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Canada's Do-Not-Hesitate-To-Call List

Posted by Zonk on from the not-a-good-list dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The creation of a do-not-call list in Canada has run into trouble. Michael Geist reports that the proposal has been effectively destroyed, with exceptions for just about every telemarketer including businesses, political parties, polling companies, and charities. The government committee apparently heard from the marketers but refused to listen to consumer groups."

11 of 592 comments (clear)

  1. Yes! I'm moving to Canada! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I would like to thank Canada for creating a place where a lonely person like me can go to have constant human contact via phone calls. I will now be able to live a much fuller life if I move to Canada.

  2. That's the last straw! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm moving to the U.S.!

  3. Not Surprising by devphaeton · · Score: 5, Interesting

    In the U.S., the Do Not Call Registry was about as effective as well. The bosses signed up our business phone lines and nothing has really changed. We still get on average of 20-50 solicitation calls a day.

    That doesn't sound like much, but for a small mom-n-pop ISP run by 4 guys and a dog with 2 phone lines, it's awful. Fwiw, we're all pretty good at screening calls via Caller ID.

    Good luck to our fellow Canadian brethren, whether they've disowned us or not.

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    do() || do_not(); // try();
    1. Re:Not Surprising by Otter · · Score: 5, Informative
      At my home, the rate of telemarketing calls has dropped from several a day to zero, starting as soon as the registry law went into effect.

      Are you sure your business numbers are really on the list? I'd suggest resubmitting the numbers, and if the calls don't stop (20-50 a day?!?!?) file complaints and demand compensation.

      --
      What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
    2. Re:Not Surprising by AviLazar · · Score: 5, Informative

      Thats because Business' do not apply to the DNCR. Telemarketers can still call a business. The DNCR is there to protect personal numbers. It seems to work well for me. I only receive one telemarketing call in the past year or so and it was from a company that I purchase from in the past.

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      I mod down so you can mod up. Your welcome.
  4. let them call by Keruo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    just do what I did, and get cell plan where you get refund for received calls.
    I've almost paid my last months phone bill, just by talking with telemarketers.
    You can easily keep them talking for about 30 minutes by asking everything about the product they're selling.

    --
    There are no atheists when recovering from tape backup.
  5. Re:Pre-emptive slashdotting! by op12 · · Score: 5, Informative

    It appears (from Google's cache) that his article was just summarizing this Toronto Star article.

  6. Re:this gives the perfect opportunity... by millermj · · Score: 5, Informative

    Or this one, which describes how to get the information you would need to take them to court (and earn a little cash) if they didn't put you on their do-not-call list.

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    Did anyone bother to ask the customers what they want?
  7. Simple solution by HermanAB · · Score: 5, Funny

    Don't answer your phone... Mine has been on an answering machine since about 1980. We talk to each other by leaving messages on each other's machines. Keeps the phone bill down too.

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    Oh well, what the hell...
  8. Re:this gives the perfect opportunity... by thc69 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Additionally, in the US anyway, you can block calls from private numbers (those with caller ID information blocked). This forces telemarketers to dial *82 to enable caller ID info to be sent (or to not bother calling you at all); once you have their originating number, you have an extremely useful piece of data for your battle.

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    Procrastination -- because good things come to those who wait.
  9. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 5, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion