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Privacy Spam United States

41 Million Sign Up for National Do-Not-Call List 543

Posted by michael from the but-everyone-loves-spam dept.
ejbst25 writes "The first wave of the do not call registry sign up ends 8/31. There is plenty of news coverage but they say there is already over 41 million numbers registered."
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41 Million Sign Up for National Do-Not-Call List More

41 Million Sign Up for National Do-Not-Call List

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  • Cell Phone Number (Score:5, Interesting)

    by gsparrow ( 696382 ) on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:10PM (#6825563) Homepage
    Can telemarketers call your cell phone number? Do you need to put your cell number on the do not call list or is it already protected since you pay on a time basis?

    • Re:Cell Phone Number (Score:5, Informative)

      by inimicus ( 194187 ) on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:14PM (#6825607)
      From the page [donotcall.gov]:

      "You can register your home and mobile phone numbers for free."

      Almost makes me wish I still had my old cell-phone account with Caller Pays...

    • Re:Cell Phone Number (Score:3, Informative)

      by LinuxHam ( 52232 )
      It is illegal right now, but my Mom gets telemarketing calls on hers almost daily. Yay AT&T.

    • Re:Cell Phone Number (Score:3, Informative)

      by Radojevic ( 643584 )
      The 'Do Not Call List' let you enter up to 3 phone numbers, including cell phone numbers. g
    • i gave up my landLine a couple of years ago--screw sbc, but that's another story--and recently have started getting telemarketers calling me on my cell. still not too many and they usually hang up when i tell them it's a cell.

      it's more fun, though, to wait for them to inform you that the call may be recorded for qa and freak out about it ;)

    • Re:Cell Phone Number (Score:5, Informative)

      by afidel ( 530433 ) on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:22PM (#6825713)
      Right now any legal telemarketing company that is not incompetant will run as one of their first checks a national cellphone block check and remove all numbers that are from the cellphone number blocks. The exceptions would be new numbers that have not yet been registered. With telephone number portability this will become possibly less reliable because the FCC is thinking of making numbers portable between cellphone and landline services. If that comes to pass then telemarketers will be able to legitimatly state that they can not reliably block cellphones, at that time you may need to add your cell number to the national DNC list.

    • Re:Cell Phone Number (Score:5, Informative)

      by Gleef ( 86 ) * on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:24PM (#6825743) Homepage
      gsparrow asks:

      Can telemarketers call your cell phone number?
      Of course they can. However, barring certain exceptions [donotcall.gov], it is illegal for them to do so if your name is on the national do-not-call list. Alternately, it is illegal for any telemarketer to call you if you have requested to be added to their own "do-not-call" list. Note: telling them "don't call me" or "take me off your list" might not be sufficient, you must ask to be added to their "do-not-call list".

      Do you need to put your cell number on the do not call list
      You don't need to put any number on the list, but it can be useful if you want the protection that the list offers. It could be especially useful for a cell phone, given the pricing structure of most cellular plans.

      or is it already protected since you pay on a time basis?
      My understanding is, the fact that you pay for time spent on incoming calls doesn't protect you in any way from any call. If anything, it makes you more vulnerable, and makes registering the number on the do-not-call more useful.

      • Re:Cell Phone Number (Score:5, Informative)

        by Dharzhak ( 124289 ) on Friday August 29, 2003 @02:17PM (#6826367)
        My understanding is, the fact that you pay for time spent on incoming calls doesn't protect you in any way from any call.

        Incorrect. From the Telephone Consumer Protection Act:

        a.No person may
        1.Initiate any telephone call (other than a call made for emergency purposes or made with the prior express consent of the called party) using an automatic telephone dialing system or an artificial or prerecorded voice,
        iii.To any telephone number assigned to a paging service, cellular telephone service, specialized mobile radio service, or other radio common carrier service, or any service for which the called party is charged for the call;

        So, while cell phones are not protected from *all* calls, they are protected from those that use "an automatic telephone dialing system or an artificial or prerecorded voice," which is a significant percentage since most telemarketing companies use an automatic dialer.

