I had a phone interview with HR. It went well. She seemed generally interested in bringing me in for an interview. She explained the next steps. Talked about a tour of the facility. At the end of the call she asked me what I was looking for in terms of compensation. I could tell right away from her quick change that they wanted to pay less. She then said she would talk to the hiring manager and see if they wanted to proceed forward. Next she said she would call me that afternoon or the next day either way to let me know. I never heard back. If the compensation was the issue. Just say that. It doesn't have to be a game. And if they have no intentions of following up, then just say we will contact you if we want to move forward. No need to play games or waste anyone's time.