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Posted: 02.26.2003
867-5309
Well you knew it was coming...but damn! They've now invented software to circumvent the Telezapper and Privacy Caller ID (which we currently have). It "also includes a feature that lets salesmen transmit any phone number or text message to residents' caller ID displays". At one point I was getting over 10 telemarketing calls a day, and the "do not call lists" I asked to be put on were worthless requests. And people wonder why I never answer my phone anymore...



Hey boy take a look at me...let me dirty up your mind...



This makes no sense...WHY do these people keep pissing us off, when everyone hates telemarketers, and nobody buys whatever shit they are selling?

I keep my phone turned orr, too. And most of the messages on the voice mail of both my landline and my cell are from tele-assholes!

Grrrr.........

¤ ¤ credit: Christine M. | 02.26.03 at 06:54 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

I don't get a lot of telemarketer calls...just lond distance and newspaper offers. And the fuckwidgets that push donations to fire/police charities.
Of course, I'm probably on the "This guy ain't got no money so don't bother" list.

¤ ¤ credit: a different Bill | 02.26.03 at 07:05 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

I stopped answering the phone about a year ago, well, everyone in awhile they catch me. No matter how nice I explain that I don't want their service and good day, but before I am finish they are already going for round two, when I finally hangup, I feel like I am the one being rude. grrrr!

¤ ¤ credit: DianeG | 02.26.03 at 07:16 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

I still think voice mail is the best telemarketer avoidance tool.. if it's an important person, they'll leave a message :)

¤ ¤ credit: theresa | 02.26.03 at 07:54 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

My husband and I quit answering our phone about 4 years ago because of the numerous telemarketing calls we received. And now, I'm getting that crap on my cell phone.

¤ ¤ credit: Camille | 02.26.03 at 08:03 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

The problem is, Theresa, we have voicemail too -- and they fill that up as well!

¤ ¤ credit: robyn | 02.26.03 at 08:07 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

That is exactly why we ditched our home phone and just use our cell phones...

We were getting 20 or more calls a day. The phone just rang constantly.

So far, its been about 6 months and nothing on the cells.....yet.

¤ ¤ credit: Jen | 02.26.03 at 08:08 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

yah. we've got caller id and if we don't recognize the number we don't answer.

¤ ¤ credit: Ruthie | 02.26.03 at 09:15 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

Cant wait to see them come out with a new and improved caller ID. I think it is all a ploy to make us spend more money. we are being suckered.

¤ ¤ credit: Alteredboy | 02.27.03 at 12:42 AM | link--this ¤ ¤

evidently they are coming out with a national do not call list that you can get yourself on starting this summer. check this out that will be better but probably won't solve the problem completely. the $11,000 fine makes me feel better though. :)

¤ ¤ credit: jane | 02.27.03 at 12:43 AM | link--this ¤ ¤

(apologies in advance for this being so long)

Let me start by saying I despise telemarketers.

With that said, I work for a company that drums up most of its business that way, so I can offer a little insight here. (Yeah, I know- but it pays very well, and I don't work in that department)

First off, as much as everyone says they hate telemarketers, it's a very effective marketing technique. Telemarketing services are a multi-billion dollar industry. In general, the better educated and higher income segments of society can't stand it, but less educated, lower income people, and older people, respond fairly well to it. I'm not being elitist- that's just what the numbers say.

As for the national "do not call list"- it's a cause for concern in the industry, but nobody's panicking. Why? Two reasons.

First, because the version of the law that's expected to pass is going to contain an absurd amount of loopholes and exemptions. Besides, no one really expects the them to be able to administer and enforce a list of hundreds of millions of names and phone numbers very effectively- we're talking about the government here. And if they start levying the proposed fines by the thousands, the compainies will appeal each and every fine on some technicality or other, creating a bureaucratic nightmare.

Second, the industry has the option to try and get an injunction and tie this up in court for years on constitutional grounds.

If, however, the do-not-call list proves effective in curtailing telemarketing, companies like mine that rely on it already have their backup plan in the works- you'll be getting lots MORE junk mail. That might be slightly less annoying than a phone call during dinner or sex, but if you're an environmentalist, all that extra paper's really gotta piss you off.

