We have a Swiss friend who answers a call with “Woooohhhhllll???” 
Back in the day with the old dial phones it was much easier to misdial, or indeed for a random external vibration or signal to misdial for you, so it was absolutely normal to answer with your own phone number so the caller would know immediately.
The mechanism used just generated a series of clicks, which you could easily simulate by tapping the buttons the phone sat on, or if you slightly mis-moved the dial it was also quite easy for an extraneous click to be registered.
So yeah, 41410 was our number, 51817 was my granny’s . Things memorised that young stay with you forever. Ohm and the Co-Op divvy number was 71817, before they brught in the stamp system.
These days I just answer with a language-neutral hallo and wait for them to talk so I can then respond in the appropriate language. I could answer with either my name or that of the chalet, but if I used the wrong one it might confuse some people.
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Yes Swiss phone answering is moving (slowly). Originally with land lines (Fixed Net) the family name was obligatory. Now with mobile phones, if the number is unknown, the answer is “Hallo”,
Answering Yes/Ja/Oui can potentially be recordeed and used as verbal agreement to a phone contract for example. Withheld numbers get withheld answers.
Also when calling the British way of starting by saying “Can I speak to…” is a real no no. You are considered very impolite is you don’t state your name first. When I taught business people English they often brought the up…
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I’m gonna start using “Pronto!”
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I had to immediately watch the video:
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I’m so sorry, are you OK now?
I never could watch that show, just too painful.
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this is really strange. I never registered a property to rent in Spain (as I do not own any), but this looks legit… any idea? have I been spoofed? ID theft?..
(i edited the addresses with **** for privacy)
There are errors in the application you submitted to Spain
Unfortunately, Spain can’t process your hosting application because of the following error(s):
• AIR99 - Host requested to make changes to their application.
Please update this information and re-submit your application. If you already have a national registration number, add it to your listing. If you are exempt from
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Airbnb Ireland UC
8 Hanover Quay
Dublin 2, Ireland
1st, i’d login to airbnb account, check recent reservations and billing to the CC there.
2nd, i’d contact airbnb and let them know of this scam going around.
This does sound like someone may have gained access to your airbnb hosting account and is trying to make changes, presumably with the intention of scamming potential guests, or possibly you.
I hope you’ve changed your password already, and contacted them (and while the links do appear genuine, do so only from your own logged in account) . I’d be looking through all my listings, and particularly my banking details, to ensure that no changes had been made to anything.
My own airbnb listings are managed through my channel management software, which might make it more difficult to make changes, but I’ve just been through everything anyway, just in case.
Edit: one other point, I suggest you edit your post - despite your *** the listing number is clearly visible in the URL you posted… Is it actually a listing that you own? if you go to https://www.airbnb.com/hosting/listings and click on each of your listings, you;ll get a URL like https://www.airbnb.com/hosting/listings/editor/nnnnnnnn/details/photo-tour
do any of them have an nnnnnnnn that matches the listing number in your email?
An attempt to identity theft, maybe. The links to AirBnD looks legit. I’d verify if someone is using your tax number for business.
Thanks. It seems to be impossible to reach to anybody from airbnb. the ‘chatbot’ told me "oh there seems to be a mistake, check settings/hosting an settings/banking. There is nothing to check – I simply requested a full deletion of the account…
I had an email from brainpro.com who I have never heard stating they renewed my annual subscription and gave a link for me to adjust my settings.
I just deleted it, it did look official with good grammar and spelling.
Yeah, I’ve had a few ‘renewal’ type scams, I got a whole raft of them a year, then two after buying my current main laptop, all about McAfee renewal. Or Norton. Or both.
But they were clearly targeted, had got information about my computer what it was, when I bought it, presumably from Mediamarkt where I bought it. So in the first instance they were quite convincing.
But I always remove bundled-in software, including the anti-virus stuff, which I often view as a virus in its own right, so wasn’t fooled, although the first time I got one I did email them and query it, point out that I had no subscription with them. sorta things. No reply, obvs, so I just binned any after that.
Since 2 weeks ago there’s something weird. Spam callers leave something in the voice mail apparently by mistake. It’s been already 2 times where I listen just people talking in the background like in a call center. Wife also got a 10s voice mail message with people randomly talking in the background.
I just wonder what’s the trick here. That I return the call to an unknown number that left a spam message?
I read somewhere ages ago that huge call centres often are automated and dial numbers at a rate that the operators cannot 100% deal with. In the past I recall it was just dead air when you answered the call but now maybe it connects you with an operator who may or may not be at their bank?
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Call centers use autodialers and if there is ‘answer’ at the other end, the dialer automatically connects the call to an available agent (someone who is not on the phone currently). Sometimes, the agent is not 100% there to take the connection.
If you call back, then these call center computers put you in the ‘preferred call’ category and they will call again and again for the next xyz months.
best is to ignore and delete any voice mails.
I know this from my days at call centers …
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So, the “robot” dials and misidentifies the voice mail answer as some real person taking the call. Then, it links the call to someone in the call center whose job is to scam me. But, this person is on smoking pause or whatever…and the voice mail message is nothing.
Of course, I won’t call back. But…WTH, not even scammers can keep up the pace imposed by managers.
We got an interesting call today. Seemed to be a Valais number (027), but there was a message after it that read Attention: Spa Since we didn’t answer it we assume Swisscom was warning us that it was a spammer calling. Not seen that before.
Or it was a reminder that you were late for your mani-pedi?
No, because we don’t use the phone for anything other than receiving calls.