The DO NOT CALL registry

[TOM KAN PA]

The following came from a friend of mine:

This is to all of you who signed up for the "do not call" law...... This week I received a card in the mail that looked all right --- It said "vote for your favorite cola - Pepsi or Coke- and receive a complementary 12 pack." It didn't look suspicious--but for some reason I kept looking at it.

THEN I FOUND IT !! At the bottom of the card there is a VERY small statement. It is SO small it is hard to read--but here is what it says---

"By completing this form, you agree that sponsors and co-sponsors of this offer may telephone you, even if your number is found on a do not call registry or list."

This REALLY upset me and I just wanted all my friends to be aware of this way to get around the "do not call" law. Just think how many people will send this in and their do not call registry will be NO GOOD !!!

The company's name is MARKET SOLUTION. Please send this to all your friends that signed up for "do not call." I think this is just one of what we will get in the future -- so READ EVERYTHING before you SIGN AND SEND !!! AND TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT IT !!! PLEASE !!!

[madgardener]

[madgardener]

[TOM KAN PA]

[Swyck]

I guess that you may not get the complimentary prize, which is the point of signing the card in the first place.

I saw an article in the local paper about this kind of stuff. Marketers (scumbags all) are working hard to find loopholes in the do not call list, and this is one of them. Its a shame. And here I thought there was a law. They need to close this loophole.

I ain't signing nothing for nobody no more nowhow. Nothing is free, and if the price is $0, then you will pay some other way.

Swyck

[Warren]

For some real fun, have a recording of a door bell, then ask them to hold on while you answer the door. Make sure they can hear in the background (nice and echo-y) a salesman giving a pitch at the door. Then you yell that you don't like door to door salesmen, and then have a loud shotgun blast ring-out, along with a scream from the salesman.

If the telemarketer is still there when you get back, start asking questions, like where they are calling from. If they say from "such and such company", stop them and say, "yes, but where are YOU located? I'd like to come down and see you."

The fact that telemarketers and spam exist are confirmation that there are enough stupid people out there to keep entire industries alive. That's scary.

[Frank Logullo]

I use Ben Dover ;) Frank

[Salty Thumb]

[e-mail] (TOM KAN PA) wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I meant on the claim form. So when they call and ask for IP Freely, you can say there's nobody there by that name and then hassle them about making crank phone calls.

-- Salty

[Valkyrie]

There's another little loop hole in that law, too. If you have done business with some company who uses phone solicitors they don't have to honor the do not call list. And if that company is a subsidiary or has subsidiary companies you are on their valid call list because you've done business with the original and now you are also one of their CUSTOMERS. After reading the way that law was written I didn't bother to sign up. When I get a call from any of them I immediately ask to speak to a supervisor, get their name and the name of the company they work for and tell them this call is being documented and I want off their lists, do not EVER call this number again. If they call again my lawyer and the State Attorney General will be in touch. This only works if you are lucky enough to already have state laws against tele-marketing. After about 6 months of this routine I very seldom EVER get marketing calls......and then I use Caller ID. This telemarketing law still lets charities (broad interpretation and politicals call. I think this 'LAW" was nothing more than some feel good, vote getting by our gummint reps. It's not really going to do much.

Val

[David J Bockman]

For a definitive essay on the 'Do Not Call Registry', I invite everyone to read :

[Shepherd]

Get an answering machine. Most, if not all, telemarketers won't waste their time leaving messages.

Shepherd

[Dr. Rev. Chuck, M.D. P.A.]

Why has no one taken a 12 gauge to the solicitors' brainpans yet? Not that I'd do such a horrible thing or even suggest it. Not in a thousand years.

[Frogleg]

Telemarketers, particularly computer-generated spiels, are annoying. I am, however, *amazed* at the "tricks" people play on minimum-wage workers. I have had phenomenal success in reducing this intrusion by a) having an answering machine that all my own friends know I will pick up immediately on hearing a known voice, and b) saying "I'm not interested" if I happen to pick up the phone. Even just hanging up is a non-punishing option. Mad, you put your own phone out of commission for an hour -- who's punishing whom? It takes 2 seconds to say, "Sorry, I'm not interested," and hang up. I have *never* experienced an immediate call-back.

I really don't understand why people either want to kill the low-wage messengers, or feel any obligation at all to listen to them. When an unfamiliar voice says, "Hello. Mr. Frogleg?" I say "who is this?" just in case my dentist's office has hired a new receptionist. When the reply is "Sears portrait studio," I say I'm not interested and hang up.

Obviously, telemarketing works to some entent, or businesses wouldn't invest in this kind of advertising. [I believe direct mail (junk mail) ads count a 1-2% response as a successful campaign.] I also expect guidelines for telemarketers includes disconnecting at *their* end after 15-30 seconds of "dead air." It's not like they don't have experience in this area.

Don't mean to pick on anyone in particular -- I'm sure if I keep reading the thread I'll read all kinds of stories of "clever" responses to inconvenient marketing phone calls. If this is a game to vent frustration, I hope everyone with a police whistle or the time to spend being "smarter" than the caller enjoys it thoroughly.

[Phrederik]

commission

It's an invasion of privacy. First of all, if I'm eating dinner, I don't want to be disturbed unless it's important. Having my carpets cleaned is *NOT* important - don't call me. My Dad in the hospital

*IS* important - I need to answer right away! How do I know who's calling unless I gag down what's in my mouth, wipe my hands, leave the table, etc. and answer the phone?