      • Re:Cell Phone Number (Score:4, Informative)

        by DiveX ( 322721 ) <slashdotnewcontact@oasisofficepark.com> on Friday August 29, 2003 @02:53PM (#6826866) Homepage
        [i]Of course they can. However, barring certain exceptions [donotcall.gov], it is illegal for them to do so if your name is on the national do-not-call list. [/i]

        This is absolutely incorrect. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (yes, over a decade ago) has made calls to numbers where the person must pay for the call (i.e. cell phones) illegal. There are few exceptions (such as where you specifically gave the organization calling your number as the point of contact. However if your organization were to sell the number, anyone else calling would be in violation.)

        [i]Alternately, it is illegal for any telemarketer to call you if you have requested to be added to their own "do-not-call" list. Note: telling them "don't call me" or "take me off your list" might not be sufficient, you must ask to be added to their "do-not-call list". [/i]

        Finally, a few people understand this. This is extremely important. Also say specifically "Add me to your do-not-call list" and "Send me a copy of your policy regarding the maintence of your do-not-call list". You should do this without exception.

        [i]My understanding is, the fact that you pay for time spent on incoming calls doesn't protect you in any way from any call. [/i]

        Your understandiong is, unfortunately, incorrect. The whole idea behind the pay-per-call and junk fax provisions were to prevent people from having to pay for the advertising of another. Junk faxes have been illegal for over a decade. There is NO established business relationship that would allow a junk fax. If you do business with a company and they send you a weekly ad without your prior EXPRESS permission, then they are in as much violation of the law as the random loan or vacation fax that you get.

        [i]If anything, it makes you more vulnerable, and makes registering the number on the do-not-call more useful. [/i]

        It makes it more useful for the government, but not really for you. The new rules do not provide a private right of action if you get called when you are on the list. You only have a private right of action if they make two calls in violation of the law withing a 12 month period, though it hasn't been decided if a firs call is a violation that would count. Time and additional rulings will tell.
  • CNN ran a reminder today that the sign-up was expiring so I jumped right on it.
    • When can you sign up again? I thought you could sign up anytime. If the next opening for sign-up is in 5 years, then I'm gonna just pull the ringer out of my phone.

      • Re:3 are mine (Score:4, Informative)

        by -Surak- ( 31268 ) * on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:31PM (#6825828)
        You can sign up any time, but telespammers are only required to check the master list once every three months. So if you wait until after the 31st, they won't need to stop calling your number until Feb 1st (instead of Oct 1st). They explain it on the front page of the donotcall.gov site.

  • Hrmph. doesn't work for Canada it seems (Score:4, Informative)

    by zptdooda ( 28851 ) <deanpjm@gm a i l . com> on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:10PM (#6825567) Journal
    I got an error on my area code when I tried to register.

    This [the-cma.org] seems to be a Canadian do not call registry, but it's private sector. So it wouldn't be as effective and may be open to abuse.

    Does anyone know if there's a Canadian federal goverment equivalent service?
    • I don't know what the URL is, my wife did it.
      But it doesn't cover anyone.
      However if you ask to be put on the do not call list they can not call you. I don't even think there is a waiting period.

      So without even saying anything if I know it is a telemarketer I just say "put me on your do not call list and the do not call list for this call center"
      If you say you're not interested they will hang up before you can demand being removed from the list.

      • Yeah. (Score:4, Informative)

        by dolson ( 634094 ) on Friday August 29, 2003 @02:17PM (#6826375) Homepage Journal
        I know you hate telemarketing calls, and I hate them too, but I work there to pay my bills (hopefully temporarily), and some people do actually like telemarketers (doesn't make sense to me, but it's true).

        Please, don't be rude about it... If you don't want to be called, you can do something about it without being an ass.

        Here's what you do if someone calls you:

        [telemarketer] Hi this is Dana calling on behalf of SBC...
        [you] Hi Dana, I'm not really interested in any telemarketing calls... Can you tell me who it is that employs you?
        [telemarketer] Yes, I work for TeleSpectrum.
        [you] Okay Dana, can you put me on TeleSpectum's Do Not Call list, AND send me your DNC policy in the mail?
        [telemarketer] Okay, I will do that.

