And then there are the "surveys". They are exempt from do-not-call. Of course my experience is that most of those "surveys" are attempts to "qualify" buyers. They won't make a direct, blatant sales pitch (usually), but they will use whatever information they can get to guide the salesman who eventually does contact you, or to direct unwanted mail to you.

When the guy (gal?) in the boiler room says, "This is not a sales call.   We're running a survey to...." I say, "Suuuuure, it's not a sales call! That's good, because this is not a buying person. GOOOD-bye! (click)."

Or sometimes a telemarketer, by ignorance, carelessness, or bravado, will make an identifiable sales pitch. My comment, at the first pause or even without a pause, is, "Congratulations! You have just qualified yourself for a $10,000 fine for violating the do-not-call statute! What is your name, your company name and phone number and address, please?"

Once or twice the caller has seemed honestly surprised to know that there is such a thing as the do-not-call list. How a commercial person could NOT know that is beyond me.

Dave Oesterreich