Secondly, I work at *NIGHT*. I am asleep between 9am and 5pm. Do *NOT* call me during the day.

Finally, If I want to buy something, *I* will take the time to go to the phone book or drive to the store, etc. If I'm not looking for it, I'm not interested. I make sure I get all the details about who's calling, speak to their manager and vow "NEVER TO DEAL WITH YOU" and tell everyone I know about the "CRAPPY SERVICE YOU PROVIDE".

low-wage

wouldn't

They deserve it and more.

I've considered getting my phone number switch to a billed 900 number (or something similar) and selectively charging anyone who spams me by phone $25 per call.

[DigitalVinyl]

What this simply does is delay the calls. Call services are largely automated. My answering machine would pick up several calls everyday. Some will call everyday until you pick up the phone. When I was home and I answered the calls for a while my phone got noticeably quieter. Basically the same two dozen services were constantly ringing my answering machine multiple times a day. ONce I turned them down the constant ringing went down.

DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email) Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound

1st Year Gardener

[Frogleg]

Do you Mace a religious soliciter or Girl Scout who rings your doorbell and disturbs you? Shoot the mailcritter when he/she brings junk mail? Do you believe the person on the phone has independently devised a scheme to deliberately interrupt your dinner?

Unfortunately, there are no little signs you can put on your phone line to prevent daytime calling. I am sympathetic to disturbances of

*all* sorts that interrupt sleep. I have a friend who routinely beeps her auto horn when she dirves past another friend's house. I have mentioned to her that trying to rest with a migraine headache isn't improved by random beeping, and she says, "don't be silly -- I'm beeping for Stephanie." There is NO way to eliminate stupidity.

As I mentioned, businesses would not invest in telemarketing if it weren't profitable. CEOs and marketing managers know full well it drives *most* people nuts. However, if it is 2 or 5% successful in drawing in new business, it is worthwhile. The person on the phone has already heard every complaint, curse, trick, ear-splitting whistle over and over again. And he/she has absolutely no control over the company's marketing policy. If you want to make an impression, write a letter to the head office. Bring a complaint with some local, state, or Federal agency. Evidently, a large number of complaints has resulted in establishing the Do Not Call registry. Obviously not a perfect solution. But yelling at the person on the phone will reduce your problem by absolutely zero.

[Warren]

Few telemarketers are minimum wage workers. Some are prison labor making even less. Others are con artists working solely for commissions that are far more than minimum wage.

If someone doesn't want to be treated like the scum of the Earth, then they shouldn't take a job as a telemarketer. The Burger King down the road is still hiring, and they pay more than minimum wage. There are plenty of minimum wage or slightly higher jobs available. One chooses to make telemarketing their job. Except for those calling from inside a prison, they're not being held captive and forced to annoy strangers.

Perhaps if we make life miserable enough for telemarketers no one will want to be a telemarketer, and the companies will have to pony-up more money for this poor minimum wage workforce that you imagine is behind these calls.

[Swyck]

Mace, what a great idea! Too bad its probably illegal.

Actually, that's exactly what they've done, haven't they?

There out to be a law against that.

Not that sympathetic at all are you?

Not worthwhile by my standards, and I don't see why it makes it "all right." By this argument drug dealing and prostitution are also worthwhile since they make a profit. At least they have willing customers.

Sorry, but they took the stupid job and should be punished for it.

That is correct, we have done all of that and they have listened. Do you know how much the public outcry must have been for politicians to actually do something about anything? But the scumbags marketers are trying to bypass the law with every loophole that they can find.

It will make me feel better about it for sure, and if it drives even one telemarketer to quit in tears it will have been worth it. Why don't they do something that is more constructive and socially acceptable like begging for quarters or stealing candy from babies?

Obviously, telemarketers do not bother you, but you don't seem to understand that they are a major frustration for many of us. I don't want to hear from them period!

Agghhh, its ringing again! Fortunately, my call waiting (an expense I didn't want, but definitely worth it) tells me they are a marketing firm. At least these guys were honest about it, and I could ignore them.

Swyck

[dstvns]

I've noticed this on other things. My monthly junk-mail APC (power backup company) has about SIX fairly major "sweepstakes"...things like home routers, free power backups and thousand dollar shopping sprees. How many times does a company offer SIX sweepstakes _at a single time?!?!_

Every single one has a clause at the end stating "by submitting this form you automatically consent to being placed on a mailing list". Be warned.

Dan

[Roy]

My take o telemarketers is that they are a royal pain i the you know what. Its bad enough to get inundated with calls during the normal day time hours 8 to 5, but there are those that call late at night, and a lot that like to bother foolks at supper time. I hate telemarketers and will get very ill with any in a heart beat.

BTW the do not call refgistry is uspposed to have a loop hole in it already that these scumbags found, so don';t count on the so called solution to stop these annoying calls. Guess time will tell.

They really need to do something about spam and unsolicited emails which is really out of hand. (my opinion only)

-- Visit my website:

foundry and general metal working and lots of related projects. Regards Roy aka Chipmaker // Foxeye Opinions are strictly those of my wife....I have had no input whatsoever. Remove capital A from chipmAkr for correct email address