Telemarketers who hang up on *you*

[MadMike]

I briefly worked as a telemarketer, and at my company, we were told no doesn't count unless it's said 3 times.

Which just goes to show that once again, the employees catch hell from the customers because of idiotic company policies.

[JLRodgers]

I have nothing against telemarketers themselves (the people), but as far as the businesses go.... I really wish they had to have a phone number that was actually theirs, company name and all.

Sadly on our phone system (well, useful in a way really), a cell phone comes up as "California Call", "Oregon Call", "Arizona Call", "Illinois Call", etc -- but apparently only cell phones come up that way. We also have "unavailable", "private", etc as well that shows up if the number's unavilable/etc..... the problem is those are the states our telemarketers call us, from cell phones (I've looked up the numbers they give for reference, they're listed as cells) -- and those are the states we have friends/relatives in that call us with, you guessed it, cell phones. So every time a telemarketer calls, we pick up thinking it's probably our friend/relative, only to be given a sales pitch or something.

[draftermatt]

Meh, I wish they'd hang up on me. I get tired of saying "no, not interested" etc so I finally just say "not interested, thank-you" and hang up.

Lately the local paper keeps calling and I've asked 5 times to be put on the Do Not Call List.

The last time I asked for a supervisor, hopefully it works this time. If not I'm going to call their offices 4 times a day asking why they keep calling someone who's never subscribed and who keeps saying he's not interested asking if they want the paper.

[Chromatix]

Put yourself on the *national* Do Not Call list. Even if you did that when it was first introduced, refresh it and make sure your listing is still current.

And then, if the telemarketers still call, find out who they are and get them shut down. Violating the national DNC list is illegal.

[Lingering Grin]

Put yourself on the *national* Do Not Call list. Even if you did that when it was first introduced, refresh it and make sure your listing is still current.

And then, if the telemarketers still call, find out who they are and get them shut down. Violating the national DNC list is illegal.

If they actually violate it.

They are allowed to call you if you do business with them... or one of their partners.

A LOT of telemarketing companies started to affiliate themselves with other companies like banks, car insurers, mortgage companies, and cell phone providers


That then gives them permission to call any of THOSE companies customers, without getting in trouble.

[Rapscallion]

The company I get my Internet through called me the other day. Quite amusing, really. I get my phone with them as well, and they tried to offer me a package for those and cable television as well. It would have saved me money as a combination deal.

Nice of her to offer, but I had to point out that I didn't own a television, would have to pay for one, plus a licence fee, and I really enjoyed annoying the TV licensing people.

She had to concede defeat on this one, but I could hear the smile in her voice

Rapscallion

[Emrld]

I am on the DNC list . . . I got a call the other day telling me car insurance coverage about to expire (no it isn't)
So I got the company name and informed the person I was reporting the violation of Do No Call. Her reply "Good luck with that $itch"
Yes, she used that word. I think I would have prefered the hang up.

Also, I have a unique last name. The only other household with same name in the city is my parents.
Now my phone is actually listed with the last name of Smith - which isn't my last name.
Still, I am getting calls from Credit Card companies for my Dad. So I have my machine picking up after 1 ring and have told family and friends I am screening.

[MadMike]

She had to concede defeat on this one, but I could hear the smile in her voice

It's not easy to get them to concede defeat, but I managed to do it twice.

The first was the phone company. They were offering some sort of long distance package that would save me money if I normally paid $10 a month in long distance. As luck would have it, my ex, who ran up the bill for years, had recently moved out, so now my long distance bills were next to nothing. I told they guy that, and he asked, "Do you normally spend at least $5 a month?" I answered "maybe once in a great while." Realizing there was nothing to offer me, he wished me a nice day and ended the call.

The other one was an internet provider, back in the days when almost every provider charged by the hour. After running up quite a few huge internet bills, I found a rare-at-the-time flat-rate provider and went with them. This one called, proudly offering me internet service at the "low" price of $x per hour (don't remember the number, but that's not important.) I told him I already had service, and was paying $19 a month, regardless of how much I used it. I got the feeling he thought I was yanking his chain, but he politely ended the call anyway.

