www.donotcall.gov -what do you think?

[The Irish One]

I like it a lot. It's nice to have a simple option to bar yourself from all telemarketing.

Administrator's note: A link for all those who found the thread using Google. The US Federal "Do Not Call" Web site is at:

http://www.donotcall.gov

You stumbled onto the Cyburbia Forums, a bulletin board for those interested in urban planning. If you're a planner or someone who is interested in the built environment, you're welcome to join us as a Forums member. Registration is free, and you won't get spammed.

 

[Jessie-J]

It seems like a really good thing, but I fear that the telemarketers might find loopholes and other ways of tormenting us. I'll wait to see how its working then perhaps I will try it later. I don't get too many telemarketing calls at the present time.

 

[Cardinal]

For years I have had an unlisted number to avoid telemarketers as well as people who do not realize that when I am at home, I do not want to be bothered with work questions. I used to still get a few telemarketing calls until Wisconsin started a similar list a year ago. Now they are very rare, but still happen. I figure it is out-of-state companies who may not be aware of Wisconsin's law. I will probably sign up for the federal list. John Ashcroft already has several files on me, so he must have my phone number already.

One interesting side note to this is the impact it will have on the telemarketing industry. When Wisconsin's law was inacted, a company planning a facility here cancelled the project. What will happen to all of the people employed in the industry if maybe a quarter, or a half of the potential calls are eliminated? This might impact states which have courted the industry, such as South Dakota, especially hard.

 

[Zoning Goddess]

Yay! Couldn't be happier about it. Now if they would only add campaign calls to the donotcall list!

 

[Dan]

Just after I submitted my (unlisted) numbers to the Federal no-call list, I got a call from the Kansas City Star. Would I be interested in a subscription? Ironic.

Although I have a wee bit of a libertarian streak in me, I think it's good to see the federal government working to enact laws like this that really do improve the quality of life for its citizens. Too bad it doesn't apply to politicians, charities, companies that the phone customer has a "relationship" with, and surveys.

Let's hope the Feds consider similar legislation for spammers.

Personally, I feel that the only good advertising is that which acts as a subsidy for something that we get for free or a greatly reduced price. I have no problem with advertising on over-the-air television and radio, or ads in a daily newspaper. I have a big problem with billboards and telemarketing; forms of advertising that provide no public benefit. They're just forms of advertising for the sake of advertising.

 

[Chet]

Like Stumpf, I hate being called at home about work, especially the local joe asking questions about how to do a land division etc. This is my work not my entire life, buddy. Step one: Live in the town next door. TM 1998 TASMAN INC.

Step two: Instead of getting an unlisted number, just dont have a land line at all. Between broadband ISP and my cell phone, I have no reason for one. Telemarketers theoretically never call cell phones, and if they do by chance, I have free caller ID and never answer a number I dont recognize or that is blocked.

 

[Runner]

I think it's good. All of our numbers are now registered! I just wish they would not put so many loopholes in these things. Independently, I always contact companies we do business with and "opt out" from any contact or release of our information.

 

[Cardinal]

Now if they would only add campaign calls to the donotcall list!

These are the people to whom campaign finance reform means giving more money to politicians to spend on radio ads, tv commercials, and... telemarketing. I don't ever expect to see that one taken from the mix. I wonder if they can get a copy of the phone numbers of people on the list?

So how long before they do something about spam?

 

[Chet]

So how long before they do something about spam?

What? Is something wrong with the tasty canned pork shoulder & ham delite? I love Spam!

 

[SkeLeton]

ugh.. I wish that kind of law would be enacted here... I friggin hate the telemarketers...if you say no in a polite way, they just start getting rude (and after they do it's just hanging up and waiting for them to call again and hangup without listening to them)

And about spam mail (regular and e-mail) there should be laws to end the abuse... to bad that many idiots call spam "the new economy" (no kidding!) a local spammer here in Chile believes that, and has a company that adverises through mail in an abusive manner (spam), plus the fact that they don't ask you if you want to get the e-mails, they just get a data base and start sending... and if you try to ask them to stop... it's useless. And the most ridiculous thing is that they charge impresive amounts of money (for Chile) for their service.. US$250 per once... US$1800 for one year... I just can't imagine a company so stupid to spend that kind of money to hire these a*holes so they send their advertising that will be deleted by 9 out of 10 people that recieve it!

 

[H]

Step two: Instead of getting an unlisted number, just dont have a land line at all. Between broadband ISP and my cell phone, I have no reason for one. Telemarketers theoretically never call cell phones, and if they do by chance, I have free caller ID and never answer a number I dont recognize or that is blocked.

Tried this when I lived in Knoxville (2000/2002) and the TMs started calling my cell phone A LOT because I had to use that number for applications and such. This p’ed me off bad. To top that off, I couldn’t get a Blockbusters card because I was their “policy” not to except cell phones. Yes, I know I could of lied, but unfortunately for me I am stubborn and often get held up on ‘principles’. So I just went to the other “local” video store. I think Blockbuster changed this policy, but they have lost me forever with that one store manager’s rudeness and my inconvenience.

Anyway. Now I do have a stripped down land line phone for emergency purposes (13$ a month, not bad) and for Christmas my mother-in-law got us a “Tele-zapper”. I’ll be damned, but the thing works. Every once in awhile we get a wrong number, but besides that everyone else is a personal call (which is good because there is no caller id since it is striped down).

