National Do-Not-Call List Upheld!

[ethics]

The 10th Circuit Federal Appeals Court today upheld the national Do Not Call Registry. "We hold that the do-not-call registry is a valid commercial speech regulation because it directly advances the government's important interests in safeguarding personal privacy." (http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040217/D80P7JT00.html)

The telemarketing industry did not return phone calls. ;)

[Neo]

The 10th Circuit Federal Appeals Court today upheld the national Do Not Call Registry. "We hold that the do-not-call registry is a valid commercial speech regulation because it directly advances the government's important interests in safeguarding personal privacy." (http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040217/D80P7JT00.html)

The telemarketing industry did not return phone calls. ;)

A popular and predictable ruling. But oh the odor! "...advances the government's important interests in safeguarding personal property"...cough, cough. A well established previous and practiced precedent from case law. Why the courts use it all the time to protect us!

[FrankF]

One article I read says that telemarketing organizations estimate that 2 million of their 6.5 million workers will become unemployed in the next two years.

What I can't figure out, is that if the Do Not Call List prevents them from calling PEOPLE WHO DO NOT WANT TO BE BOTHERED ANYWAY... how would that cause lost sales? Do the telemarketer businesses pay them to make calls just for the hell of it? No, of course not. It seems to me that the Do Not Call List is actually a benefit to the telemarketing industry. Fewer phones slammed down in the callers ears, fewer profanities, and fewer death threats against callers. That would seem to mean a higher percentage of sales vs. number of calls made. I don't think telemarketers are looking at the list from the proper perspective.

[Techie2000]

I swear this is all PR. There are few people against this, you can't lose if you support it, unless you are a telemarketer, who are in the minority, so they do what they can to pass it and appear to be doing good to the constituents. I remember Keith Olberman commenting that when the Do Not Call list law was passed, it was passed with speed and a sense of urgency usually reserved for bills regarding the congressmen's own pay raises.

[LissaKay]

The 10th Circuit Federal Appeals Court today upheld the national Do Not Call Registry. "We hold that the do-not-call registry is a valid commercial speech regulation because it directly advances the government's important interests in safeguarding personal privacy." (http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040217/D80P7JT00.html)

The telemarketing industry did not return phone calls. ;)
The stupid :friggin:ers are getting obnoxious as hell ... they are now trolling whois to get phone contact information on domain holders. I had my cell phone number listed for my domains (changed it ... don't bother) and these idiots were calling my cell phone trying to sell me business phone services! Just because I have registered domains! They are also trying to send faxes!

The last caller said he was with Bellsouth and asked for the owner of the business, lissakay.com.

Me: It's not a business ... it's just my personal web site.
TM: It's listed as a DotCom ... would you be interested in hearing more about our business line services available from Bellsouth?
Me: No I would not ... I do not own a business.
TM: We can upgrade your existing phone line structure within three business days ... how many lines do you have for voice and fax?
Me: None ... I do not own a business.
(I was letting him dig himself deep here)
TM: Well then! We can get you started with a small business telephone line package ... our basic deluxe starts at only blah blah blah ... when would you like our technicians to come out and get it set up?
Me: What about cell phones?
TM: Why certainly! We have a range of business wireless packages blah blah blah ... Cingular is a partner with Bellsouth blah blah blah ....
Me: No ... that's not what I am saying. Look at the number you dialed. What is it?
TM: (Repeats my number)
Me: Right. And what kind of number is it?
TM: I ... uhh ... I ... uhh ...
Me: That's right, Mr Telemarketer. It is a cell phone. You are wasting my minutes.
TM: Uhhh ....
Me: What is your name and who do you really work for?
TM: *click*

[FrankF]

They are also trying to send faxes!

You have a FAX machine? Here's what you do...
1. Obtain four black sheets of paper (uses their toner faster).
2. Tape the tops and bottoms together so you have one sheet that is four sheets long.
3. Feed the end into your FAX machine, and dial the junk FAX sender's number.
4. When the top of the first sheet feeds through the machine, tape that sheet to the bottom of the last sheet (forming a paper roll).
5. Let it run for about 5 minutes (longer if you're FAXing an 800 number).
:happy:

[ethics]

Chase Bank called me at 9:30 AM on Sunday. I am NOT a morning person, I swear the guy was going to cry before he hung up.

