[jdo20bbx]

This was all over the cell phone industry when I worked networks side. This was pre-iPhone era, just to give an idea how long ago.

I traveled around metro areas measuring signal quality, simple upgrades or maintenance, often stopping at nearby retail outlets rather than laptop in the truck.

I’d get to know the store staff and they’d talk freely around me about “fake” signups to juice numbers.

The trick was sign em up at end of month, cancel them before a bill got sent. That way the store appeared to hit their monthly target.

They’d often do fleet style signups; construction company would come in legit looking for 10 lines, the store would sign up 20 phones for construction company. Then return half before the 14-day no questions asked period.

This was going on all the time, across multiple stores, as far as I could tell. The details would change, from construction to startup or new business needing phone in a hurry.

[jstarfish]

Heh, the same game gets played in retail commissions.

Didn't hit numbers for the month? Buy a bunch of your own product, wait a few days until the next cycle starts, then return it all.