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Fighting Telemarketers with Technology

Posted by michael on from the if-only-the-etherkiller-worked-long-distance dept.

prostoalex writes "According to an MSNBC story, 104 million telemarketing calls are made daily in the U.S. alone and technology is on the way to fight those special offers and incredible credit card rates. Zenith EZ HangUp, The Phone Butler, TriVOX VN100 and ScreenMachine are quoted in the article as new gadgets that allow phone owners to avoid the plagues of telemarketing."

3 of 527 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Privacy Manager by Kamel+Jockey · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I use my phone company's Privacy Manager feature

    Isn't it funny how the same phone company which sold your number to everyone and his brother now charges you so that you don't receive calls from these guys?

    --
    In case of fire, do not use elevator. Use water!
  2. Re:It's simple by ergo98 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Turn the answering machine on, but set it so that you can hear the messages people are leaving. Then, screen every call. Period. If people start to leave a message, and it's a message you want, pick up the phone.

    Just so you know, most people ABSOLUTELY HATE THIS: If you made me listen through your bloody inane message, then give me the courtesy of leaving the message that I've already thought through and am in the process of leaving as you stumble on the phone, blessing me with the sacred pick-up. If you want to screen calls use call display, but it's considered incredibly rude to overtly screen calls by making people do the lame ass "Hello? Hello? You there...it's me". On the flip side, now I have to deal with people leaving messages on my real answering machine (not used to screen, but rather when I'm not answering the phone) always starting it off with 30 seconds of pleads for me to pick up. Grrr.

    However, I otherwise agree with your philosophy: Many people have been brought up to consider the phone some god like communication device for which everything else must be dropped.

  3. Re:Privacy Manager by michaelwb · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I also like how the phone company charges you a monthly fee not be listed in the directory.

    Imagine if companies you did business with - charged you a monthly fee not to distribute your contact information!

    (Don't even get me started on how many phone companies still charge for touch-tone service each month, even though that is the standard now!)