This is awesome. I'm copying this from Lenardo's news post over at Monkly - Business (http://www.monkly-business.com/). Best news I've read in a LONG long long time! I hate telemarketers and I hate paying for Privacy through the phone company. So, here it is...like I said, all credit to Lenardo for informing trying to inform us :)

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr> The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has amended the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) to give consumers a choice about whether they want to receive most telemarketing calls. Consumers soon will be able to put their phone numbers on a national "do not call" registry. It will be illegal for most telemarketers to call a number listed on the registry.

Starting next month the FTC(Federal Trade Commission) will have registration for a nationwide "Do Not Call" list for you and me to get on. On or around July 1, go to this site: National Do Not Call List (http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/donotcall/index.html) to sign up and within 90 days you should see a significant drop in telemarketing calls. [/quote]

Down with all telemarketers!

Should work great .. at least until the telemarketers move to India where the FTC has no control over them... something they're doing anyway to cut back on labor costs..

This is a great move in principle, and a state version is also rolling out here in California. But I've hesitated on this until I see how well it works. Unless they are really on top of enforcement, putting your name on the list could possibly cause you to get even more spam than before, as unscrupulous telemarketers will buy the list and start calling everyone. A free nationwide list of confirmed telephone numbers is like a telemarketer's dream.

haha true. We'll see though. It also says "most" in there so you never know what that could mean. Still, the idea is a good one

We got such a law in Kansas last year. I signed up. Before that time I'd get 2-3 calls PER NIGHT!. Now I'm down to 1-2 calls per week.

There's a few loopholes in the state law. First, if you have a previous relationship with the company they can call you, so if you have XX bank's credit card, they can still call. Also research firms are exempt, so suddenly everyone who wants to sell me magazines is 'taking a survey' when they call.

Still it's so much better than it was.

From what I understand, charities will not be covered by this law.

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I signed on to the Texas no-call list about 6 months ago. I still get calls, but not as often. It was so bad at one point that I refused to answer the phone at all. Now it's considerably better, although I don't understand why it can't work for charities or companies I already have a relationship with. My cable company called me 3 times to upgrade to wireless internet. How many times do I have to say no? Oh and I still get called at least once a week to change my phone company. It's really amusing spending 10 minutes explaining to some guy reading a script why your current plan is far superior to theirs. No I don't need unlimited long distance!

I just WISH RadioShack to invent me a device that I can attach to my phone that screens my calls for me. I think that this is even possible with current technology.

I want it to works like this:

* I set up the unit, plug it into my phone jack. Set up a code, and then call my friends and family and let them all know the "code" for me (probably a 4-6 digit number).

After that:

1. Anyone calls my number

2. Phone do NOT ring, instead the caller hears this recorded message: Hear recording, "This home is protected from unsolicited callers, please dial the confirmation code now or wait 300 seconds and you can leave a message at that time."

3. The the phone pipes in some MUZAC-Easy Listening crap for for 300 seconds then if the caller is still on hold, it beeps and allows the caller to digitally records a message.

If they are my family or friends, they will know the code (I will have given it to them), and when they input it correctly THEN my phone rings..

Otherwise if you don't know my code you are waiting listening to MUZAC for five minutes. Most telemarketers are not going to wait that long... But it gives a friend or family member the chance to leave a message and request a call back if they somehow forgot the code.

Of course.. I would rather have the device have "Voice Recognition" software that can be programmed to recognize my friends and family by voice, but I don't think technology is ready for that yet.

Additional features with Caller ID would also be nice:

* If the device doesn't get a caller ID number it will hangup unless you input the code in 10 seconds.

* If the number is outside certain area codes or from 800-888 numbers it will simply ring "Busy".

* Everytime someone leaves a message it records a copy of their caller-id information and if that person is a telemarketer you can with 1 button block that number (if it calls it gets a busy signal).

Ah well... someone call Radioshack and get me the CEO.. I have ideas.

