Do-Not-Call List, Two Years Later

Carl Bialik writes "The Wall Street Journal is reporting that two years after the National Do Not Call Registry took effect, regulators say the system is working, but only six federal fines have been issued. More than half of registered consumers say they're still getting unwanted calls, according to a recent phone survey. Now, a fresh fight is brewing over which calls are restricted and which ones aren't. Twenty-five states maintain their own do-not-call lists, and many of them impose tougher restrictions on the kinds of calls that telemarketers can make."

Comments

Worked for me

[Reality Master 101]

Here in Southern California, ever since I went on that list, I get almost no calls at all. Every so often I might get a call for a survey, but that's about it.

But then, my calls had dropped pretty low even before the do-not-call list went into effect. I had learned the magic phrase, "Could you take me off the call list?", which I diligently said to every telemarketer. By law, they have to take you off, so that had already almost completely solved the problem. The national do-not-call list eliminated the last bits.

Re:Worked for me

[Surt]

A little polite respect, and the threat of expensive fines.

Re:Worked for me

[Golias]

Because you show no polite respect to us. You've taken a job that you know annoys the hell out of 90% of the population. That shows an utter lack of consideration of any type for the rest of humainty. Be polite? If I met you I'd punch you in the face.

You were modded down as flame-bait and troll for saying this, but I'm behind you on this one.

Yes, saying "put me on your do not call list" is a simple thing to do, but doing so three times in one evening when you are trying to enjoy a DVD or play a computer game is very tiresome. Before Minnesota's do-not-call registry was set up, that's what it was like.

I'm generally a nice guy, but I delight in being rude to telemarketers. I deliberately waste their time. I belittle them. I pummel them with questions about why they want to be parasites and how can they sleep at night knowing that they make their livings spreading human misery.

Why? Because I want every telemarketer to utterly hate his or her job. I want them to go home crying and wonder if the paycheck is worth the stress and heartache, so some of them will quit and companies who rely on telemarketing have to spend more money to hire new people. This makes telemarketing cost more for the same return, which makes it a less attractive means of generating business.

If everybody who disliked being called by soliciters was as mean, rude, and disruptive as me, the entire industry would dry up within a couple years.

Re:Worked for me

[lurker412]

Right. So lots of people are dumb. But why should the burden be placed on them to know the magic phrase? Seems to me that if someone screams "I'm on the do not call list" that should be good reason for a reputable company to never call the person again, regardless of legality. People get pissed when companies ignore the obvious. Don't you?

Re:Worked for me

[Golias]

You're no better than them you piece of trash.
That's what you are. Trash.
Utterly wasteful human garbage. You obviously leech off of other peoples' misery
and try to prevent them from making a living in any way, shape, or form instead of
just being polite and resolving your issue with them.

My "issue with them" is that they choose to call me. They are welcome to make a living any way they like, but they are not welcome to call me, and will suffer my wrath when they do. Don't like it? Then don't call.

It might be aggravating, but there are much better ways to go about it then trying to make
someone feel awful about themselves.

I can think of at least three, but none of them are as much fun. They feel awful about themselves after talking to me? Good! They are being awful people, and therefore I'm merely aligning their self-image with reality! Perhaps I will provoke some of them to change their lives in a positive direction.

Seriously. Prostitutes deserve more dignity than telemarketers. At least a whore is providing a service which is actually desired by her customers.

I just don't understand ...

[crimethinker]

why the telemarketing companies fight this so hard. I mean, here's a list of people who don't want to hear your sales pitch, so why waste time calling them? I suppose they are worried (justly) about people convincing grandma to sign up so she doesn't get so many "buy this shit now" calls.

Once and for all, somebody needs to drive this into their heads: it is MY phone, and you may not use it (i.e. call me) without my consent. P.S. refusing to pay $3.50 a month to NOT be listed in the phone book does not mean I consent to have you morons call me.

-paul

Re:I just don't understand ...

[Darkon]

I suppose they are worried (justly) about people convincing grandma to sign up so she doesn't get so many "buy this shit now" calls

This is exactly what they are worried about. They don't care about you, me, or Joe Geek who would never buy their crap anyway. They care about concerned friends and relatives signing up the vulnerable people who they bleed dry as their staple source of income. Telemarketing is just a polite term for scamming.

Re:Ironic...

[vmcto]

That doesn't mean their calls aren't unwanted... Just not illegal.

What they let in:

[ZachPruckowski]

Well, considering charities, political parties, pollsters, and anyone you've had a prior business relationship with can still call you, there is a significant percent of telemarketers who can get through.

Then there is the fact that to report someone, you have to jump through hoops, and have a lot of information from the telemarketer, most people probably don't report illegal calls if they get them.

Lastly, I think we need a "Do-Not-Fax" list, as it drives me crazy that people will send vacation offers (that are probably scams) to the office I work at sometimes (which is technically a residential number), and not only does it waste time, it wastes ink and paper. Essentially, we have to pay to get spammed.