Telemarketing making a comeback?

[k4kyv]

I registered with the national and state Do Not Call lists several years ago when it was first made available.  It slowed the telephone SPAM down to a trickle; I had previously been getting up to a half dozen land-line calls a day trying to sell everything from vinyl siding to sex-by-phone.  I had figured that Caller ID, Do Not Call and answering machines had pretty well put the final nail in the telemarketing industry's coffin. 

It worked well for me for several years, but lately the junk calls have been increasing until now they are almost back up to their original count.  Many of them come from the phone company itself, trying to sell their latest and greatest package deal, and the rest come from banks that my wife or I have done business with,  credit card companies wanting to make a special offer, and even the Church of Scientology (my mistake was buying a book from them in Kenmore Square in Boston back in the early 70's and they have never let me forget).

We have caller ID, so I am able to filter out most of the junk calls.  Normally, they show up as "Tollfree Number" or "unknown caller".  With most landline calls now,  unless the caller ID shows a party that I know, I just let it ring and listen for any message they leave on the answering machine, and pick up if it sounds like someone I need or want to talk to right away.  The tollfree numbers and other junk callers rarely leave a message on the machine.  I figure if it is not worthwhile for them to leave a message, then the call is not worthwhile for me to answer or return.

I don't think I could live in the same house with a telephone any more if I didn't have the caller ID/answering machine combination.

I have a mobile phone, but most of the time it stays where I think it belongs - in the car.  Very rarely I'll get a "missed call" from someone I don't know, but when anyone calls on that phone it is very unlikely that I will be within earshot of the vehicle unless I am actually driving somewhere.

Is it just me, or has this evolved into a nation-wide phenomenon?

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I believe the "Do Not Call" Registry list expires after  "X" number of years and you have to re-register. Like you, I registered early on, and now the number of calls have increased. I have to dig out the info to get back on the list.

[flintstone mop]

I have been unsuccessful filtering out the telemarketers. Vonage will stop a call without a number or name. I tried everything. Even a little device that you could enter only identifiable numbers, but after a while the list became unmanagable. And then moving the 'landline' to Vonage the little device would not work. (another $100 down the drain)The maker of the device and Vonage started finger pointing at each other. Issues like, audio levels and excessive freq response using VOIPs.

Fred

[w8khk]

I registered with the national and state Do Not Call lists several years ago when it was first made available. 

I did the same thing, registered with Do Not Call, responded to the credit card privacy notices that I did not want to be solicited in any way, mail, phone, or otherwise.  Also got caller ID.  Worked for a while.  Then the phone started ringing with blocked calls, number private.

We got a then new feature called "Call Director", IIRC.  Cost an additional 5 bucks or so a month.  At first I was not happy about spending more to get less calls.  But it works!

With call director, if any call comes in with the number private or blocked, the caller receives a message and must vocally identify their name and purpose of call.  If they do not comply, the phone never rings.   If they do comply, then the phone rings, and we hear their message and can choose to accept, or reject, the call.  Telemarketers never enter their name, so most of the spam calls are gone.  Overseas calls have no number, so the caller must identify, and the call goes thru just fine.  Don't know how we ever lived without it.

[W4EWH]

Is it just me, or has this evolved into a nation-wide phenomenon?

OM,

It's not just you: it's all of us; we baby-boomers have gotten old enough to know what is, and isn't, important: we know that the most precious commodity is time, and we know that everyone who wastes our time is shortening our life.

I suggest you simply unplug the phone when you want peace and quiet. I do!

Bill W1AC

[K3ZS]

Put a timer switch on the phone line, should be easy to make if they don't have them already.

[k4kyv]

We have a 70's vintage phone in the bedroom, that I picked up at a fleamarket.  It came from a hotel room, and has a neon light that flickers while the phone is ringing, in addition to an old fashioned electro-mechanical bell.  I disconnected the bel to render it silent.  If one is awake, they can faintly hear other phones in the house ring, and verify by seeing if the light is blinking.  If one is asleep, they are not awoken by the ringing phone.

[Rob K2CU]

Besides the "Do not call list" try this:

1. Only answer after three rings unless answering machine is within earshot. Many computer generated calls quit after two. Tell your friends to let the phone ring and ring.
2. never say "Hello?" Say somthing else, like "Good Day" ...many telemarketing fools use computer generated calls that listen for "Hello" and then connect you to a telemarketer.

[KB2WIG]

I am  on a 'do not call list', and the quantity of calls is droped way down...... When I had the time, I would love to talk to the tella  marketers and ask questions, and string them along as long as I could...  When time was short , the answer would be
"
" Ich spreche nicht Deutsches. "

Which means i don't speak german, which is, after all, the truth.


klc

[Mike/W8BAC]

Pete?CWA said

I believe the "Do Not Call" Registry list expires after  "X" number of years and you have to re-register.

Pete,

Once your registered it doesn't time out. When the law was first written they looked at how often people changed numbers. Lobbyists for the telemarketing industry tried to limit registry time and have a constant rotation of unsuspecting consumers but it failed. If you disconnect your service, or are disconnected you'll have to reregister. Here is the FTC web site. You can check to see if your number is still included by using the verify tab. Don't worry if your email might have changed. The email is only used to send the verification. The site has a really good FAQ section. Learn who can and cannot call and what to do if your called.

https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx

I heard just recently the FTC closed a loophole on robot calling with recorded sales pitches. This will stop but not soon enough

http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/103656;_ylt=AsqNGFhM.RP8cMW0FUJEiLvZn414.

[KB1IAW]

With most landline calls now,  unless the caller ID shows a party that I know, I just let it ring and listen for any message they leave on the answering machine, and pick up

I do the same, Don. Lately all of the unwanted calls that I have been receiving have been coming from solicitors for charities, business opportunities, or political candidates.  I believe all are exceptions to the Do Not Call List rules.

This is a pretty cool site for identifying who has been tying up your phone line:

http://whocalled.us/lookup/2134080236