Stop. Calling. Me! (advice needed)

[Gerrinson]

Just a quick notes and my suggestions:

As far as being a CSR for a telemarketing firm, I've been there. I've also put a guy on the Do Not Call list 5 times in as many hours. The Site Manager kept moving all numbers from Do Not Call to the active list because 'you can sell them if you actually try to do your job.' Umm...yeah. When informed that it was illegal and we could be sued, he literally laughed all the way back to his office. I quit very shortly thereafter.

To resolve this problem, make sure they know you're in Canada and not the U.S. If it's a U.S. only offer they might leave you off the list this time. If that's not doing it, here are some steps you can follow. Have a journal and pen/pencil available by the phone for tracking these calls and always record the date/time of each call that you answer:

1) At the beginning of the call, before you even identify yourself, ask for the name of the company that the CSR works for. Most times it is NOT the company who's stuff they are selling. They will try to bow out on this one by saying they are calling on 'behalf of <company who wants to sell you stuff>.' If they say 'on behalf of' reiterate your question and remind them that it's illegal to refuse to name their company if you ask and then ask again.

2) Take down the address for the telemarketing company's home office. They again are required to provide you with this information.

3) Take down the contact information for the telemarketing company's legal department.

4) If they haven't started to sweat at this point, request the same information for the client. They'll probably have to get a sup to provide this information, but it's good for them. And it makes the point that you are serious.

5) Inform them that the residents at your number have asked to be removed from the call list many times in the past 5 months. This goes beyond the 90 days they have to legally remove you from the list and that your lawyer will be filing suit with them. Then inform them that immediate companywide removal from their system may result in the lawsuit being dropped. They don't like to do it and some companies may not be able to do so, but the company I worked for COULD remove you from all clients' lists by emailing the home office. Even if they can't do it, impossible demands on your part are fine after all this time.

6) If that still does not work, sue the bastards for harassment since you've got their info and the journal for backup. It wouldn't hurt to contact the phone company and see if they can give you the number of the incoming calls for those dates/times. You can, with a court order, trace the owner of that number, there by offering further proof of who called when they try to claim 'it wasn't our company that called at these times.'

I've done everything on this list before, except for step 6, as even the most hard headed company finally got the point that I wasn't interested in anything but suing them if they didn't stop calling.

[Saydrah]

Marasbaras, that is some exceedingly SC logic, and more likely to get most CSRs to retaliate in whatever way possible than to get you what you want. Telemarketers, door to door salespersons, and any other person whose job you don't approve of, is human too, whether you like their occupation or not. Nobody deserves treatment like you are advising. It is not as if these CSRs are aware that the OP has requested removal from the list several times.

That said, could it be a scam of some sort (though you'd think they'd give up)? Have you verified somehow that it indeed is AOL calling you? If you have caller ID and their number actually shows up, try calling it back sometime. Or, ask for a callback number and then Google it. It's just bizarre that AMERICA Online would keep harrassing a CANADIAN like this.

If you can verify that it really IS AOL, try a different form of asking for a supervisor- get online and find every AOL Exec's email address you can, as well as their official complaint form, and make it clear they will never make a red cent trying to sell a Canadian their home based business program, and that you want to be off their list IMMEDIATELY. They should at least be able to tell you the "magic words" to get off the list the next time someone calls.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

What you do, is keep tight records. You keep a log by the phone. You get the name of the telemarketer, the name of the company, the time they called, the date, and the number at which they can be reached. All info that they are under federal law to provide to you upon being asked. You tell them that you would like a copy of their do not call policy mailed to you along with a note on company letterhead telling you that you will not be called again. Ask when you can expect this. Be firm and don't let up. They probably won't want to mess with you and will give you to a supervisor to deal with. Get that person's name.

They will then tell you that you may be called inside of the next x number of weeks until that do not call request is in their system. Politely tell them that is not your problem, as the Telephone Consumer Protection Act doesn't make concessions for that. If you say dont' call, they are in violation of a federal law if they call again, period. Inform them that you can, and will, sue them for 500 dollars per violation, and that you truly hope they make good on their prediction to call you again within x number of weeks.

Also, if the telemarketer is ignorant of the TCPA, that is another violation you can sue for. Telemarketers are supposed to know about this law. If they don't, the company can be held liable.

Again, keep records. Write down everything. If they continue to call, this might be a chance for some really easy money for you. People have successfully sued telemarketing companies for calling them. I know because I've done it.

[Andara Bledin]

Another vote for "Don't take it out on the CSR rep."

It's not their fault that the number they've been connected to doesn't want anything to do with them. With large call centers, most reps don't have anything but a small bit of data associated with the number in the computer, and they have nothing to do with who gets called or when.

