Salesman called 15 times before I gave in

I made the mistake of requesting a "free gold kit" from a TV ad. What followed was 15 phone calls over three weeks from an increasingly persistent salesman at Augusta Precious Metals. He alternated between friendly check-ins and urgent warnings about the economy. On the 15th call, I finally agreed to move $55,000 from my 403(b). He walked me through the transfer while I was still on the phone, making the process feel seamless and irreversible. The coins he selected for me were priced at roughly 130% above their melt value. He described them as "IRA-approved premium coins" that were "hand-selected" for my portfolio. In reality, they were standard products available at a fraction of the price from wholesale dealers. The 15 calls were not customer service - they were a high-pressure sales campaign designed to wear down my resistance.