[Misu]

So is the registry in effect or was it placed on hold?

We cancelled our landline because the telemarketers were driving us crazy despite the fact we were on the DNC list. How aggravating.

And there's no way to get their info to report them. They don't show up on caller-id, and when you ask them for the contact info, they hang up on you.

[Copzilla]

And there's no way to get their info to report them. They don't show up on caller-id, and when you ask them for the contact info, they hang up on you.
Well, the way to get their info is to play along with them. Act like you're interested. Once you get their info, then you turn into Mr. Hyde.

[Coot]

Illicitive Iterrogation...perhaps the most effective form :)

[LissaKay]

Well, the way to get their info is to play along with them. Act like you're interested. Once you get their info, then you turn into Mr. Hyde.I just got this in my email. I can't believe I hadn't seen it before ... it's good for a chuckle or too ...


Phone Solicitation gone wrong -

I was at home the other night in the middle

of my dinner when the phone rang.

ME: Hello.

AT&T: Hello, this is AT&T ...

ME: Is this AT&T.?

AT&T: Yes, this is AT&T ...

ME: This is AT&T.?

AT&T: Yes, this is AT&T ...

ME: Is this AT&T.?

AT&T: Yes! This is AT&T, may I speak to Mr.Byron, please.?

ME: May I ask who is calling.?

AT&T: This is AT&T.

ME: Ok, hold on.

At this point I put the phone down for a solid 5 minutes thinking that, surely, this person would have hung up the phone. I ate my salad. Much to my surprise, when I picked up the receiver, they were still waiting.

ME: Hello.?

AT&T: Is this Mr. Byron.?

ME: May I ask who is calling, please.?

AT&T: Yes, this is AT&T ...

ME: This is AT&T.?

AT&T: Yes, this is AT&T ...

ME: The phone company.?

AT&T: Yes, sir.

ME: I thought you said this was AT&T.

AT&T: Yes, sir, we are a phone company.

ME: I already have a phone.

AT&T: We aren't selling phones today, Mr. Byron. We would like to offer you 10 cents a minute, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

ME: Now, that's 10 cents a minute, 24 hours a day?

AT&T: (getting a little excited at this point by my interest) Yes, sir, that's right! 24 hours a day!

ME: 7 days a week.?

AT&T: That's right.

ME: 365 days a year.?

AT&T: Yes, sir.

ME: I am definitely interested in that! Wow!!! That's amazing!

AT&T: We think so!

ME: That's quite a sum of money!

AT&T: Yes, sir, it's amazing how it adds up.

ME: Ok, so will you send me checks weekly, monthly or just one big one at the end of the year for the full $52,560; and if you send an annual check, can I get a cash advance.?

AT&T: Excuse me.?

ME: You know, the 10 cents a minute.

AT&T: What are you talking about.?

ME: You said you'd give me 10 cents a minute, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. That comes to $144 per day, $1008 per week and $52,560 per year. I'm just interested in knowing how you will be making payment.

AT&T: Oh, no, sir. I didn't mean we'd be paying you. You pay us 10 cents a minute.

ME: Wait a minute, how do you figure that by saying that you'll give me 10 cents a minute, that I'll give YOU 10 cents a minute? Is this some kind of subliminal telemarketing scheme.? I've read about things like this in the Enquirer, you know.

AT&T: No, sir, we are offering 10 cents a minute for .

ME: THERE YOU GO AGAIN! Can I speak to a supervisor please.?

AT&T: Sir, I don't think that is necessary.

ME: I insist on speaking to a supervisor.!

AT&T: Yes, Mr. Byron. Please hold.

At this point, I begin trying to finish my dinner.

SUPERVISOR: Mr. Byron.?

ME: Yeth.?

SUPERVISOR: I understand you are not quite understanding our 10 cents a minute program.

ME: Id thish Ath Teeth & Teeth.?

SUPERVISOR: Yes, sir, it sure is.

ME: (I had to swallow before I choked on my food. It was all I could do to suppress my laughter and I had to be careful not to produce a snort.)

