BS: US Do Not Call List

Subject: BS: US Do Not Call List
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 23 Oct 07 - 06:18 PM

The US "Do Not Call" registration that prohibited many junk calls to registered numbers was originally set up to have registrations expire after five years. That would have meant that most people would have to re-register, beginning in about June of 2008.

Good news, if it sticks, and can be substantiated from "official" sources:

DO NOT CALL ENTRIES WON'T EXPIRE, AFTER ALL

Posted: Tuesday, October 23 at 04:15 pm CT by Bob Sullivan
Fear not, telemarketing haters, your spot on the Do Not Call list is safe.

The Federal Trade Commission announced Tuesday that it would not allow registrations on the list to expire next year, when the list's five-year anniversary arrives. The law that created the Do Not Call list originally called for registrations to last only five years. After that, consumers would have to re-register to continue the prohibition on unwanted sales calls.

In recent months, many news reports suggested consumers might forget to re-register, leading to a flourish of telemarketing and home phone frustration.

That led to introduction of new federal legislation that would make registration permanent. It is not clear, however, whether a new law will be passed and signed into law before millions of registrations begin expiring in June of next year.

But on Tuesday, the Federal Trade Commission announced a simpler solution -- it simply won't let registrations lapse while future legislation is being discussed.

***

There's a bit more at the link, and it remains to be seen whether Congress can get anything useful done to make this reassurance permanent; but for now it appears that there's less urgency about staying on the list, assuming one's already there.

John

Subject: RE: BS: US Do Not Call List
From: Bill D
Date: 23 Oct 07 - 06:43 PM

wow...I had no idea it MIGHT expire. If I had started getting those calls again, they'd hear me scream all the way to Capitol Hill...(which in my case is only 15 miles....but still)

Subject: RE: BS: US Do Not Call List
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 23 Oct 07 - 07:30 PM

There's been some notice of the pending expiration, but it's been less than prominent.

There's also been a recent increase in violations, according to my own observations, probably from "offshore" automatic dialers.

There still seems to be much confusion over the Don't Call list relative to cell phones. Some reports say that you can register a cell phone number, and that appears to be true.

There has been much blather about the pending release of a "national cell phone directory" which will instantly subject all cell phones to the same sort of trash previously experienced with land line, but this appears to be an urban myth.

It is currently, according to reasonably believable reports, a violation of US Federal regulations to "cold call" anyone who must pay for receiving the call; but there have been some (quantity unknown) violations on this. The cell phone companys have been "uncooperative" about cancelling charges when it happens, and the charges can be rather large, so it's not a trivial deal.

Some may not know that the flood of snail-mail credit card offers and mortgage re-finance deals can be largely halted (after a time) by contacting any of the major credit rating companies and filing your "non-permission" for release of your credit information. If they can't get your credit rating without your permission, they can't send you the "usual offers." I can attest that it does help, although it can take several months for the flood to decay to dribble proportions.

John

Subject: RE: BS: US Do Not Call List
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 24 Oct 07 - 12:05 AM

Aus now has one too.

But I keep getting calls from people wantoing to 'sell me free holidays'...

I'm not making this up you know!

As for the "flood of snail-mail credit card offers and mortgage re-finance deals" mentioned by JiK, well, I get a flood of phone requests, which I find amusing, as I managed to pay my mortage off when made redundant. Wisest thing I ever did.

Subject: RE: BS: US Do Not Call List
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Oct 07 - 04:40 AM

The "no call list" has worked pretty well for us, bat I've noticed we've had a number of recorded calls lately, maybe two a week. They offer something, but give no information about the seller. At the end of the call, they ask you to press "1" to talk to a representative. I've done that a couple of times and tried to collect information about the firm, and ended up being called some pretty ripe names.

I wonder how they expect to sell anything if they won't tell you who they are. And if they're offshore or foreign operations, they certainly have American accents.

I wonder if there's any way to take action against these scofflaws.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: US Do Not Call List
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 24 Oct 07 - 04:53 AM

Joe -

One would presume that they're offshore to avoid prosecution - and maybe to evade prosecution for previous scams.

You're supposed to give them your personal information without asking for theirs, so that they can advance you to their next better scam.

John

Subject: RE: BS: US Do Not Call List
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 24 Oct 07 - 05:00 AM

In the UK, I was told by my phone service provider never to press ANY buttons if those unsolicited callers ask you to do so. Apparently it transfers your call on to a premium rate phone line, and that's how they make their money, they're not actually selling anything.
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: US Do Not Call List
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 26 Oct 07 - 11:08 PM

Just in case someone missed this.

John

Subject: RE: BS: US Do Not Call List
From: Ron Davies
Date: 27 Oct 07 - 07:44 AM

Lead article in the WSJ 26 Oct 2007: "Marketers Use Trickery To Evade No-Call Lists"

One of their main gambits seems to be the "lead card"---"an invitation through the mail for the recipient to mail off an enclosed reply for free information.... But the cards fail to warn that by sending off replies, recipients are giving up their right to avoid telephone solicitations from the sender--even if their phone numbers are on the Do Not Call list". This tactic, according to the WSJ, is especially effective with older people.

"Lead cards" may cite "changes in your Medicare benefits" or mention "new legislation", and "often plastered with Amierican flags" may cite "research by federal agencies or the AARP on how to handle such changes".

Never say US business is not creative at getting around regulation.

Subject: RE: BS: US Do Not Call List
From: Ron Davies
Date: 27 Oct 07 - 07:48 AM

States across the country are taking legal action on this trickery. But it ain't easy--since the loophole itself violates no law in most states.