responsibility and limit the burgeoning bureaucracy in Washington in every way that we can.  

Here is your best solution:  The ONLY reason they call you is because it's Effective.  All you have to do is make it worth their while to skip you.  Simply tell them ' I do not accept phone solicitation' and hang up.  You might have to repeat this a few times, but if you are a 'bad' lead, they will not want to waste THEIR time by calling you and you will be dropped off the list - not only for that company, but any other company that purchases the same list.  Try it, it works.

I got ripped off $700 from Benchcraft Company.  Robert Harpham (probably fake name) called me and said that they were designing golf guides for a local golf course - Sunridge Golf Course in Northern Nevada.  He charged me $350 for advertising in one golf course guidebook.  I sent him all the info that I wanted in the ad.  Tyler O'Dell (probably another fake name) called back a couple days later and said he was having a special - 2 years for the price of one at another local course - Genoa Lakes .  I naively agreed to the 2nd offer, also.  I thought I would look them up on the Internet, which I should have done before I ordered, to check if they received any complaints with the Better Business Bureau.  I saw numerous complaints that were filed against the company saying that they keep delaying delivery of the golf course guide and never provide the finished product.  I called back Tyler O'Dell and asked to speak with his manager.  He put me on hold for several minutes and then got back on the phone and tried to disguise his voice as the manager.  I told him that he was pretending to be the manager and I told him that I wanted to cancel the golf guide orders and get a refund.  Then he started calling me all sorts of names.  I reported them, but I don't think anything happened with my complaint.  I just received a call from their number today so they are continuing to try to screw people.  Other numbers include 800-824-8311 ext. 252, 425-293-6919, 503-596-2465, and 503-858-7299.

A lot of people don't realize the Do Not Call registry does NOT apply to businesses. They can call businesses all they want and nobody cares. It's not illegal that they call ENDLESSLY and bother you while you're working, day after day after day ... These telemarketers must cost hundreds of thousands of man hours lost by businesses all across the country every year. It's CRIMINAL.