        That's as simple as it is, and you'll get a copy of the TeleSpectrum DNC policy, which states that if we violate your request, you can sue for X amount of dollars. So, the next time we call you, if it happens, it would look like this:

        [telemarketer] Hi this is Jim calling on behalf of SBC...
        [you] Hi Jim, I'm not really interested in any telemarketing calls... Can you tell me who it is that employs you?
        [telemarketer] Yes, I work for TeleSpectrum.
        [you] Okay Jim. I am supposed to be on TeleSpectum's Do Not Call list. Can I please speak with your supervisor?
        [telemarketer] Okay, please hold the line.

        Alternately, you could sign up online on as many call centers as you can ( example: http://telespectrum.com/ct_dnc_request.asp ) which would achieve the same basic effect.
        • I'll stop being rude the instant you do. The fact that you call me to bother me and interrupt my family time makes you a prick. If you had the minimum amount of human decency, you wouldn't have taken a job that requires you to annoy, bother, and harass people. Seeing as you did, you deserve whatever you get.

        • Re:Yeah. (Score:4, Funny)

          by All Names Have Been ( 629775 ) on Friday August 29, 2003 @03:54PM (#6827607)
          I know you hate telemarketing calls, and I hate them too but I work there to pay my bills...

          I know you hate having your kneecaps pulled off with rusty pliers - I hate it too! - But the local mob boss said I had to and it pays my bills.

          I wonder how much time I'd waste per day fucking around with your little "get me off the list" script. I get 12 calls a day from your peers. Seriously. It's so bad I don't answer the phone anymore unless I recognize the caller ID or someone I know leaves a message. The DNC registry can't come quick enough for me and I'll be glad when most of this "industry" of selling vinyl siding and double glazing goes tits up. Screw you all.

    • Re:Hrmph. doesn't work for Canada it seems (Score:5, Funny)

      by SandSpider ( 60727 ) on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:59PM (#6826147) Homepage Journal
      I got an error on my area code when I tried to register.

      I knew it! Even the Canadians don't know it's a different country!

      =Brian

  • Do-Not-Spam (Score:2, Interesting)

    by BJZQ8 ( 644168 )
    Who's up for a nationwide do-not-spam list?

    • Re:Do-Not-Spam (Score:5, Funny)

      by rylin ( 688457 ) on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:13PM (#6825594)
      Hi!
      I run just such a service.

      Please provide your email address so I can add it to the list.

      Would you also like a copy of our daily news letter with funny jokes, links to herbal stores and mortgage help?

      • Re:Do-Not-Spam (Score:3, Interesting)

        by The Old Burke ( 679901 )
        Actually the government just did this.
        From the donotcall.gov registartion page:

        Your email address MUST be correct to process your registration.

        This list is The list to get their hands on for spammers. 41m real email-addresse!!
        Wonder how long it takes before some enterprising governmental employee "accidentaly" copied the A part of the list and oooppps burnt it on a CD-ROM and ooopps put it in a shippment to Baton Rouge....

        Actually, IMHO the government should forsee this and grabbing the oppurtunity.

      • Your ideas intrigue me, and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

    • Re:Do-Not-Spam (Score:2, Funny)

      by Moth7 ( 699815 )
      I've got a nice little regex that could be used to generate a "do-not-spam" list:
      /^[\w\.\-]+\@[\w\.\-]+\.[a-z][a-z]+$/i
      Of course when the corporate nitwits tried to edit their list in Outlook Mr ^[\w\.\-]+\ @ [\w\.\-]+\.[a-z][a-z]+$ would be the only person who benefited

  • not gonna do it. (Score:3, Funny)

    by 514x0r ( 691137 ) on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:12PM (#6825584)
    it's just another way for them to track me.

    has anyone seen a size 7 1/4 tin foil hat around here?

  • Do not patronize (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Offwhite98 ( 101400 ) on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:12PM (#6825588) Homepage
    My guess is the people who are not on the lists will now get more calls because there is a smaller pool of numbers to use. In that case, I would like to see a "Do not patronize" list for companies that bother people at home with sales pitches. If a company wants to get their word out, they will have to learn to use advertising and not my home phone.
    • I would like to see a "Do not patronize" list

      It's called a "large, vicious dog."
    • Can we add companies to the list that use door-to-door salesmen who still insist on knocking on my door despite the No Soliciting and No Trespassing signs?

