Telemarketers extinct? Oh the joy!!!!

[superchef]

From the New York Times, September 22, 2003, the one joy that a Monday can bring, (besides the t-shirt I got in the mail. )


PHOENIX, Sept. 16 - The largest telemarketers are
desperately searching for a Plan B, now that Plan A -
stopping the federal government from establishing a
national do-not-call registry - has failed.

As they gathered here for their annual convention, those
who sell mortgage services, credit cards and corrugated
roofing over the phone say that if they do not change the
way they do business immediately, they may follow
door-to-door salesmen into commercial extinction.

Unless the courts intervene, their crisis begins on Oct. 1,
the day the do-not-call registry takes effect. From that
day forward, telephone solicitors who call the 48 million
phone numbers that Americans have voluntarily placed on the
list so far will risk fines of up to $11,000 a violation.

[MalahatTwo7]

Other than that fact that I know some people are going to loose jobs because of this, I am jumping for Joy (or Mary or Jane depending on who is available ).

I can't stand telemarketers, even though I know that they are "only doing their job"; sorry folks I guess its time to find a new line of work.

[mcaldwell]

Oh Man I hope this gets done in Canada as well. The day it is introduced we'll declare a National holiday. Well call that day "Independance Day", the day we are finally freed from the tyranny of telemarketers! (You Yanks won't mind if we borrow your name eh? )


I got one of those "change your long distance service" calls at MIDNIGHT one day last week. Where the hell were they calling from, Japan??

[DaSharkie]

I signed up the first day it was available. I get sick of my phone starting to ring at 8:30 or 9:00 every morning.

I remember reading a story last week about how Dave Barry wrote an article in Florida about how much of a pain telemarketers were so he got ahold of the phone number of one company. He printed the number in the article and asked teh readers to call it to let the company know how they feel about them.

Apparently several thousand people called the company adn they had to shut down their phone lines or something. They are now considering legal action against Mr. Barry. So you want to sue someone for doing the same thing that you do as a business, have I got that right?

So they can get fined up to $11,000 per call huh? I think if they do call and are found guilty of violating the law, that they should pay that $11,000 fine to the person whom they called. I don't know about you but an extra $11,000 in my pocket would help out tremendously. I can do a lot more good with it than the federal government can. How about you guys?

[RspctFrmCalgary]

cool I hope they do that in Canada too! Can ya get rid of the dammmmmmm faxes too?

Cheffie you sure get lots of T-shirts, lucky duck! *pouts*

[ffdfireexplorer]

I heard on the news last night that their are already ways for telemarketers to get around the do not call list.

[Bones42]

It's very easy to get around. They simply buy a post office box in Canada and claim that as their headquarters. They then no longer have to use the US list. They would then be a Canadian company and don't have to change their business at all.

[CFD Hazards]

I have an unlisted number and rarely get a telemarketing call. Make sure you never give your number to people in stores that ask for it and if they insist give them a false number or go to another store. The ironic part is I hate receiving telemarketing calls but yet I was a telemarketer in college and that is where I met my wife. She sat next to me, I didn't meet her on the phone.

[NJFFSA16]

Sorry to rain on the parade....

A federal court has blocked the national "do not call" list meant to allow consumers to stop unwanted telephone sales calls. In a ruling filed yesterday, the U.S. District Court in Oklahoma City said the Federal Trade Commission did not have the authority to create the list. The FTC has signed up some 50 million phone numbers for the list, which was due to take effect October 1.

The Full Story

Woe is me....

[superchef]

The FTC has signed up some 50 million phone numbers for the list,

Do the politicians realize that is 50 million voters?

Thanks for the update NJ.
Although I will still make that birthday dinner for you if you ever head out west.

[MalahatTwo7]

I want to respond to this thread, but my dang phone won't stop ringing... Hold on.. "What's that you say? You want to come wax the stucco on the outside of my house? Sorry but your competition got me last week.... Oh gee that's too bad. You say you are the only company to offer this type of service? Ummm well I dunno. Someone was here just last week..." ...... bbbbzzzzzzzzzz 'click'......

[firemanpat29]

When they call my house I always tell them to hold on
for a sec, put the phone down next to my black lab
and let her sniff, moan,growl and bark at them
Childish?? yes but satisfying just the same

[E40FDNYL35]

They can call me anytime...1 212 479 7990

[Tooanfrom]

Telemarketing. A.K.A "Spam"

Like one of the previous post I am ex-directory, and have been for the last 20 yrs, and do not know of the joys of getting unwanted phone calls, especially if you have been on "nights" and trying to get the valuable kipping time in. My problem is Spam--I have a filter on but it still bugs me. How do you handle this? Or do you just accept it? I came into the computer world at 60 plus, so any advice -nice and simple please.

[firenresq77]

Get one of those hand held air horns with the disposable canisters. When you get a call from one of them, tell them to hang on, then get your horn and give them a nice little blast........


I have also heard that you can download the sound that gets played when you dial a number that is disconnected or has been changed.
After you download it, make it the first thing on your answering machine, then follow with your message. Supposedly all of these computers are programmed to delete the phone number from their list when they get these tones. I haven't tried it yet, but think I will. I have been getting way too many of these calls lately........