^-.-^

[Rapscallion]

I'm against taking it out on the CSR as well. The vast majority of people doing that job are doing it to keep a roof over their heads. It's well known as a way to attract ire to yourself, and how many sane people want that? Really, would you really vent your spleen on someone who has no other choice at present?

I used to play with them. Every time a new fad went around, such as mobile phones for businesses or the privatisation of utilities from nationalised companies, we got a slew of calls.

One time, a guy asked if I needed a mobile phone.

"You got hold of me on the landline, I don't need a mobile phone!"

"Hey - everyone! I've got someone here who says he doesn't need a mobile phone!"

Yes, he shouted that around his office, and he got a resounding cheer. This ... irked me.

"So, what do you do if someone wants to call you when you're not near the phone?"

"I'm very rarely away from the phone - it's within a few feet of me in the shop at all times."

"Yes, but what happens when someone wants to get hold of you?"

"They can wait until I'm back from the bakery."

"So, what happens if a pretty female customer comes in with a mobile phone?"

"I just want her money."

"And she wants yours."

"And you want mine."

"... I think you got me."

"Yes, yes I did."

**************

Another time, someone tried to sell me electricity from a different supplier.

"So, do you mean to tell me you aren't interested in saving money?"

"That's right."

"So, what are you interested in?"

"Reading pornographic magazines."

"Oh my god..."



Those are edited highlights, but you get the gist. We did have one lot who were more persistant than any others - a company called Universal Utilities. The power companies over here used to be nationalised, and the government of the time thought it would be a jolly wheeze to force them to sell the same stuff wholesale and allow others to sell it on without providing the lines or pipes etc. This led to a rash of calls, but no company called more often than Universal Utilities (used to be part of British Gas or something).

At its peak, it got to the level of three calls a week. I begged and pleaded with them to take us off their lists, but to no avail (despite repeated promises). As I told them, there were no problems with them calling occasionally - we'd even got some better prices from listening to telesales calls - but their calls were on a ridiculous level. Every two or three days, another call came to say that their reps were in the area and able to give us a better price...

I started inviting the reps out.

After four reps came out within three weeks, the calls stopped.

Rapscallion

[marasbaras]

I'll just say this: after getting calls for months every few days from the same company selling the same item and repeated polite attempts to get removed from the list don't work (with both the CSRs and the supervisors), you lose any sympathy for the workers. They just become part of the machine that is driving you nuts.

If one hasn't been a victim of this kind of harrassment, then you probably just don't understand how it feels to cringe every time the phone rings.

The Site Manager kept moving all numbers from Do Not Call to the active list because 'you can sell them if you actually try to do your job.'

This guy deserves every bad thing that ever happens to him.

[powerboy]

Same problem with us, now. For the past few days and nights. It is from ATT. Every time they call, they always catch me off guard. But I always tell them no. Next time, I am telling them to take us off the Do Not Call list.

I should mention that they call about 3-4 times a day/night.

[Imogene]

Admittedly, this is my fault.
I have been looking up how to start a home based business recently. And leaving my contact info partially filled out, mostly because I start finding out how much companies want for their 'free' package.
I've had calls about "Why didn't you finish filling this out?"
"I don't have the money to pay to have your thing shipped to me."
One caller even said, "As someone who has succeeded through this program, FIND the money. It'll be the best thing you ever do."
Dude, you don't know if I'm in debt up to my eyeballs, do you? Maybe I'm going through a traumatic time. Next time you call, I'm just going to hang up.

[Gurndigarn]

Admittedly, this is my fault.
I have been looking up how to start a home based business recently. And leaving my contact info partially filled out, mostly because I start finding out how much companies want for their 'free' package.

You probably figured this part out, but... SCAM! One in a hundred, tops, will actually make money. The other 99 are profit for the company.

[powerboy]

Admittedly, this is my fault.
I have been looking up how to start a home based business recently. And leaving my contact info partially filled out, mostly because I start finding out how much companies want for their 'free' package.

I used to do the same thing. But now, I am painting on my days off. And am selling them at work. Owner said it was okay. His wife is also an painter and has her artwork out.

[marasbaras]

I used to do the same thing. But now, I am painting on my days off. And am selling them at work. Owner said it was okay. His wife is also an painter and has her artwork out.

Very, VERY cool.

[ditchdj]

I thought the "Do Not Call List" was supposed to put them out of business.

Wanna know what would REALLY send the telemarketers up shit creek??? If masses of people started cancelling their phone services because they got fed up with telemarketers. Then the heavyweights would start lobbying Congress to go after them.