      Please?!?

      • I just tell them in a calm cool voice.
        "Never come back here again"

        I like to think with all the people who get angry and yelling and swearing someone who is very firm and unemotional might be a bit more disturbing.

        You could also insult their intelligence and the fact they can't read. I'm generally for treating them like the intrusive little shits they are.

        And the be nice they're just doing their job crowd, they are forcing their presence on me, not the other way around.

  • good for 5 years (Score:5, Informative)

    by LinuxHam ( 52232 ) on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:12PM (#6825589) Homepage Journal
    I even signed up my cellphone just in case someone decides to repeal the law protecting our cellphones from unwanted solicitation calls. If you register prior to the deadline, your numbers are blocked as of October 1. If you register after the deadline, your phone will be blocked 3 months later.

  • Summarized (Score:5, Funny)

    by TopShelf ( 92521 ) * on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:13PM (#6825591) Homepage Journal
    The whole story boils down to:

    FROM: The American People
    TO: The Telemarketing Industry

    Fuck you.

    Sincerely,
    The American People

    • Got shell scripting? (Score:5, Funny)

      by JiffyPop ( 318506 ) on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:43PM (#6825969)
      Am I the only person with a strong urge to write a program to put every number in the US on the list? :) A little wget in a loop, an email parser that waits for messages from register@donotcall.gov... would hardly be impossible.

      That would be an incredibly huge finger to give the telemarketers
      • Sounds good in theory (you'd probably need your own domain, as each group of 3 numbers probably needs a unique email addy), but it would probably do more harm than good. It would probably be obvious that someone "cheated" and the TM's would petition the gov that the list is invalid and can't be used at all.

        Why not just sign up all the numbers that affect you personally, and let eveyone else do the same?
  • The FTC has estimated that the list will block about 80 percent of telemarketing calls. Charities, pollsters and political campaigns are exempt. In addition, a company may call a person if he or she has bought, leased or rented from the firm in the previous 18 months or has inquired about or applied for something during the past three months.

    I think with those exceptions the call reduction will be much lesser than 80%, 40% maybe?

    • Re:80 %? (Score:3, Funny)

      by mz001b ( 122709 )
      The FTC has estimated that the list will block about 80 percent of telemarketing calls. Charities, pollsters and political campaigns are exempt. In addition, a company may call a person if he or she has bought, leased or rented from the firm in the previous 18 months or has inquired about or applied for something during the past three months.

      Political campaigns?... crap, I can see it now. Hi I'm calling from Ace Windshield Replacement. We're running for California governor, but enough about that, let m

    • Re:80 %? (Score:2)

      by Gleef ( 86 ) *
      Individual mileage may vary. For example, when I contributed to a charity, I noticed a marked increase in the number of charities calling me, including charities having no similarity to the one I contributed to.

      Likewise, I would expect political calls to increase if I contributed to a politician's campaign, including from other campaigns in the same party. Even without contributing, I would expect more political calls and pollsters in the summer and early fall of even-numbered years.

  • Bit of info.... (Score:5, Informative)

    by Akasha ( 122427 ) on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:13PM (#6825602) Homepage Journal
    While the Do-Not-Call list does protect you from unsolicited calls from private groups, it does not protect you from non-profit groups (such as charities).

    While I'm glad I some protection from telemarketers I know I am still going to get calls from the police asking for donations and silently threatening to ticket me if I don't donate.

    • Re:Bit of info.... (Score:5, Informative)

      by bryanthompson ( 627923 ) <logansbro@@@gmail...com> on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:18PM (#6825660) Homepage Journal
      From the Do Not Call FAQ [donotcall.gov]:

      Q: If I register my number on the National Do Not Call Registry, will it stop all telemarketing calls?

      A: No. Placing your number on the National Do Not Call Registry will stop most, but not all, telemarketing calls. You may still receive calls from political organizations, charities, telephone surveyors or companies with which you have an existing business relationship.

      I think the allowed types of organizations are a lot more tolerable than someone trying to sell me into a book club.
      • I've said a couple times that I expect soon for the telemarketers to make deals with charities, so that they'll be calling on behalf of the charity but selling the same old crap. That way they'll be immune to the do-not-call list.

