Telco Spams and Gets Huge Fine

jack_call writes "According to The Register the large German based mobilephone operator 'Debitel' was fined $359000 for (deliberately!) sending a total 48000 spam messages( mail: 36000, sms: 12000) to Danish costumers of rival company 'Telmore'. According to different Danish media outlets, they appealed immediately, mostly because the fine comes out at about a sixth of what 'Debitel' made last fiscal year after taxes."

Comments

Accidental

[LiquidCoooled]

I'm sure it was all an accident ;)

Your honor, I accidentally gathered a massive mailing list, sat around many meetings working out what to say, and finally clicked send - all totally accidentally. I thought I was sending my mother some flowers over the internet, honestly I did.

Ah ha

[ttys00]

That'll teach 'em to spam the judge ;)

costumers

[ratonu]

when you say costumers you mean people wearing a costume ? in this case they should be fined for discrimination as well!! bastards!!

A thought

[Anonymous Coward]

I think they got what they deserve. Although, before this turns into a disscussion about telemarketing, and how everyone hates them, remember: Telemarketers are human too. Yes, mod me down for the horrible, evil statment I just made. But, they are. The person you actually talk to has nothing to do with the product, they're just someone hired to call people on a list given to them. They probably don't even like their job, but need employment and are doing it for the money, so think about that before you verbally attack one. How do I know? Well, my mother was one for a short while, many years ago.

With all that said, there is one way to get rid of telemarketers that is funny and polite.

Telemarketer: Hello, may I speak to whomever is in charge of chosing telephone service?
You: Yes, this is him.
T: Great, would you be interested in lowering your monthly telephone bill? If you switch to A&G telco service, I can offer you a great, low rate.
Y: We don't have telephone service in my house, or telephones.
T: Surely you must, sir. How are we having this converstaion?
Y: That's a good question. But I can assure you we don't have telephone service.
T: Are you sure.
Y: Positively.
T: Alright then... Uh, sorry to bother you.

You could say this for anything they're selling. "Sorry, we don't have ______." They'll almost always be confused and just apologize and hang up.

Re:A thought

[NetNifty]

I once told a telemarketer trying to sell me (double glazed) windows that I don't need any because I run Linux...

Re:A thought

[Dogtanian]

Alternate ending:

Y: We don't have telephone service in my house, or telephones.
T: Surely you must, sir. How are we having this conversation?
Y: Voices in my head.
T: Sorry?
Y: The telephone company came and took away all the phones. Now they send all calls directly as voices in my head. Unfortunately, it is hard to tell the telephone voices from the ones informing me that Queen Elizabeth is a reptile who must be stopped. What type are you?
T: Huh? I'm sorr...
Y: If you're not one of us, you're one of them. STOP PERSECUTING ME! We're onto you and your mind experiments.
T: Uh...
Y: Listen, this line can only handle one schizophrenic delusion at a time, and I'm expecting a call from my mother, so if you don't mind...
T: I'll call back later. [click]

Re:A thought

[Izzard]

I simply say "Oh, I'm sorry, this is a Technical Support Hotline that you've called."

Nine times out of ten they'll sheepishly apologise for bothering me. I'm not sure why this works so well but I think it's because everyone is basically aware that you'll never get what you want by talking to a Technical Support Hotline, so they feel stupid for calling.

Re:In India too

[The Amazing Fish Boy]

I live in India and I am constantly bogged by sms' asking me if I was interested in winning gold, buying a car etc. What's worse ??

What's worse? What's worse? I'll tell you what's worse! I used to get those calls all the time. Now I don't get them at all. I need those calls! I'm a socially inept nerd who desperately needs human contact. Now they go and outsource my only source of human contact to India? Take my job, but don't take away my phone spam, too!

Re:1/6 is 5/6 too few

[InfiniteWisdom]

If you don't want to receive spam, stop using e-mail.

Re:Telesales

[TheRealSync]

You should try turning the time spent on the phone with sales-people into something funny.

A small danish company has practiacally turned rejecting salespeople into an artform, as explained on a website of theirs: We Do Not Use...

Re:Telesales

[flumps]

:) lol

However sometimes you just need a button to push which gives the caller an electric shock.

Telesales: Good afternoon sir are you x?
Me:Go AWAY!! *BUZZzzzzzzzT*
Telesales: aaarrgh!

Re:Ethics relating to SMS Spamming

[t_allardyce]

If you were to accidentally post them here, slashdotters would all back you up in confirming that it was indeed an accidental posting after your hand slipped on your keyboard..

Re:Ethics relating to SMS Spamming

[Tim C]

If you are 'evileye' (what a stupid username)

Says a guy calling himself 'caveman'... ;-)

They said it was a "joke"

[mridle]

As the article says, the emails and SMS messages were sent as the competitor TelMore was take over by TDC (the evil former state monopoly in Denmark). In court the Debitel people tried to explain to the judges that it was all "a joke".

Apparently the judge had no sense of humor...

Re:Telesales

[JPelorat]

One of those air-horn-in-a-can things works too.

T: HI! I'd like to sell you some useless cr-
Me: FWOOOOOOOOONK!
T: *silence cos their brains just blew out the other side of their head*