¤ ¤ credit: dave | 02.27.03 at 09:22 AM | link--this ¤ ¤

As far as I know (and I don't know if this varies by state or what), telemarketers are not allowed to call you on your cell phone because the minutes wasted costs you money. If you have telemarketers calling you on your cell, it might be something worth looking into.

¤ ¤ credit: theresa | 02.27.03 at 09:54 AM | link--this ¤ ¤

I think that does vary by state, Theresa. It should be illegal everywhere. Along those lines, I know there are Federal laws in the works to prohibit "blast faxing"- sending unsolicited junk faxes- because of the paper and toner expense it incurs.

¤ ¤ credit: dave | 02.27.03 at 10:39 AM | link--this ¤ ¤

Did you know that you can get money from telemarketers if they call you after asking to be put on the do not call list? If you keep track of that stuff & file a complaint - with the FCC? - you can get a small chunk of change. Robyn, if I can find the info again, I will let you know. If you feel like taking the time, you could get a few franklins out of it.

Becky

¤ ¤ credit: Cyberangel | 02.27.03 at 10:54 AM | link--this ¤ ¤

The federal fax law has been on the books for years. It's rarely actually used at this point (probably because the fax thing is not as much of a problem as it was at one time). There was a story out about a year ago about some guy in someplace south -- Georgia pops up in my head, but I may be wrong -- who used that statute to ultimately get a judgment against his local HOOTERS franchise of something like $12 Million, and enforced it to the point of putting them into bankruptcy. OTOH, about 9 months ago, a federal judge in Missouri declared the whole statute unconstitutional (although that has legal effect only in his state).

As for cell phones, I'm not aware of any federal legislation on point, although there may well be state legislation. As for telemarketing at home, there is no federal law (yet...), so don't bother calling the FCC with any complaints (yet...), but your own state may have something -- check with your own state's attorney general's office.

(BTW -- The main reason I wanted to come here was to opine on Robin's thing about misleading caller ID stuff -- I would argue that even without any anti-calling legislation, that behaviour smalls smack in the middle of fraudulent behavior, and would already be illegal under any number of existing laws. If it actually happens to you, call your local AG's office and complain vociferously!)

¤ ¤ credit: Michael Fredric | 02.27.03 at 02:20 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

Cyberangel, actually I did know about that. I even had the local NBC affiliate come to my house and film footage for our money-recovery reporter's "8 on your side" segment back in 2000. They sat around one afternoon watching me field about 8 calls just in the time they were there. The worst offender was Capital One selling my information -- they traced it out for about 4 weeks in the segment. Not only had I asked to be put on the "do not call" list, the reporter also helped me get official "in writing" forms for them to quit selling my name and no longer call me with in-house marketing schemes. It wasn't worth the cost of the small claims court fees to sue for it though -- especially since I wasn't healthy enough to actively pursue it at the time.

¤ ¤ credit: robyn | 02.27.03 at 03:48 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

Michael- the blast faxing thing must still be legal in some places, because we recently looked at acquiring a small mortgage company, and one of the prime reasons we didn't was that their primary marketing tool was blast faxing, but there was pending legislation to prohibit it.

I'd have to agree on the caller ID thing. but I suppose if they can make the ID say anything they want it to, there are a number of things they could enter that wouldnt be fraudulent but also wouldnt tip you off that it was a marketing call. (the telemarketer's real name, for example) What I'd like to see is a law that requires all telemarketers to transmit a caller ID message clearly indicating it's a marketing call. I think it's been proposed once and shot down.

¤ ¤ credit: dave | 02.27.03 at 03:54 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

OH GEEZ. Now I have that song stuck in my head...

eight-six-seven-five-three-o-niyeeyian...

-Jocelyn

¤ ¤ credit: :: jozjozjoz :: | 03.01.03 at 11:18 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

my parents don't have any land phones at all. My mom uses cell phone for her office and everyone in the family has their own cell phone on a family plan. We don't get any marketing calls. Mom and Dad refuse to give out their phone number to even the credit card company. It actually comes out cheaper in the long run because we have to have cell phones for mom's work anyway, as she is on call all the time for emergencies.

¤ ¤ credit: Zander | 03.02.03 at 01:43 AM | link--this ¤ ¤

Here in Atlanta, the telemarketers will hang up on me when I begin to explain why I don't want their wares. Talk about rude!

¤ ¤ credit: taffy | 12.20.03 at 01:37 PM | link--this ¤ ¤




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