        I've been told I'm far too cynical about that though and that it will never happen. If I were a betting human though I'd place a bet on it and I'd say it will be about October that you'll start getting the calls from them.

        Then they'll figure out how to use the "existing busin

    • Re:Bit of info.... (Score:4, Informative)

      by MImeKillEr ( 445828 ) on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:18PM (#6825663) Homepage Journal
      While the Do-Not-Call list does protect you from unsolicited calls from private groups, it does not protect you from non-profit groups (such as charities).

      True, but I *think* they still have to remove you from their calling list if you request it. Failure to do so is punishable by a $500 fine.

      Fortunately, most charities get the picture when you tell them you're not interested. I've not had to tell a charity more than once.
    • Akasha wrote:

      While the Do-Not-Call list does protect you from unsolicited calls from private groups, it does not protect you from non-profit groups (such as charities).

      True, but you can always ask these groups to add you to their own "do-not-call" lists. They can get in trouble if they call you after that.

      While I'm glad I some protection from telemarketers I know I am still going to get calls from the police asking for donations and silently threatening to ticket me if I don't donate.

      Of course, I w

    • Re:Bit of info.... (Score:4, Insightful)

      by RESPAWN ( 153636 ) <respawn_76&hotmail,com> on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:49PM (#6826041) Journal

      While I'm glad I some protection from telemarketers I know I am still going to get calls from the police asking for donations and silently threatening to ticket me if I don't donate.



      Have you ever thought about the fact that it's probably not a policeman calling you soliciting you for donations, and that the person calling to solicit donations could in fact be from an outside contracting company? I spent some time working for such a company in my local area. (Don't worry I wasn't a telemarketer for them.) The "police officers" that called (who btw, never explicitly say that they are police officers) were merely normal people in a room with a list of phone numbers. They work for a company who contracts out to various police organizations to solicit donations for them, pick up the donations, and then give the donations to the non-profit group. There was no bad guy list also submitted to the police with the identifying information of those who did not donate. Although a donation and the applicaiton of a sticker to your car may help keep you from getting ticketed (I believe it did me once), there is no penalty for not donating, despite what may be implied.



      Caveat: This was only in my area. It may be different in other areas and with larger non-profit organizations for whom it is more financially viable to handle the solicitations and collecting in house instead of farming it out to a telemarketing company. But even in those situations I'm betting that the callers would still be normal people simply working for a pay check whose only motivation to get you to donate is their commission. Most real police officers have better things to do with their time.

    • Re:Bit of info.... (Score:4, Informative)

      by mikeboone ( 163222 ) on Friday August 29, 2003 @02:11PM (#6826295) Homepage Journal
      Beware of those police "charities." There might be some legit ones out there, but I've gotten calls from several who use professional fund-raising firms to call you and then the firm keeps 80% or more of the donation. And often the donation isn't even tax deductible.

  • Useless... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Bull999999 ( 652264 ) on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:14PM (#6825609) Journal
    I signed up for it but I still get calls from my in-laws.
    • The difference between in-laws and outlaws is that outlaws are wanted....

    • Re:Useless... (Score:5, Funny)

      by Odin's Raven ( 145278 ) on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:51PM (#6826062)
      Bull999999 quoth: I signed up for it but I still get calls from my in-laws.

      Didn't you read the exemption list?

      Brother-in-law: Bull, we're a little short on cash this month, could you lend us a bit to tide us over until payday?
      DNC Status: Exempt, charity call

      Brother-in-law: Bull, would you rather keep working in that dead-end programming job, or get a great job selling Amway products like I do?
      DNC Status: Exempt, poll

      Sister-in-law: Bull-wife, I don't know why you stay with that good-for-nothing man of yours. You ought to kick him out and look for a better partner. There's a guy in my AA meeting who's an ideal candidate.
      DNC Status: Exempt, political campaign

      Mother-in-law: Bull, my daughter deserves someone better than you.
      DNC Status: Exempt during first 18 months of marriage (purchased product from caller).

