[SEL] OT...Cold Calls....telephone problems

[mullt at att.net]

In Missouri, they can call you if you already have a business relationship with them. But if I tell them to put us on their no call list, they have to do it and stop calling. I went through that with SBC sometime back. They kept calling even though I sent them a letter telling them to stop (yes I kept a copy). When they kept calling I complained to the state attorney general.

Several months later, I got a call from the attorney generals office asking me if I would give a deposition because they were suing SBC for violating the law. (SBC kept calling other people and they also complained). The case never went to court, SBC agreed out of court to pay a fine. AT&T got nailed too.

Most telemarkerters don't bother calling businesses. They can't get by the secretary (or whoever) to get to the person who makes the buying decisions. So they usually don't bother calling businesses. Try calling Microsoft to sell Bill Gates some siding for his house.

The no call list has worked very well in Missouri. I think the voters just need to get onto the politicians.

Tom in St. Louis
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: James Moran <jrmoraninc at yahoo.com>
> There are a couple of "issues" with the phone call  scene.  One of which is that 
> there is no "prevention" if you have  already an established relationship with 
> the calling party or  company.  Another is that these callers are free to 
> contact  businesses without any prohibition.  In other words, if "Bill"  (let's 
> say) operates a motor repair shop as a business and has a  business-list phone 
> number.  Even if poor ole' "Bill" is all by  himself in a drafty garage 
> somewhere, he is "eligible" to be called by  a telemarketer and the "do not 
> call" proceed does not "protect" him.
>   JM
> 
> bill at antique-engines.com wrote:  "Yes, sir - I'll be right over, sir, thank you 
> for calling sir"
> 
> :-)
> 
> How do you go after automated calls in which there is no contact info, no
> caller ID and it's a one time thing? (or they keep changing locations and
> messages)
> They know darned well it's a pain to take the time and effort to take your
> case to the state. They know few will ever pursue it.
> You have to document the heck out of everything, exact times, messages,
> etc. Who can or will do it?
> Sort of like rebates, fewer than 15% ever actually complete the forms and
> send them in.
> 
> Bill
> 
> 
> > Bill,
> >     Direct TV just had to make a $5,000,000 settlement for violating the
> > Do Not Call provisions.  I don't know who enforces the law in your state
> > but here in KY its the Attorney General.  He's done a good job of going
> > after violators.  How do you handle someone calling trying to sell an
> > engine......
> >
> > Tommy Turner
> > Magnolia, KY
> >
> >
> >>Here I'd use caller ID and if they don't let their ID come through, I'd
> >>not answer it.
> >>
> >>It's a major problem and the "do not call" lists don't work worth a hoot
> >>either as the caller say "it's their right to free speech to be able to
> >>call anyone for any reason". One time the fellow argued and said "I'm not
> >>soliciting or selling anything, we are just offering these great deals".
> >>What a moron.
> >>
> >>And as far as their "right" to call me - BUNK - to me it's like
> >>trespassing if I don't want them on my line.
> >>
> >>Automated calls are supposed to be illegal in Iowa, but they come anyway.
> >>Those are the ones where there never is a real person, a computer calls
> >>and when it detects a pickup, it plays a message. Even the political
> >>parties use those here.
> >>You have a heck of a time catching them or tracing them and they know it.
> >>
> >>Bill
> >>Runnells, Iowa
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>>This is something that i am now experiencing but from what i read is
> >>>something that the US and the UK have had for some time.
> >>>The phone rings and because you have the answer phone connected and the
> >>>message kicks in after 6 rings you rush to the phone and if you are in
> >>> the
> >>>bloody workshop it is even worse ,i.e. you trip over something!
> >>>Anyway when you pick up the phone and say ''hello '' there is no answer,
> >>>not
> >>>even the bloody man from Bombay or Calcutta as has been the case[ my
> >>>solution to the latter is to ask if they can help me with my pet
> >>> elephant
> >>>Abdullah ,he has gone off his food].
> >>>Seems these unanswered calls are " Cold Calls, computer generated and
> >>> used
> >>>by call centres.Anyone got any good ideas of how to combat this problem?
> >>>Peter Ogborne
> >>>Little Grove ,Albany
> >>>West Australia
> >>>''Heart of the Rainbow Coast ''
> >>>jopeter at omninet.net.au
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>_______________________________________________
> >>>SEL mailing list
> >>>SEL at lists.stationary-engine.com
> >>>http://www.stationary-engine.com/mailman/listinfo/sel
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >>_______________________________________________
> >>SEL mailing list
> >>SEL at lists.stationary-engine.com
> >>http://www.stationary-engine.com/mailman/listinfo/sel
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > SEL mailing list
> > SEL at lists.stationary-engine.com
> > http://www.stationary-engine.com/mailman/listinfo/sel
> >
> 
> _______________________________________________
> SEL mailing list
> SEL at lists.stationary-engine.com
> http://www.stationary-engine.com/mailman/listinfo/sel
> 
> 
> 
> 			
> ---------------------------------
> Yahoo! Shopping
>  Find Great Deals on Holiday Gifts at Yahoo! Shopping 
> _______________________________________________
> SEL mailing list
> SEL at lists.stationary-engine.com
> http://www.stationary-engine.com/mailman/listinfo/sel