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

I IS working, in unexpected ways

[Pharmboy]

I am NOT on the Do Not Call List, but I am getting about 90% less telemarketers calling me. I would have to say its a pretty good track record considering I didn't do anything. Some are having problems, but no one is getting MORE calls than before, unlike spam and CAN-SPAM.

This is because many companies that do telephone marketing are doing something else instead (spam maybe?). So while the system isn't perfect, and can be improved, it has to be considered a success for the most part.

Re:Worked for me

[AuMatar]

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.

Re:Worked for me

[nmb3000]

I agree with what you're saying, though I usually am less harsh in my time wasting. Often I'll come up with something that makes them feel foolish for calling me. It might not be very nice, but I have been known to berate them for calling and trying to sell home exercise equipment to "a paraplegic cripple". It's fun to see them try to explain their way out of that.

In addition it's fun to play the Hold game. When they ask for somebody or something, I'll ask them to wait for me to find them and then put them on hold (my phone even played music) and go back to whatever it was I'm doing. The record holder (pun intended) is 1 hour and 25 minutes. I guess he liked the classic 80's songs playing...

I try to waste as much of the company's money as possible by wasting their time and resources. At the same time I feel bad taking out my annoyance on the employees because it's very possible that they are at the only job available to them at the moment. Being a telemarketer doesn't require much in the way of skills, but it is better than other skill-less opportunities like fast food.

Re:Worked for me

[soft_guy]

My wife asks telemarketers not to call again and asks them to take her off the list. Generally they just start cussing at her. She has actually had a telemarketer say to her: "Shut the fuck up, Bitch! We will call you whenever we feel like it." Unfortunately there is nothing we can do because they were in Canada.