Do Not Call causing more telemarketing calls?

Me | 10/21/2003 | Me

[TheBattman]

Nearly one year ago, I signed up (and paid the fee) for the Arkansas "Do-Not-Call" list. As advertised, it took nearly 3 months for the calls to all but totally stop. Yippie!

I also signed up for the Federal list soon after that program began. The Arkansas law is more restrictive, but I figured that it couldn't hurt. In the time between the Arkansas list kicking in and the supposed Federal list's start date (October 1) I only received a couple of telemarketing calls. And those just about panicked when I told them I was on the list...

Then the Federal list kicked in - despite legal wanglings. In the short time since the fed's list went into effect, I have received over 25 telemarketing calls, including 3 from a company called "Seabridge Communications", two from a debt consolidation company (no previous contact with this company - so not an exception to the rule), and a couple of magazine solicitations, as well as the big state newspaper....

[TheBattman]

Should I be suspicious? Why would these calls have conveniently started when the federal list kicked in? I am regretting signing up on the Federal list....

Anyone else experienced increased telemarketing calls since the list became effective?

[AntiGuv]

Quite the contrary, I had been receiving at least a half dozen telemarketing calls a day before the federal list went into effect and have not received a single one since..

[.38sw]

No. Our TeleZapper catches them. Best $50 I ever spent.

[DesertWalker]

No increase, but no decrease either. I regularly get a few calls around noon every weekday and one or two in early evening (I hung up on one just before I checked in here on FR). And I'm on the Federal no-call list.

[Dinsdale]

Some people sign up for do not call because they know that they or a family memeber is just to stinking gullable. The others will hang up quickly (keeping you phone costs down).

Telescum know this. The worst of the industry targets the do not call lists just listening for suckers (your grannys voice?).

When you receive telemarketer calls DON'T HANG UP. Say please hang on there is someone at the door, lay down the phone. Walk away. Hang up in 15 minutes. If everybody did this they would be out of buisness tomorrow.

[MagnoliaMS]

Yes and no. It seems to have cut them out during the week, but I got three last Saturday.

[teletech]

Quite the contrary, I had been receiving at least a half dozen telemarketing calls a day before the federal list went into effect and have not received a single one since..

I too signed up and since the list kicked in, I haven't received one call HOWEVER, I HAVE received several faxes with an 800 number on the bottom to "remove you from our records".

[luckystarmom]

Mine are down tooo!!!! Yipeee!

[HighWheeler]

I didn't sign up for the Fed List, instead I screw with these idiots when they call. I have been doing this for almost two years, and the calls have almost dried up.

I got a call about 4 weeks ago, and before that it was about 3-4 months without a call. They get very irate after getting yanked around and I get a great sense of satifaction and accomplishment.

I lead them on to talk for minutes, saying "uh huh" every ten seconds, then at the end I seriously ask them "Do you put the spaghetti in the pot before or after the water is boiling?" or "I have a dog that doesn't have fleas, and you KNOW how bad they have been this year?" or some other question.

It is working beautifully.

[ChadGore]

DNC = Do Not Call

[TontoKowalski]

We haven't been getting any calls, either, and our phone used to just about ring off the hook.

How nice not to have to jump up and look at caller ID, not to have to listen to the answering machine pick up on every "unavailable on the caller ID" call we got. Just peace and quiet, and the unexpected sensation you get when you think you might actually wish to speak to whomever is calling you!

For all those who accused my of needing the govt to hang up on people for me... I hope all the telemarketers who aren't calling me are pestering you now.

[vollmond]

My calls have gone way down. I've had two calls since the DNC list went into effect. One call from the credit card company that I used to do business with up until September (just within the permissible window), and one call with a free cell phone offer (judging by the accent, from India).

I used to get two or more message on my answering machine every workday, and a call or two at night. The ones that really bothered me were the 10 AM Saturday morning calls.

[leadhead]

You gotta use "A moose bit my sister" and "A moose rarely refuses cheese"

[Fledermaus]

Yep...a telezapper. The proper, conservative way to handle calls you don't want. Not government intervention. When I see conservatives and Republicans on board for a federal intrusion based on a feel good issue, I know we are still destined to live with stupid Dems for a long time.

[Fledermaus]

When you receive telemarketer calls DON'T HANG UP. Say please hang on there is someone at the door, lay down the phone. Walk away. Hang up in 15 minutes. If everybody did this they would be out of buisness tomorrow.

Your ignorance of how a telemarketing business makes calls is amazing. They'd hang up on you (usually automatically since the calls are computer generated and controlled) in a minute after you stopped talking. No person working in telemarketing would sit on the phone for 15 minutes with no one on the other end.

[Fledermaus]

How nice not to have to jump up and look at caller ID, not to have to listen to the answering machine pick up on every "unavailable on the caller ID" call we got. Just peace and quiet, and the unexpected sensation you get when you think you might actually wish to speak to whomever is calling you!

How nice to know you can be easily trained to jump up when a bell rings. The Dems would love you!

[TontoKowalski]

You missed the last part of my post, which is particularly applicable to you, as you don't seem to mind the calls at all:

...I hope all the telemarketers who aren't calling me are pestering you now.

I don't know why the thought that I don't have the constant annoyance of unwanted telephone calls pisses you off so much.

[HighWheeler]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I'll work those into the next telemarketer's call. The last call was for a house security system, and we know how that system would have kept my sister from being bitten by that rabid moose.

[hotpotato]

Locating a so-called "gay gene" could have far-reaching social implications. Pre-determination of sexuality could give homosexual advocacy groups more ammunition in calls for special legislation and enactment of hate crimes laws.

No. If I were a telemarketer, I'd hang up or put you on hold and go to my next call because "someone at the door" likely means you aren't coming back, at least not for a long time. Tell them you have to go get your glasses and a pen or your hearing aid.

[hotpotato]

No person working in telemarketing would sit on the phone for 15 minutes with no one on the other end.

Agreed. They may hang on for 30 seconds to a minute. Tops. And then you end up tying up your OWN phone for 15 minutes.