Paldor, the phone company around here (Southwestern Bell) has a service where people with blocked numbers will get a recording telling them the number is blocked and they can leave a message if they wish. If they call with an unblocked number they get through to you.

ost telemarketers block their numbers, so it works.

However, if someone you know has a blocked number for some reason, they can leave you a message for you to get back to them.

Paldor says: If they are my family or friends, they will know the code (I will have given it to them), and when they input it correctly THEN my phone rings..

SBC offers a service called priority ringing which does pretty much that. I also think you can have your phone ring differently depending on the caller. But the best solution is to have all your friends unblock all Caller ID, so you can see when they call and pick it up.

Yep, we have that too. At my old place, I'd get atleast 5 calls per day from telemarketers or collection agencies that didn't believe me when I said "no one by that name lives here". I'd say, I have told you before not to call here, bleh bleh" They'd come back with Ma'am, I can assure you that <em>I</em> have never called your home. I'd say give me a f'in break. I don't care if it was you or your co-worker, do not call here again, nobody by that name lives here, make a note of that in your little computer. They never listened. I'd ask for their company name, address and phone number and they wouldn't give it out. On and on it went. They'd start calling at 8 am and wouldn't stop until 8:30 pm. It was so bad I wouldn't answer my phone anymore.

So, when I moved I signed up for what my phone company calls "privacy". Any blocked number has to go through and leave a message. Anyone else will ring through. Unfortunately, the LD phone companies never block their numbers so I still get their calls but I swear, Privacy is a sanity saver. Only downside is that it is a bit expensive.

Make sure you understand the legal definition of telemarketing first.

Research firms aren't usually trying to sell anything, so that is how they got exempt. I used to work for one of those companies. We did totally legitimat research, but people would just assume you are selling something, get mad, yell, hang up. A lot of people got called back a lot. They got called back a lot, because they didn't answer the questions. The longest research call I ever did was 45 minutes...that was because it was a 15 minute one to begin with, and the person agreed to do it; but, during the call would not cooperate, and didn't know as much as they said they did about their companies equipment.

BTW, don't blame the people that call you, they are trying to make a living...blame your phone company, they are ones that sell the info for them to call you.

There are also web sites that will sell a ton of info on your company. Want to know who the CEO of a company is? Check out Hoovers.com. Most of the time, you can find at least one key person to annoy for free.

Also, there is technology to block people. The first thing you were talking about is called...an ANSWERING machine. You turn the volume up so you can hear who is calling. If you want to talk to them, then you pick up.

A lot of companies, and a few private residences have a block from certain types of numbers (900, 800), it will play a recording saying that they do not accept calls from blahblah. It's about the same thing as having a block on collect calls on your phone.

There is something you can get at radioshack...it's called something like a telezapper. Supposed to somehow hack itself in to the companies number database and remove your info from it. Personally would not recommend it, as I suspect there is a good chance of getting sued/jailed for hacking.

4-6 digit code would not be good enough for a code anyhow. Someone would just write a program that tries your number continuously to crack the code...say between the hours of 8am-5pm when most people are at work. They already have autodialers to try and find fax/modem numbers, and to see if numbers are still in service for calling later.

The calls are annoying, but I hardly ever get anything...except from the local papers, they never give up.

The problem with blocking 800 numbers, is when legitimate companies that you deal with call you (insurance, utilities, etc)...now they think you are dodging them because your line is always busy.

It's really a no win situation unless you just put your name on the list for no calls. 90% of the time, they want no more than 5 minutes of your time anyhow. Just answer their questions (if it's a research or survey call) or say no and hang up. I'm telling you, if you hang up they will call back though.

Sorry, nother long one.

For the cost of absolutely nothing, I have my phone number listed, but in a totally made up name.

It's funny because when someone asks for "Bob" or "Mr. Smith" I can either (1) hang up on them or (2) f*&@ with them.

One time it went like this.

TM: Hello if Bob Smith there?
E: No, but if you track that guy down, I WANT THE REWARD!
TM: <stunned silence> Uhhh goodbye.

