Unsolicitated Calls & on DNC List???

[mickeyd]

I received a phone call this AM (automated) regarding a bargain 14 day Caribbean cruise. Before I could hang up (about 15 seconds) the message gave me the option to select #1-Yes I am interested in more info or #2- Take me off of the list. After selecting #2, the recording indicated that my phone number was removed from their list.

This seems like a violation of Do Not Call (DNC) list legislation however, I was never informed who the caller was (as I selected #2), so I could turn in their a** in to the gov'ment. Seems like they are skirting the law (as in "Rick I have been informed that there is gambling going on here. I'm Shocked! Shocked!")

 

[Rustward]

It can be annoying. We are on do not call lists, and occasionally still get a stray sales call. Now we get maybe 3 or 4 per year rather than 3 or 4 per week. So if you are not being bombarded with calls, I would just live with it.

There are ways to report the offenders, if you want to take the time. For the state DNC, there is a web-based form that only has about 10 fields -- only takes a couple of minutes to fill out. Haven't done one of those in years.

 

[bssc]

I think that they are breaking the law because my fuzzy memory says they have to tell you who is calling, even if it is an automated call. But you can't complain about them if you don't know who they are and that is what they are counting on.

 

[Walt34]

We still get a few even though the phone is unlisted and we're on the DNC list. Perhaps they're from out of the country? Most show on the caller ID as "blocked call" or "out of area" and of course we don't pick up those.

 

[youbet]

We've been very pleased with the results of joining the DNC list and having our phone number unlisted. Commercial calls have dropped from several a week to approximately zero.

Our biggest compaint is when Verizon calls us under the pretence of surverying to see if we're happy customers but winds up trying to sell us options or extra services to our basic cell phone plan. Fortunately, because the other calls are about nil, this "seems" like it's frequent but is probably only 3 - 4 times per year.

 

[Rustward]

Personally I am more annoyed by the automatic calling robots that make the call to your home, then transfer to a live agent only after you have answered the phone. There is a delay (hello ... hello ... hello ...) then the other party comes on and offers something to you. Even more annoying than a delayed connection to an agent is the situation when no live agent is available, in which case the robot just hangs up on you.

 

[Rustward]

You have to love the phone companies.

They sell caller id to you so you can identify the caller before you answer.
They sell anonymous calling to the callers so they can defeat your caller id.
They sell anonymous call blocking to you so you can defeat anonymous calling.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Even more annoying than a delayed connection to an agent is the situation when no live agent is available, in which case the robot just hangs up on you.

FYI, thats illegal too. If they use that system, they're required to have enough agents to handle pass through calls.

That having been said, I had a serious violator a few years back that called and called and called, even though I was on the DNC list and asked them each time to remove me from their list. Sounded like they'd handed the call info out to people to call me from their house, and they were pretty dang far from 'professional' telemarketers.

I tried to file a complaint/report about it, but honestly I got zero traction with that.

 

[barker]

I sometimes get unsolicited sales calls. Occasionally it gets to be 2/day or more from the same company. And I'm on the dnc list. I've found my comcast phone service allows me to block phone numbers, so I've done this to about 4 repeat callers this year. I check out their numbers here: Phone Number Comments It seems a lot of extended car warranty companies are looking for new customers, but I think they're really just phishing for your credit card info. Bill

 

[Goonie]

Personally I am more annoyed by the automatic calling robots that make the call to your home, then transfer to a live agent only after you have answered the phone. There is a delay (hello ... hello ... hello ...) then the other party comes on and offers something to you.

A few years ago we decided that whenever the phone rang, IF we answered it, we'd just pick up the handset and wait & listen for the faint click where the robo would switch over to the tele-human.....once we heard it, we'd just listen and not make so much as peep......them "Hello.....Helloo....are you there.....", us "...(silence)...", then they'd hang up.

I had a friend that used to answer his phone, and if it was a telemarketer, he'd listen for a minute and then ask the telemarketer to hang on a second because someone was at the door, he'd lay down the handset, and go about his business until he heard the "off the hook" tone, and then he'd go hang up the phone. Can you imagine how rude he was.......wasting that telemarketer's time like that?!

BTW, we normally get about 4-6 telemarketing call a year.....seems the DNC list is working pretty good for us.

 

[travelover]

I got a call a few days ago from "your credit card company". I asked to be put on their DNC list and they transferred me to a nasty little man who told me that he would add me to their list, but that he was going to charge me $600 for this service, which he was going to charge to my credit card immediately. He promptly hung up.

I was furious, but am too cheap to have caller ID, so they just slipped into the ether. Next time I think I'll play along until I can get an identification of the company name or phone number so I can report their sorry @$$e$.

 

[MikeD]

I keep getting a call from a recording in Fla about my last chance to refinace my credit card debt. I always press the indicated number so that I get a person and ask how is it that I can get 10 calls a week about my "last chance?" Shouldn't I only get one? I keep asking until they hang up.

Mike D.

 

[TromboneAl]

I was sure that years ago automated telemarketing calls were outlawed.

But soon we'll be in political telemarketing season. I already got one when I was checking my messages from a trip. Had to go through the rigmarole of entering password, listening to messages etc to find that I should vote no on proposition something or other.

Does having an unlisted number help?

 

[barker]

Generally they say having an unlisted number makes no difference because they are just using random number generators to dial your telephone.

The whole thing is illegal, and most are scam outfits looking to get personal information out of you - like your credit card number. So at some point they will ask you for something to verify your identity - maybe social security number, a credit card number, etc.

Some of these scam callers do know some information about you, like your name for instance, so on the other hand, perhaps unlisted would help avoid those callers.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

YouTube - How to torment telemarketers with one word

 

[Nords]

I was sure that years ago automated telemarketing calls were outlawed.
But soon we'll be in political telemarketing season.

IIRC political calls were specifically exempted from DNC legislation.

And I don't know if an unlisted number will slow down a sequential-dialing computer.

Unless we're expecting a specific call, we leave our answering machine on and our ringers turned off. Telemarketing computers can sense the presence of the answering machine, so the phone rings twice (if we even notice the flashing lights) and it never picks up.

As parents, we've also noticed that this has dramatically reduced the frequency of "rescue me" phone calls. Our kid knows to check in and tell us her plans, but she also knows that she's unlikely to find an audience for chauffeur requests or time extensions or other "special deals". She has to solve her own "problems".

I still leave the ringers on while I'm on watch for her "date nights". But again she knows that it's easier to stick to "the plan" than to risk parental phone negotiations in front of her friends.