But if that changes, I will sign up for the service www.donotcall.gov. I approve totally.

Huh.

 

[Chet]

To top that off, I couldn’t get a Blockbusters card because I was their “policy” not to except cell phones

Yeah I can't get a pizza delivery, but for the $360 a year (minimum) that I'm saving, I can drive to get the pizza every 2 months.

 

[Runner]

Unfortunately, it looks like cell phones are the next target. I just read an article today in the Houston Chronicle that said that spam text messages are coming our way. They apparently are already a big problem in Europe and Japan, especially for those who have to pay after receiving a certain number of messages.

 

[Jeff]

PA did this statewide last year and it has been a blessing. What used to be 2-3 calls a night is now 0. Sign up, you'll love it.

 

[Downtown]

PA did this statewide last year and it has been a blessing. What used to be 2-3 calls a night is now 0. Sign up, you'll love it.

NY too. The only calls we get now are the Police Benevolent Assn, etc. The program is one of the best things the State of NY has ever done for me.

 

[SGB]

NY too. The only calls we get now are the Police Benevolent Assn, etc. The program is one of the best things the State of NY has ever done for me.

Better yet, us NY'ers (even upstaters!) don't have to sign up for the federal list, as the state is doing that for us automatically I believe.

 

[PlannerGirl]

Im so looking forward to this kicking in!

I wonder what the telmarketers think of how many folks signed up the first day-overloaded the computers!

Now for internet spam...

 

[Repo Man]

Bravo! I love it. There is nothing more annoying than expecting a phone call only to have it be some a-hole trying to sell me siding even though I live in an apartment. I have been on the Wisconsin do-not-call list since January and it rocks. The state legislature was proposing to water down the list a few months ago to allow businesses with 15 or 30 employees or less to be able to call peope. They said it was to help small businesses. Well people went nuts when this got out and they quickly changed their minds. Seems that it never occured to them that that these big telemarketing firms would simply break off into smaller companies to skirt the law.

As for killing the telemarketing business, I say that is fine with me. I would assume that those who sign up for these do not call lists would never buy anything from a telemarketer anyhow, so these lists may actually make the industry more efficient.

Two things I wish would happen though:

1. The politicians would offer an option to block all calls from political calls

2. We need a "Do Not Spam List!!!

 

[tsc]

I have been on the list in NY since it began.. 4 or 5 years ago.. it is the best thing going. You get the few stray calls,, but it is great.

 

[Planderella]

I signed up for it, but I'm going to wait and see if the "Out of Area" calls on my caller I.D. decrease before I sing any praises. What we REALLY is a "Just Leave Me the F--K Alone List."

 

[Habanero]

I signed up for a do not call list before, but I was still getting calls from telemarketers from out of state. We've got security screen on our phone right now, but I think I will sign up for this.

 

[SGB]

Unfortunately, it looks like cell phones are the next target. I just read an article today in the Houston Chronicle that said that spam text messages are coming our way. They apparently are already a big problem in Europe and Japan, especially for those who have to pay after receiving a certain number of messages.

I've received two spam text messages on my cell phone over the last year, and I didn't even sign up for messaging service!

 

[H]

I've received two spam text messages on my cell phone over the last year, and I didn't even sign up for messaging service!

same here. I recived the message and I didnt even know what had happen with my phone, not having known I had the service. Being in Miami, I get them in spanish.... LOCO!!

 

[Miles Ignatius]

Hold That Call!

The "No-Call List" hit here in Colorado last summer (about the same time as those dreaded forest fires...'nother story.) I signed up right away and noticed an immediate improvement but as Habanero experienced, I still was on the "hit list" for the out-of-staters, whose volume increased since that time. Hopefully, the national one will give my phone line back....

 

[Jeff]

I finally got through on the Federal site after 2 days of trying, registered the cell phone too.

 

[Dan]

I wonder if phone evangelism will be blocked as well. When I lived in New Mexico some years ago, I used to get calls from folks trying to witness to me. "Can I ask you a personal question? Do you have a close personal relationship with the Lord Christ Jesus?" New Mexico really isn't in the Bible Belt, but I'd still get a witnessing phone call every couple of months or so.

 

[biscuit]

I wonder if phone evangelism will be blocked as well. When I lived in New Mexico some years ago, I used to get calls from folks trying to witness to me. "Can I ask you a personal question? Do you have a close personal relationship with the Lord Christ Jesus?" New Mexico really isn't in the Bible Belt, but I'd still get a witnessing phone call every couple of months or so.

Evangelism phone calls? I lived in what had to be tightest hole in the Bible Belt for most of my life and have never heard of that before. Tele-witnessing... seems like a lazy way to reach the "unsaved masses" don't you think? Even though calls like that would annoy me, I think that First Amendment concerns would preclude the Do Not Call list from blocking them.

 

[bflo_la]

Having signed up and still receiving calls, I advised the TM of this and he said...

"I'm in Canada you stupid mother f*cker* and hung up.

 

[Floridays]

It works for me! When I moved and changed phone #s, there was a brief period where I got HAMMERED with telemarketing calls. About 2 weeks after I registered my new #, the calls stop.

OMG -- the government did something...useful?

 

[Richmond Jake]

Glad this thread got brought up. I've moved, been getting the calls, so I did the do not call thing this evening.