Telemarketing Spam

[ihelpyou]

The House of Representatives passed a bill yesterday for a "National DO-NOT-CALL" list. Supposedly you can give your phone number to this list, and all telemarketing companies are required to abide by the list of numbers and NOT call you.

Of course, whether or not they check the list is another thing. I would imagine if your number is on the list and a telemarketeer calls you anyway, you are now on good legal ground and that telemarketeer could have fines imposed, etc.

Here is some information about the new law:

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/donotcall/index.html

snippet:
"In addition to establishing the national “do not call” registry, the amended TSR calls for other changes, including limiting abandoned calls, restricting unauthorized billing and requiring telemarketers to transmit Caller ID information."

More good info:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/tmarkg/donotcall.htm

snippet:
"The law requires telemarketers to search the registry every 90 days and delete from their call lists phone numbers that are on the registry. If you find that you are receiving telemarketing calls even after you have registered your telephone number, you will be able to file a complaint with the FTC online or by calling a toll-free number. A telemarketer who disregards the national "do not call" registry could be fined up to $11,000 for each call."

[scottiecl]

This is a very good thing. Where do I sign up? I despise telemarketers.

[ihelpyou]

There will be about 4 months of getting ready and then signups can begin. The implementation would be about 7 months after passing.

Yes, a very good thing indeed!

Maybe it's what might be coming down the line for email spam as well? Especially the part about the telemarketeer having to 'show' their phone number in the caller ID. Email spammers will have to clearly indicate the origination of the email. This would all be on a national level.

Improvements are being made. :)

[searchenginemarketing4u]

You can stop companies calling you in the UK by signing up with the Telephone Preference Service. I don't think that companies can sign up but individuals can.

[Kal]

We don't get a lot of telemarketing spam here in New Zealand, but I actually enjoy getting their calls because it's fun to torment them. Depending on how busy I am, I like to let them ask a few questions and get friendly, ask for their first name and then ask for THEIR phone number so I can call them back. Then I ask them what time they are planning to have dinner so I can call them back right in the middle of it :). By this point they have finally tweaked that I'm yanking their chain and they hang up and cross me off their list for good. Highly entertaining!

<psssst>You should see what I do to Jehovah's Witnesses when they knock on the door</psssst> :green:

[Webmaster T]

Originally posted by Kal
By this point they have finally tweaked that I'm yanking their chain and they hang up and cross me off their list for good. Highly entertaining!
[/B]

As an old bucket boy (telemarketer speak for vet) you would have drove me right round the bend :)

FYI salesman don't remove you from a list that is always the manager and seldom do they do that. You're money in the bank. Just letten' em' know your name and phone number is correct means you get sold to someone else in the business. Best bet, say "who?". Phone rings once, and it's dead, the next call is almost sure to be a sales call. the autodialers often drop the calls because you picked up too soon.

I made a very nice living as a salesman, seldom said more than that about what I actually did. That's why I can be a little passionate about how the bad guys can potentially ruin this biz. Been there and done that and got a whole drawer full of T's.

Time Books probably one of the largest just announced they were leaving the business. It is in a steep decline and if this doesn't work out it could be back to door to door as a fuller brush dude for Da' Tmeister!