Posted on 09/01/2005 6:05:37 AM PDT by franksolich
A new government could spell the end of many telephone sales approaches, but humanitarian organizations will in any event be allowed to try to raise funds.
The Socialist Left Party (SV) has proposed strict regulation of telemarketing, and potential coalition partner Labor is willing to consider tougher measures, newspaper Bergens Tidende reports.
Current Minister of Children and Family Affairs Laila Dåvøy, a Christian Democrat, agrees that something should be done.
"I see that this has become a big problem for many people and this is particularly because the right to deny approaches has not worked properly. Even if the telephone subscriber has registered against telesales, this is not respected," Dåvøy said.
The minister said that telephone sales will now be examined in connection with the coming revision of the Marketing Act, which will be submitted in November for consideration next spring.
"So it is too early for me to conclude if we shall go in for a total ban on telephone sales or if some will be allowed to continue under certain conditions," Dåvøy told Bergens Tidende.
SV politician Magnar Lund Bergo is a prime mover behind telemarketing regulation, and says it is time to crack down on most of it - humanitarian organizations would not be included in a ban.
Leading Labor politician Trond Giske told the newspaper that he would be open to consideration of such legislation, but was not sure if humanitarian organizations should get special treatment.
"That is not easy to answer. At least, it is a problem that many organizations that appear to be 'charitable' allow relatively much of the money disappear underway, so that very little reaches the goal it was collected for," Giske said.
The Center Party, the third member of a potential center-left government coalition, also wants rid of commercial telephone sales. Eli Sollied Øveraas, who represents the party in the family, culture and administration committee in parliament, told Bergens Tidende that she has a hard time seeing why they should be allowed to continue.
Øveraas agrees that humanitarian organizations should not be banned, but they can also face restrictions, such as not being allowed to ring at certain times or use anonymous numbers.
There are some, those raised during the 1950s, who feel compelled to answer a ringing telephone no matter what; no matter if a pot is boiling over on the stove, no matter if one has dropped the baby on the floor, no matter that husband is having a heart-attack, no matter if one is in the midst of extinguishing a fire burning up the back porch--if the telephone rings, one must answer it, no matter what.
Bah, humbug.
They *are* jobs, y'know..
Telemarketers are annoying sure, but if Norway wants to increase their unemployment, let them.
Well, I'm with ya on that. However, it does annoy me when people (friends of mine) NEVER answer their phones and I know they're home...why have the damn thing if you never answer it? More just a pet peeve than anything of value...
That's only true while you're online. Once you disconnect, you're fair game. LOL
They *are* jobs, y'know..
Telemarketers are annoying sure, but if Norway wants to increase their unemployment, let them.
You know, I always wondered about something.
Because I am deaf, the only way I know the telephone is ringing is when a large red light, about 40 kilowatts or something, blinks on-and-off, on-and-off, in the dining room, especially in the darkness of night giving an eerie illumination.
I always wondered if the ringing sound of a telephone was purposely designed to be an irritant, a noise so irritating to hearing people that they MUST drop all, even a pot of boiling water on the head of an infant sitting on the floor, just to answer the thing.
Back in the days before answering machines, caller ID and an infinite number of telemarketers dialing an infinite number of phones.
Before the recent "Do Not Call List" 90-95% of my calls were telemarketers. I wouldn't even bother to get up to look at the caller ID if the phone was ringing. I had the volume on my answering machine turned up enough so that I could hear who was calling if they left a message. Most people I wanted to talk to anyway knew my cell phone number anyway.
I'm in the middle of a project. The phone rings. I'm old. Don't move like I used to, but I try. It could be a friend in need, a death in the family, or just someone that enjoys my company.
I jump up to answer it. I have, now, four options:
1. A "hang up" call, I just it's a prelim to see if anyone is home. A marketing ploy, I guess.
2. A taped message.
3. A live one. When I get a chance, I tell them to get a "real" job!!!
4. If I'm lucky. It's a friend or family. Most of the family is so spread out, we email.
Call me sick, if you want. I'm just sick and tired of unwanted sales people.
I use caller ID to screen my calls now that it identifies calls from family in Norway. Up until recently, I had to pick up everything in case the "out of area" IDs might be from them.
If you want to plumb the depths of my compassion for out-of-work telemarketers, read Ebenezer Scrooge's "decrease the surplus population" speech.
Well, that's different. =P
FIRING all telemarketers just increases the government support burden. EXTERMINATING them is fine by me.. >_>
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