[persephone]

About telemarketers and cell phones:

Technically, I believe that yes, they are not supposed to call cell phones (since you have to pay for the calls). However, because there are a LOT of people in the country now that don't have any number BUT their cell phone and give their cell phone out as their "home" phone number? The telemarketers have no way of knowing it's a cell phone.

We registered our cell phones and home phone on the DNC list.

[JLRodgers]

The telemarketers have no way of knowing it's a cell phone.

For me it's not them calling our cell phones, but them calling us from a cell phone (that's listed as a cell phone, comes up as a cell phone, etc).

Although these days, with people being able to transfer numbers and all, it's a pretty good reason why (nothing against people in the field), but there should be no telemarketing at all allowed - everything being opt-in and just for the company you sign up for for the similar products to what you bought or you choose.

[Dips]

They are allowed to call you if you do business with them... or one of their partners.

Almost.

They are allowed to call you one time if you have done business with them. You still have the right to ask them to place you on their internal do-not-call list and they are required by law to honor that request for ten years.

A lot of good information on reducing calls can be found here:

http://www.junkbusters.com/telemarketing.html

It's good solid advice that works and all without resorting to abuse of the person just doing their job.

[Pagan]

This is why we screen our calls, my family/ friends know it will go onto an answering machine but if Im home I will pick up when I hear their voice.

Same here. Just makes it easier.

and it did!

For about 2 months, until they all found the GIANT GLARING FREAKING LOOPHOLE.

What loophole was that?

Put yourself on the *national* Do Not Call list. Even if you did that when it was first introduced, refresh it and make sure your listing is still current.

And then, if the telemarketers still call, find out who they are and get them shut down. Violating the national DNC list is illegal.

Exactly. I've got both my land line and my cell on there. And last year (actually 2007) they fixed the expiration thing. Doesn't expire now and anyone that tells you otherwise is full of it.

If they actually violate it.

They are allowed to call you if you do business with them... or one of their partners.

A LOT of telemarketing companies started to affiliate themselves with other companies like banks, car insurers, mortgage companies, and cell phone providers

That then gives them permission to call any of THOSE companies customers, without getting in trouble.

The group that I just reported this morning (whom I find very offensive) isn't a telemarketing company and I can pretty much guarantee that they haven't affiliated themselves with any company. The only way I can imagine that they got my phone number is that they're using the phone book and just calling everyone in the area of their meeting place. I've never, ever had contact with this group in my life.

[JLRodgers]

....What loophole was that?....

Probably the "you're allowed to call pre-existing customers" based one --- that means when you sign up for a raffle at a mall, they can put in really small font "you allow us, and any people we partner with to call you" so you've just given the telemarketers permission to call you as you've not only "done business" with them, but also "agreed to have them and others call you"

[Pagan]

Probably the "you're allowed to call pre-existing customers" based one --- that means when you sign up for a raffle at a mall, they can put in really small font "you allow us, and any people we partner with to call you" so you've just given the telemarketers permission to call you as you've not only "done business" with them, but also "agreed to have them and others call you"

Well, then, that's on you to read things before you fill out the slip. I've seen those things at the mall, usually connected to winning a car, and noticed that they said that and so didn't fill out the form.

How many times has someone lost on "People's Court" because they didn't read what they were signing?

[JLRodgers]

Well, then, that's on you to read things before you fill out the slip. ....

It might also apply to just in general anything. Like if you just look for a car (and they have to run a credit check), you're "doing business" with them and all insurance/loan companies they use.... If you belong to a membership club, you end up "doing business" with them and all of their partners.

Kind of like belonging to a country club - and getting telemarketers calling you for vacations and pools because the club uses them. Not sure if it applies entirely, but I believe I read somewhere it's included. If you have a bank account -- you'll get calls for people that are "partners" with your bank. Basically if you're alive and buy anything or have money - you' could be "legally" called by telemarketers because you gave permission for them to.