  • great (Score:5, Funny)

    by Cyn ( 50070 ) <(cyn) (at) (cyn.org)> on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:16PM (#6825637) Homepage
    Excellent reminder slashdot - thanks - I'd hate to miss out with the deadline only 2 days away... now I'll just hop on over to the site.... oh hmm well it's not responding. Oh well, I'm sure it'll be back before the deadline - I mean, it's not like it got slashdotted.

    Oh.

  • Out of a total 110 million "households" (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Peter Simpson ( 112887 ) on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:17PM (#6825649)
    (from the US census) Now, I realize that's probably not a valid comparison, there are probably many more phones than "households", but it's got to be close (within an order of magnitude?).

    That means 50% of the households don't want junk phone calls. I'd say that's a pretty big "get stuffed" to the telemarketing industry.

    And those are only the ones that cared/figured out/remembered to sign up!

    Congress & FTC...are you listening?

  • In other news (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Rosco P. Coltrane ( 209368 ) on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:18PM (#6825657)
    The government has managed in a surprisingly small amount of time to compile a database linking phone numbers and email addresses with 41M entries.

    I'm sure it'll be used only for opt-in telemarketting. I mean, what else could be done [whitehouse.gov] with such a database?

    • Re:In other news (Score:5, Funny)

      by aardvarkjoe ( 156801 ) on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:29PM (#6825811)
      You've got me. What could be done with a database of email + phone numbers?

      Now, what's really frightening is that somebody has created a database linking phone numbers with names and home addresses. Imagine all the horrible things that could be done with this [whitepages.com].
  • 41 million? Wow. So that says that 1 in 7 americans hates the fricking telemarketers enough to go through the effort AND that same 1 in 7 is with it enough to know about the no call list.

    Logically, since this is an interesction of 2 groups, there have to be 2 larger groups, one who hates the telemarketers, but doesn't know about the list or how to get on it, and one that knows about the list, but either doesn't mind the telemarketers, or is too lazy to get on the list.

    Interesting. I always thought the pro
    • actually it's WAY higher than 1 in 7, it's 41 million numbers, which given an average of 3.5 people per household is nearly half the nations home phone numbers. Of course this is squed by people listing multiple numbers but close enough.
  • Even though it goes into effect on 8/31, the number of telemarketer calls has gone up since I've signed up. Surprise, surprise..... The telemarketers have a new and verified list of people to call. Kind of like yelling down the hallway of a college dorm that you are trying to sleep and then wonder why everyone that walks by bangs on your door. My only fear is that someone will sue to have Do-Not-Call list stopped from going into affect.

  • Watch out for the new ticks (Score:5, Insightful)

    by _LORAX_ ( 4790 ) on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:20PM (#6825685) Homepage
    Be wary of the following if you have signed up for the list.
    • Freebies: Often they come with the fine print that you exempt yourself from the list for 18 months.
    • Sweepstakes: Ditto
    • Checkout phone requests: If you give them your # they can call you
    • Many many other tricks

    Basicly there are only a few cases where you can legitimatly recieve calls.
    • Charities
    • Politicians
    • To set up a personal meeting where no selling occurs over the phone


    So just watch the fine print on anyhting that you put your phone # on or you could end up making the DNC list useless.
    • Um... Those aren't "tricks". They're part of the law governing the registry. From the FAQ on donotcall.gov:

      Even if you put your number on the National Do Not Call Registry, a company with which you have an established business relationship may call you for up to 18 months after your last purchase or delivery from it, or your last payment to it, unless you ask the company not to call again. (In that case, the company must honor your request not to call. If they subsequently call you again, they may be su

  • when is slashdot going to make a 'do not troll' list ... then again wonder if the open source community is going to make a 'do not sco' list...

    if sleep <= .00001
    then
    exit

  • States are adding en-mass (Score:4, Informative)

    by peterdaly ( 123554 ) <{petedaly} {at} {ix.netcom.com}> on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:22PM (#6825708)
    I know New York State added their entire existing state wide do not call list into the national one.

    If many states are doing that it is not suprising the number is that high.

    -Pete
  • 41 million people hate telemarketing calls enough to put themselves on a list, out of only
    300 million [census.gov] people in the U.S. (apparently 94% of those have telephones, but presumably that counts telephones shared between a family?)

    It would be interesting to see how many people signed up for a please do call list... I suspect less than this 1.4%!