Also, when I have the time or inclination, I waste their time with idle smalltalk, I.E. I'm a shutin please talk to me.

What can I say, the world hurts me and I hurt it back.

gamilenka wrote:

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>BTW, don't blame the people that call you, they are trying to make a living...blame your phone company, they are ones that sell the info for them to call you.[/quote]

That is like saying don't blame the Natzis they were just following orders.

Everyone has choices in life. If a person decides to take a job where you know you will be disturbing someone's privacy and peace then they should expect a bad reaction.

As an American I have every right to be as rude and obnoxious to anyone wanting to take my time/effort and make money from it.

Telemarketing / Tele-research works on the marketing principle of "a nuclear bomb to kill a single person"

Call 100 people to get one Sale.

Research firms are no different... they get PAID for their information. Therefore they are taking my valuable time and turning it into a product which they sell for money.

One of my favorite calls that I keep getting on my phone voicemail is this one (gotten about 10 of these:)

"It is very important that you call 1-800-xxx-xxxx"

That is it.. nothing else.. just that message. the answer is NO, i have never called it. If it is a bill collector then they can leave an indicator WHO it is... If it is Publisher's Clearing house calling to say "Hey you won $1,000,000" I guess I am screwed... but the "chance" that I might win a prize/money is NOT WORTH the risk that it is just some scam.

How far is this "pollution" of sales/reseach spam going to go? How about companies hook up some 100 decible speaker onto office building and play loud advertisements at 2am.. Maybe someone will get a sale?

The CA one isn't going to be implemented. They're gonna let the feds do it.

God, I hate telemarketers!

Actually, found my calls from telemarkets went down dramatically after I stopped allowing calls with no caller-id through. :)

Sure there's a choice. McDonald's, or telemarketing. Sometimes there really isn't a choice. Most people don't stay in those jobs long. Most of the people that do, are young. They will hire anyone and train you. It's a job, and if you can't find anything in your field, and you're hungry, then you take what you can get. Go ask some of the engineers out there that are still working for $8-10/hr, when they were making 60-100,000/yr before 9/11.

Yes they should expect negative people to answer the phone.

--Call 100 people to get one Sale.--

What you're talking about, is the Law of Averages.

--As an American I have every right to be as rude and obnoxious to anyone wanting to take my time/effort and make money from it.--

And why do they not have the right to call you back? If you have the right to be a jerk to some 19 y/o trying to make some cash why they are in school, why don't they have the right to keep annoying you?

--Research firms are no different... they get PAID for their information. Therefore they are taking my valuable time and turning it into a product which they sell for money.--

Yes they do. Many of these firms are doing very legitimate research too. Some of them do sell the info you give them...in an aggregate report. Others work for people like MIT, AT&T and a bunch of other schools, companies and such. They try to find out how things have changed, and where the general public in a specific area would like to see things go.

Ever hear someone complain because they can't get a cable modem, or DSL in their area? Why would a company spend the money to get services like this in to an area without doing some sort of research?

--"It is very important that you call 1-800-xxx-xxxx"--

Very annoying, I agree. Sometimes those are legitimate calls. Bill collectors and such. Other times it's someone trying to get you in to some BS.

--How far is this "pollution" of sales/reseach spam going to go? How about companies hook up some 100 decible speaker onto office building and play loud advertisements at 2am.. Maybe someone will get a sale?--

I agree with you mostly. Some of it is good though. Most people never realize what is really going on. They just say f@#$% you stop calling me and hang up. If the company is a company that is 'spamming' stuff like this...why on Earth would you think something like that would make them stop calling? Ever been in a real call center for one of these companies? A lot of them are small little operations, others are huge and employ a couple of hundred people in one building, and have several buildings throughout the country.

I hate those surveys too. As bad as telemarketers IMHO. I really think the Do Not Call thing should apply to them as well. They might not be advertising but they're collecting information for people that want to sell you crap.

Now they just need to do something about junk mail.