Do-not-call list (somewhat rant-ish)

[smokey the elder]

(Is that even a word?) I have been registered to the Do Not Call list for years, but lately I have been getting 2-3 robocalls a day! I have all the numbers in my call log; I'm going to file a complaint monthly with all the violators.

[Freedom]

I also get so many robo calls, quite annoying. The ones I am getting are not covered by the government list.


The Do Not Call list is pretty specific. " Placing your number on the National Do Not Call Registry will stop most telemarketing calls, but not all. Because of limitations in the jurisdiction of the FTC and FCC, calls from or on behalf of political organizations, charities, and telephone surveyors would still be permitted, as would calls from companies with which you have an existing business relationship, or those to whom you’ve provided express agreement in writing to receive their calls. However, if you ask a company with which you have an existing business relationship to place your number on its own do-not-call list, it must honor your request. You should keep a record of the date you make the request." http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles...-call-registry

More from the same site:
Political solicitations are not covered by the TSR at all, since they are not included in its definition of “telemarketing.” Charities are not covered by the requirements of the national registry. However, if a third-party telemarketer is calling on behalf of a charity, a consumer may ask not to receive any more calls from, or on behalf of, that specific charity. If a third-party telemarketer calls again on behalf of that charity, the telemarketer may be subject to a fine of up to $16,000 .

If the call is really for the sole purpose of conducting a survey, it is not covered. Only telemarketing calls are covered — that is, calls that solicit sales of goods or services. Callers purporting to take a survey, but also offering to sell goods or services, must comply with the National Do Not Call Registry.

By purchasing something from the company, you established a business relationship with the company. As a result, even if you put your number on the National Do Not Call Registry, that company may call you for up to 18 months after your last purchase or delivery from it, or your last payment to it, unless you ask the company not to call again. In that case, the company must honor your request not to call. If they subsequently call you again, they may be subject to a fine of up to $16,000 .

An established business relationship with a company also will be created if you make an inquiry to the company, or submit an application to it. This kind of established business relationship exists for three months after the inquiry or application. During this time, the company can call you.

If you make a specific request to that company not to call you, however, then the company may not call you, even if you have an established business relationship with that company. You should keep a record of the date you make the request.


The calls I've been getting are within the legal bounds, so filing a complaint would not do me any good.

[smokey the elder]

I know the rules. I think they're using bogus IDs. Lately I'm getting heaps of 347 area codes.

[Grace]

When you get one of those calls - if you have Caller ID - Google the number. Results can be fascinating. We've been getting lots of credit card calls, and some others that are still unknown. Some of the numbers are frequent enough that we put them into the Call Block feature on our phone. For the rest of them - if I don't recognize the number, I just pick it up, and then hang up immediately.

What Sandie posted is correct. The Feds are trying to squash this type of call, but it takes lots of patience and time.

As for the political and charity calls - I call the political person's office and request no more calls. That works. For the charities - we don't donate to phone calls, and I tell them that, and again request no calls. For the most part, it has worked.

[Asiel]

We get so many call centres and what not that I do exactly the same thing, lift the receiver and hang up...sometimes it seems they call back 2-3 times and I just keep doing it till they call again but hang up before I can, seems like a joke to them.
Credit card calls, collection agencies ( when we never buy anything on time--pay cash or I don't buy) so it seems ridiculous but it seems this is the latest thing.
They even call on the cell phones now so I keep mine off unless going out.

[mrspunkysmom]

SCAM warning

A guy with a foreign accent pretending to be from the UPS delivery service called this morning. He must have been new at this because he kept repeating the opening line. I got the feeling he was reading from a script and didn't understand what he was supposed to do next if I didn't respond with the correct phrase. It was an 876 number. I have a mailbox at the UPS store so I know this wasn't a legit call. I told him this was a scam and he hung up before I could get further. Which is good because he after he gets his act together he or the powers that be might change their tactics.

[pomtzu]

I got a lot of "survey" calls from the Univ of DE, and I would always very politely tell the calling party that I don't do surveys and to take my number off their calling list. These continued off and on for several months and at least 3 or 4 times per week until I finally "blew my cool" one day and demanded to speak with the supervisor in charge of the program. After I gave him an earful, I've had no more calls. Get a lot from a State Police program trying to sell me homemade jams and jellies, and I just interrupt their sales pitch and tell them I'm not interested. Most of the callers are polite, but the last idiot hung up on me before I could get more than a few words out. And of course the ones from "my" credit card company giving me a big opportunity to lower my interest rate. One day I thought I'd play their game, and when I got a representative, I asked just which card company they were from. I got a big "click" in response.
A new email scam I started getting around the holidays claims to be from FedEx, saying they couldn't find my house and left my package at the post office - all I have to do is open their link and print a receipt to take to the post office to get my package that they delivered there. Sure - and pigs fly too.......

[smokey the elder]

My spam mailbox is overflowing with delivery notices. I get calls from charities; I have a stock response: "I don't donate over the phone. I don't know if you're trying to rip me off or not!"

[Karen]

I am always bemused by the messages on my answering machine from Big Brother or the AmVets, saying they will have a truck in my neighborhood on a certain date for donations. But they do not know that we do not even live at our old address, we just took our phone number with us when we moved, over a year ago!

[mon]

Even if you screen all your calls and never pick up, they seem to stick to their calling list. No matter what. If I'm home and their gonna leave a long message, I will pick up and hang up also. Some of them rarely even leave a message anymore on the machine. Guess it depends what your answering machine says...heh-heh.

[smokey the elder]

At least I'm not getting an open line anymore. That was happening a lot; one culprit was my mail-order drug provider. I told the person (once I got through to a human) that I did not appreciate my line being left open. It stopped after that.