  • It's not ending; it's just updated quarterly (Score:3, Informative)

    by Animats ( 122034 ) on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:23PM (#6825728) Homepage
    It's "business-friendly" - the database only gets updated every quarter. If you sign up next week, you get into the next quarterly update.

  • Argues for a National-Please-call list (Score:4, Funny)

    by goombah99 ( 560566 ) on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:24PM (#6825737)
    Given this is close to half the housholds in america, and is only the people with the energy to actually make the effort to register, it seem pretty clear that the default assumption should be opt-out not opt-in. Indeed I cant think of a clearey more convincing way to demonstrate this than this very fact.

    The needs to be a national please-phone-spam me list. you could even make it valuable to telemarketers and raise money too by

    1) selling this list to them.
    2) having sub categories on the list for various types of calls the recipiuent welcomes such as

    i) get rich quick
    ii) Roofing companies only in your area this week
    iii) "free" vacations in a condo time share.
    iiii) changing your phone company
    iv) call me if I'm already an instant winner

  • They are already working around it..
    I get calls still..
    it is ridiculous that it is so bad that one sixth of the entire country is so pissed about it they have signed up and now they are working around it and changing their lead-ins...

    *sigh* . and I have noticed a marked increase in "physical" spam in my mailbox as well..

  • "The first wave of the do not call registry sign up ends 8/31. There is plenty of news coverage but they say there is already over 41 million numbers registered."

    Now if only there was a "Do not Email" registry.
  • and don't forget it. The DMA is up there with al Queda. It boggles my mind that the DMA is allowed to exist in this country. Child pornography causes less damage and is less offensive than direct marketing (euphamism for directly bothering people incessantly to buy crap that nobody wants, needs, or even desires). If kiddie porn is not protected by free speech (which it is not) then direct marketing should not be, either. I'm not even talking about spam, which of course is not protected by free speech.
  • The Canadian government should come out with a similar program, or at least one that functions properly (which may be hard for them, we may have to obtain licenses to use our phones leading to a cost overrun, etc.).

    I can't see a problem with how all the telemarketing companies are complaining about not having any money left. To me, they're just as bad as spammers and deserve to be cracked down just as hard.

    I sincerely hope this works as a wakeup call, not just for the telemarketing industry, but for t
  • This Company [rmhteleservices.com] has an office in my town, and there was a similar one in the town I lived in before. Telephone services for the United States seem to be popping up all over in Canada. I belive that the above mentioned company also has offices in Indonesia and elsewhere. Given that this do not call list functions in the U.S., how can it be applied to other countries? Won't the telemarketers just start calling from outside the U.S. ??
  • At least two or three different times, I bought a subscription, for a very low price, to a magazine I already had a special interest in. And I once hired a pest control company that cold-called me, because I knew other people who had used them and were happy, and the special they offered was quite good.

    That handful of satisfactory purchases, however, never made up for the deluge of garbage calls. I signed up for the do not call list as soon as it became available.

    I regret that I won't any longer occasio

  • Here is how one guy got 'em good... (Score:5, Funny)

    by twoslice ( 457793 ) on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:35PM (#6825874)
    Tom Mabe [sternfannetwork.com]

    He went to a telemarketing convention and got a hotel room under an assumed name, dialed up rooms at random trying to sell them shit in the wee hours of the morning. He has produced a CD on it and it is quite funny to see telemarketers really pissed at him...
  • So how does the government distribute this list to the telemarketers? "Here's a DVD with 41 million phone numbers of people" -- which they then use to seed their own databases? Is the government going to include our email addresses?
  • I'm calling on the collective memory banks of /. to dig up a diagram I once saw that showed an extremely hilarious way to turn the telemarketting call into your own "telemarketting" question.

    Thanks in advance if anyone remembers this.

  • Great source of telephone numbers (Score:3, Interesting)

    by W33dz ( 643133 ) * on Friday August 29, 2003 @01:52PM (#6826074)
    I can't help but wonder how long it will take before some offshore telemarketing company uses this lovely list as a source for valid numbers? Yes, yes, it will be illegal. No, no, the man in Malaysia doesn't care, and the company selling the goods has deniability because the marketing is outsourced. FWIW, I signed up last month.

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