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Do Not Call List Under Attack
smooth wombat writes "Do Not Call. Those words are music to millions of Americans who have signed up for the list so they're not bothered by telemarketers. Not content to let things as they are telemarketers are now lobbying the FCC to have state laws which regulate the practice overturned. In April an ad-hoc group of firms ranging from the Direct Marketing Association to the National Children's Cancer Society filed a joint petition asking the FCC to declare that it has 'exclusive jurisdiction over interstate telemarketing calls.' The issue revolves around some states whose Do Not Call laws are more strict than Federal law and which prohibit telemarketers from calling anyone on a Do Not Call, regardless of an existing business relationship." Update: 07/21 18:42 GMT by Z : Official EPIC page, with contact info and background.
What part of DO NOT CALL dont they understand? I do not want people calling me trying to sell me stuff.. so DO NOT CALL me! hard to get much simpler.
- Your stupidity got you into this mess, why can't it get you out? -Will Rogers
I doubt it. This doesn't mean that DNC would be abolished, just that it would fall under the less-strict regulations of the federal government. Not that a change like that is a good thing, but it wouldn't put listees at risk in the manner you're suggesting.
"There is no evidence that (a favorable FCC ruling) will lead to large increases in telemarketing calls," he said. He, obviously, does not consider the fact that the large amount of telemarketing calls before the DNC list took effect is evidence that, without a list, that they would once again reach their old levels.
Just what the USA needs. More Federal involvment instead of state by state.
/sarcasm.
This law makes perfect sense being a federal law. Why? Because almost all telemarketing calls are crossing state or possibly national borders. Thus there's a natural complication when you have different laws in different states with different abilities to enforce those laws on others.
Better to have one federal law to simplify things.
And I still wonder, why do those telemarketers want to call me if I'm on this list. Seems like they are being done a service here. I'm not going to buy their crap so no sense wasting time on a call.
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If you really don't want anyone calling you throw out your busted old landline.
Tough shit if the only acceptable broadband Internet option is DSL, right?
While I use my mobile phone for long distance calling and only have the landline as required for DSL service I should still have to suffer with telemarketing calls because they whined to the FCC?
The American public whined far longer to get the DNC lists enacted. Now that we are comfortable we should lose them and have to move to mobile phones and no broadband?
Wrong answer.
The worst thing about an action like this it is CLEARLY against the will of the people. The Do Not Call list is opt-in, it only applies to those who go out of their way to sign up. The only "victims" of something like this are the CORPORATIONS who are being denied the right to directly attack those who don't want to have their houses invaded by direct advertising. The people gain nothing from this sort of action, they only lose out.
How is it possible that a democratic governing body, which is supposed to be looking out for the people, is taking a direct stance against them? Which American citizens are rallying against the DNC list?
Yet more sad evidence that the government is more concerned with corporate interests than those of the people.
If the only reason you have the landline is so you can get DSL, then just don't hook up a regular telephone to it. The phone can't ring if the phone doesn't exist.
I moved and did not get a landline phone in my new abode. It's illegal for marketing types to call my cellular phone
If these bottom-feeders manage to get the DNC laws overturned, what makes you think they won't then start whining^Wlobbying about how unfair it is that they can't call cell phones?
My next sig will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush
You know that the telemarketing industry is trying very hard to "fix" this "loophole". With out being able to contact people on cellphones, how can they do proper political opinion (and push) polls? How can legitimate companies keep in contact with their customers? This is all very damaging to the US economy. You can't trample on the people's rights to political and economic speech like that, just because you have chosen to only have a cell phone.
While I'm being sarcastic, I'm sure that the DMA and political parties actually believe this stuff.
SPF support for most open source mail servers can be found at libspf2.
It's one of those tools that always works but nobody ever uses. It also works in that it prevents telemarketing calls from companies you have a prior business relationship with, which unfortunately the FTC DNCL and most state anti-telemarketing systems do not cover.
You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
The FCC is NOT a law-making entity.
The FCC has no power to overturn state laws or find them unconstitutional, this is the Supreme Court's job.
The FCC is not the way to go. Lobby Congress.
And watch how they laugh in your face as they think "I don't want these whiny bastards calling me everyday trying to get my money that I just weaseled from the taxpayers."
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
The reason, Dr. Disaster, is that incoming phone calls on most landlines in the US are free. Incoming calls on cell phones are, typically, not.
Broadcast Flag, ClearChannel, Do Not Call...
Seems to me the FCC is more trouble than it's worth. I don't see how their jobs couldn't be split up between Congress, IETF and Underwriters Labs.. We could scrap spectrum allocation in favor of a law that says you have to comply with the RFC's. Congress could regulate media ownership. UL could make sure your radio doesn't asplode.
Right now it's just a big beaurocratic loophole controlled by partisan hacks. 3 political appointees who easily are corrupted by lobbies. Congress at least has to answer to us. We can have direct say in IETF if we choose to participate and UL's main source of value is their word.
The landscape has changed dramatically since the motivations for creating the FCC. I think it's time to either sit down and do some serious rethinking of what the FCC's role is or scrap it entirely and replace it with something that matches todays reality.
Until the telecrapers get that pesky law overturned.
Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
I pay SBC $15/mo for a land line, and an additional $26/mo for the DSL, for a grand total of $41/mo. Speakeasy is charging $56/mo for even the most basic DSL without a phone. How does it make sense to go with Speakeasy when I can just disconnect the ringer to my phone, and have the added advantage of being able to make clear local calls when my cell phone is acting up?
Even better,
Record a message that sounds like you are talking to them. As follows
Hello? (pause)
Who is this? (pause)
what is this about? (pause)
I'm not sure what you mean (pause)
Who did you say you are with? (pause)
I really don't think I understand (pause)
Let me get this right, you are who? (pause)
Can you hang on a minute? (VERY LONG PAUSE)
Etc.
The issue revolves around some states whose Do Not Call laws are more strict than Federal law and which prohibit telemarketers from calling anyone on a Do Not Call, regardless of an existing business relationship.
Actually, I think this is a very reasonable question that needs to be addressed. If I have a company (and calling center) operating out of Minnesota and we have customers/former customers scattered around the country, I don't want to have to keep up on the particulars of laws in 49 other states. This is the sort of thing that the Commerce clause of the Constitution is meant for. If I call from Minnesota to Virginia, who's laws am I subject to? MN? VA? Both? This is a legitamate federal question.
On the other hand, if I'm in MN and calling a customer also in MN, then I should be only subject to MN law.
bance.net
Or, hook up a fax machine to it. It'll provide a nice friendly greeting. :)
You want to call people of that state, you buy the list, which costs more annually than the entire federal list, for what that's worth.
Cool, not only do they make it difficult to telemarket in their state, they're probably turning a profit on those that do call in their state.
Looks win win for the citizens to me.
Don't you think the whole "insensitive clod!" thing is a bit played out on this site? Seeing it makes me want to puke. Seriously, can we think of some new funny thing to say? "insensitive clod!" has been exploited to it's full potential.
I don't consider telemarketing a legitimate business, even though it is legal. Therefore I applaud making telemarketers feel unwanted, despised and hated. Because they are!