ME: No, actually, I was just waiting for someone to get back to me so that I could sign up for the plan.

SUPERVISOR: Ok, no problem, I'll transfer you back to the person who was helping you.

ME: Thank you.

I was on hold once again and managed a few more mouthfuls. I need to end this conversation. Suddenly, there was an aggravated but polite voice at the other end of the phone.

AT&T: Hello, Mr. Byron, I understand that you are interested in signing up for our plan.?

ME: No, but I was wondering - do you have that "Friends and Family" thing because I'm an only child and I'd really like to have a little brother...

AT&T: click........

[Coot]

rofl :lol: :thumbsup: Dammit Demi, now I gotta go pee I'm laughing so hard.

[Misu]

Although it's funny to every once in a while, terrorize a telemarketer, it still takes time - time that I'm personally not willing to waste. I don't even want to receive their calls. That was the whole point of the DNC list. I don't want to pay for a phone line so that telemarketers can call me and waste my time.

I'm on a cellphone now, and I haven't gotten a telemarketing call on it in a good month or so, which is great. But just the fact I have to spend 1 minute of my cellphone minutes is too much cost.

I'm glad the DNCL was upheld, but how can it be enforced? I'm not going to spend time feigning interest in order to trick them into giving me their info. The bottom line is they're still breaking the law by calling us - it's trespassing. If someone broke into your house, would you have to feign interest in their being there so that you could get enough details in order for the police to nab them? Of course not, that's insane - so why do we have to do that for these nuisance calls?

[jfcjrus]

I'm glad the DNCL was upheld, but how can it be enforced? I'm not going to spend time feigning interest in order to trick them into giving me their info. The bottom line is they're still breaking the law by calling us - it's trespassing. If someone broke into your house, would you have to feign interest in their being there so that you could get enough details in order for the police to nab them? Of course not, that's insane - so why do we have to do that for these nuisance calls?
I agree, Misu.
I think a lot of folks (politicians and lawmakers, especially) are really missing the point here!

The POINT being that many, if not most, of us peasants concider the entire Telemarketing Era as an event in the history of capitalism that just plain went BAD!
We concider it an affront to our quest for individual freedom and tranquility, at least in our own castles!

We want it to END!
We want .... DON'T CALL ME, I'LL CALL YOU!
We want these outfits to spend their advertising budgets on making it easy for us to find them, when we wish to do so!

I, too, concider the 'do not call list' a modern electronic equilivant of a No Trespassing sign at the gates of my castle.
So far, so good.
Now, we need the sign that says Violators risk being eaten by the 'gators! ;)

And, personally, I want NO exceptions!!!!!
(I can't tell you how many <i>legal</i> 'political' calls I've gotten, during dinner, so far in this election year!!!) :vmad:

Just my opinion.
Regards,

[Robert Harris]

Expect more of those. Just hang up on all of the Republicans. :)

[cdw]

I don't know who to link this too, so I'll just link it on the last post.
I know how annoying the phone calls can be... but since I am in the job I am now, I have a new found respect for the telemarketers. I am one although it's to buyers at businesses. I do not have a home phone so I am not having a problem. I do have business lines which I registered...the calls cut down but aren't entirely gone. I don't have a problem with them. I just tell them very politely in a cheery voice thank you but I'm not interested, thank you for calling, and have a wonderful day. I haven't had a problem with that and the caller actually thanks me and moves on. The only ones I have difficulty with are the recorded ones...and only because if they go into my voice mail I have to listen to the whole schpeel before I can delete it...otherwise if I answer the phone I just hang up.
So...I guess because I view myself as a telemarketer and I'm just trying to make a living, with managers pushing me and a quota I have to satisfy, which I know they do also, I have sympathy for them.

[Violet1966]

I'm so happy that the list is going to stay in place. I am thoroghly annoyed though that it only applies to phone numbers and not people by name. I just changed my number and immediately went to register the new number. We have to wait three months till it's in effect. It's hell. I can't wait for three months to go by. The stray once a week call I can handle. It's at least one a day right now. Still annoys the hell out of me. :vmad: