Successful Do-Not-Call Complaints? 440
bcrowell writes "After some legal delays, today is supposed to be the first day that the Do Not Call registry will be enforced. Got my first illegal call just now, and strangely enough, when I said I was on the list and started asking for information, the telemarketer said my signal was breaking up (particularly strange since I wasn't on a cell phone.) Has anyone successfully gotten the necessary info from a telemarketer and then managed to file a complaint? You're supposed to be able to file a complaint at 888-382-1222, but their touch-tone system doesn't give you any way to do it. You're also supposed to be able to do it via
the web, but there doesn't seem to be any form, although they say "You can file your complaint on this Web site using the File a Complaint page, which will be available starting October 1, 2003." Remember, it may take up to 3 months after you register until they're required to stop calling you." Tales of success? Tales of failure?
Get the information first (Score:5, Insightful)
Wrong. (Score:5, Insightful)
I work at my county IS department and everything I do is proceeded by a phone book of paperwork. Expect the DNC list to not work for about a year, after which no one will want to file a complaint due to the 73-page form describing the callers information, company's information, their past credit history, and a ransom note for their 3-month old border collie.
Re:Availability of the DNC (Score:3, Insightful)
Yes, they have to pay for the noose around their own necks, and for the hangman, and for the guy tying the knot, and for the disposal of their corpse, and for...
The telemarketing industry can complain all they want, but if they hadn't been so annoying in the first place, and if they had played by the rules already in place (i.e., not harassing or hanging up on someone when they ask to be put on that company's do-not-call list), then it's very likely this national do-not-call list would never have happened.
As it is, it has, and good riddance.
Re:Availability of the DNC (Score:1, Insightful)
Oh, I know, there's supposedly 'good' telemarketer firms out there. But show me a single one, will you?
A good telemarketing firm would be opt-in. It would not simply choose my name out of a phone book, it would call because I specifically instructed them that I'm interested in being bothered with details about their products.
It would not buy lists of numbers from 'associates' - just because I buy widget A from Company Foo, doesn't mean I'm interested at all in doohickey B from Company Bar.
It's employees would listen when I say, "Sorry, not interested," rather than continue spewing advertisement into the phone even as I move to hang up.
All my experiences with telemarketers have proven to me that 'good' telemarketers don't exist.
But then again, upon reflection.. I suppose if they do exist, since I haven't contacted them first, they haven't contacted me.
Re:Complain URL (Score:2, Insightful)
The most ironic thing about that song, is that it doesn't actually contain any examples of irony [reference.com].
Re:Availability of the DNC (Score:2, Insightful)
Actually, you do not get any sympathy from me. There are whole industries that are counter-productive and a pain in the ass for normal people like me. There are a thousand things you could have done to prevent people from getting really annoyed by your calls. You could have requested the permission to call and thus made a do-call-list. You could not scam elderly from giving up their life savings. You could have syncronized the lists to minimize the annoyance. In short, you could have de-sleazed the industry. You could offer support, not pushy salespeople. You could respect your workers more.
But you didn't, so the people (the state) had to do it for you. Telemarketing is in the same category as pyramid-like MLM systems, they bend and stretch the rules, always complaining that the state is out to get them in different ways.
Sir, I have no sympathy for the added cost or work. It is your own damn fault.
Re:LONG LIVE MAO ZEDONG (Score:0, Insightful)
Re:Get the information first (Score:2, Insightful)
You don't need to say "My God! Thanks for calling, and I want to place the biggest order ever!! What is your company name?"
You can just say "That is interesting. Which company did you say you were calling from again?"
Of course, when you ask for the phone number, they pretty much know what you have in mind. They are legally required to provide it, however.
The trick is to not scare the idiot on other end too quickly so you can get the information.
Re:Availability of the DNC (Score:4, Insightful)
No you don't, because the rules have always prohibited "telemarketing".
The fact that these were rules of etiquette and not of law is no excuse.
If people commit sufficiently egregious etiquette violations for a sufficiently long time, then eventually they irritate enough votors that the law steps in. The violators may then attempt to paint themselves as the innocent victims of changing times, acting suprised that it has "suddenly" become against the rules to interrupt people in their homes without their permission to make a sales pitch, or to pinch their secretary's butts, or whatever.
The rest of us will be less than impressed by this rather disingenuous plea for sympathy.
--Bruce Fields
Re:Availability of the DNC (Score:3, Insightful)
You forget that the DMA had a "voluntary DNC registry" [dmaconsumers.org] for a long time. Did the DMA strap its members to the mast who disobeyed it? Hell no. The industry did it to themselves. This is a classic "if we don't educate, they're gonna regulate" scenario. Had the DMA done what the hell they said they were gonna do, they wouldn't be in this bind. It's very telling that this sweeping regulation went into effect with a Republican at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. A LOT of people were and are pissed off at telemarketers and demanded change.
It's real easy - if you don't want to be called, don't sign up for the DNC list. This proves that what telemarketers want to do is call people who do not want to be called.
You must be new here... (Score:3, Insightful)
In short:
Telemarketers get the bulk of their sales from people they can pressure into a sale: elderly, mentally infirm, emotionally insecure, whatever reason, some people can't say "no" over the phone. If those people are on the Do Not Call list, then telemarketers will not get those high-pressure sales, and they will lose money.
Jay (=
Re: caller ID and telemarketers (Score:3, Insightful)