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Telemarketers Sue Over "Do Not Call" List
Joey Patterson writes "CNN reports that 'Telemarketers expanded their legal challenge to the government's do-not-call list, suing a second federal agency over the call-blocking service for consumers that the industry says will devastate business and cost as many as two million jobs.'"
Caller ID works as welL. The thing that I find amazing is that with caller ID the industry still seems to thrive. The article stated that a significant portion of your telemarketing calls will be eliminated if you sign up for the do not call list. Since we got call waiting ALL of it has been eliminated!
It's not really two million jobs anyway.. the same industry that does outbound telemarketing also does inbound telemarketing, and they count all of them employees when they figure up how many jobs it is. Realistically, most of the people they are counting do inbound service and wouldn't be effected anyway.
Caller ID works as welL. The thing that I find amazing is that with caller ID the industry still seems to thrive.
Because telemarkerters either don't provide caller ID information, or they LIE with what they do provide.
You can sue anyone for anything, that's your right as an american citizen.
Civil cases have always been about someone trying to convince the judge that something isnt fair, and the judge proclaiming the most effective argument (ie loudest) the winner.
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
Nope. Been in a car accident lately? I was and for the next two days I was called by no fewer than 10 lawyers, body shops, and chiropractors. The list will stop all those calls.
Non gratis rodentus anus
I always ask to be put on the DNC list. I used to just mess with them, but now I just say remove me. The last time the caller was from India and she started laughing. "You want me to what?" She put her boss on the phone so I could repeat "Put me on your do not call list". He laughed too. He said, "You know we're calling from India, so there's nothing you can do. If you'd like call up DirectTV and complain to them, but we'll still call you for our next client."
They were both actually really nice and honestly amused. I filed a report with the FCC against DirectTV but I'm sure I'll never hear anything back from it.
Although since I've been asking to be put on the master DNC list, and asking for a written copy of the DNC policies to be mailed to my PO Box, I don't get as many calls. I've also never received a copy of the DNC policies.
riding round the world on an old motorcycle
Two words:
Privacy Manager
We've got it at home. All calls coming from anyplace that doesn't display the originating phone number are dumped to a VRU. The VRU asks for a passcode. If no passcode is entered, the VRU prompts for the name. The VRU then calls us and gives us the option of 1)taking the call, 2)hanging up, 3)dumping to CallNotes.
Combine this with CallerID, CallWaiting CallerID, CallNotes, CallBlocker and Anonymous CallBlocker and very few calls get through.
The only calls that do publish their phone number to CallerID. Asking for a manager, getting their info and then informing them to remove us from their list or face a $500 fine next time they call is all it takes.
Sure, the entire package costs $80/mo but its worth it.
Cruising the internet on my TI-99/4A @ a whopping 300 baud!
$80 / month? That's NUTS. I just get plain caller ID and use my phone system with auto-attendant. I get ZERO telemarketing calls now and don't need an extra $60 / month of crap to make it work. One time $120 investment.
Is there a constitutional right to privacy that I missed?
Amendment IX
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
Yes.
You're making the (incorrect) assumption that all states have a DNC list. As of this moment, there are only 36 states that either have or are going to have a DNC list. Of those, 6 have not yet gone into effect. (Data from here).
The various states have different rules regarding who can and cannot contact people on the DNC lists. In general this doesn't affect most telemarketers -- they're verbotten no matter what. Who it does affect are the somewhat more socially acceptable telemarketers, and the ones that are least likely to be trying to screw you for a profit -- pollsters, charities, etc. It makes their job more difficult and thus more expensive, which is rather silly since they're generally less objectionable than telemarketers trying to sell you crap.
On top of that there's jurisdictional issues when the telemarketer is from out of state. The odds of anyone collecting on a telemarketer in Alaska making illegal solicitations to someone in Alabama are considerably reduced when you have to deal with two different state laws than when you have to deal with a single Federal law.
"I am at a loss as to just what sort of job loss the telemarketing association is referring to."
Telemarketing, from what I understant, is the leading field of employment in terms of employing people who were previously on government-funded welfare programs. There will be a tremedous job loss, and it will be lost jobs for the poorest and least-educated people.
Yeah, it's an off-the-shelf box. MANY companies make SOHO phone systems. On the low end, there is smething like the "VoicePro 206" that you can find fairly cheap on ebay, panasonic has the KXTA-624, and so on.
I just use standard analog phones with my unit - some decent 2.4G DSS cordless ones work great.
Even better (From Seinfeld):c e/Justice_Pfeifer/2002/jp082802.asp
http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/Communications_Offi
For those to lasy to click a link:
"SEINFELD: (ANSWERING PHONE) Hello.
"(TELEMARKETER): Hi. Would you be interested in switching over to TMI long-distance service?
"SEINFELD: Oh, gee, I can't talk right now. Why don't you give me your home number and I'll call you later?
"(A LONG PAUSE) (TELEMARKETER): Well, I'm sorry. We're not allowed to do that.
"SEINFELD: I guess you don't want people calling you at home.
"(TELEMARKETER): No.
"SEINFELD: Well, now you know how I feel."