Tired Of Telemarketers? So Is The FCC

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I get calls every so often in the evening and it is really annoying. I'll pick-up and tell them not to call me I'm on the national do not call list, and they will tell me they are just dialing numbers randomly (BS). So I tell them well now you know, so note my number and don't call it again or I will file a notice against your company and request damages for harassment. That seems to end them calling again but it is still annoying having to do that, so now I just screen and it it isn't someone I want to talk to they get VM and are deleted right away.
 
I added my land-line to the national do not call list when it first came out and within 1 week the calls had easily tripled. I canceled the service and had the land line ripped out before the next weekend, never to return. What a joke. If I get a call on my cell now, I just ask them for their home number and inform them I will give them a call when they get off work. 1...2....3.... seconds of silence and click.
 


Tell them your on the national don't call list and see if that helps, lol. Otherwise welcome to the world call screening.
 
This is not hard to do on a landline. Attach a dialup modem to a computer COMx port or USB port, grab the Caller ID info out of the incoming call, and look it up. If it's in the denial list there are a number of options built into the modem to use. You can throw a fax handshake at them and then disconnect or use Special Information Tones (SIT) to send a "line disconnected" tone. The SIT's are those tones you hear just before you get a message from the phone company like the ".. is not a working number" message. They use tones so they can be internationally recognized by the equipment and the message can be delivered in the local language.

In the U.S., however, the Caller ID information comes over the line between the first and second rings so you always hear the first ring. If you don't hear a second ring the computer terminated the call. Makes me smile every time.

My software logs the calls and displays a list. If a new call comes in that isn't recognized but it turns out to be an unwanted call you just double click on the item in the list and add it to the denied numbers list. Plus you have a log of all calls if they truly are harassing you.

After a while they stop calling. I've heard that if you use the Line Disconnected SIT their software will remove your number from the their lists but I don't know about that for sure.
 
Simple fix is to close the technical loophole that allows the caller to modify the caller ID and place that facility with the provider only. Then mandate that the ID can be changed only under very specific conditions:

1. The requested number MUST ring to a live person (no recordings allowed) 24/7
2. The requested number MUST be registered to the person/company making the request.

No third parties and NO exceptions.

Then make all third parties that provide these so called conference call setups that mask the origin of the call equally culpable in any civil or criminal action. This includes providers.


That's the quick and dirty version. There would of course be some legit exceptions.
 


While I do agree with you, that would be very nice if that happened. Is telemarketing really such a huge deal still? Do people call your cell phone? I have actually gotten calls on my cell from telemarketers but it hasn't happened in a long time, years at least.
 

Yes, I get at least 2 robocalls a day on my Cell and 5 to 8 every day on my landline. All of my numbers have been listed on the DNC list since the first day it went live. This has been going on for years. Unfortunately services like NoMoRobo don't do landlines or my Cell provider. If the numbers weren't spoofed it would be trivial to track down the offender and put them out of business.
 


That is unfortunate.

Now I wish somebody would stop junk snail mail. The resources wasted on paper, ink, manpower and time is ridiculous. Sometime I think it might be one huge conspiracy to cut down all the forest and stash them in landfills around the world.
 
Now I wish somebody would stop junk snail mail. The resources wasted on paper, ink, manpower and time is ridiculous. Sometime I think it might be one huge conspiracy to cut down all the forest and stash them in landfills around the world.
I just take all the postage paid envelopes and, after stripping out any personal identifying info, stuff company A's envelope with the junk from Company B, and vice versa, and mail them back. If enough people did this the postage costs to receive someone elses junk mail would certainly make companies reduce, if not eliminate these mass mailings.
 

uglyduckling81

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Our national do not call register actually works in Australia. I haven't received an advertising call in about 10 years since it's inception.
It's legislated though so It's actually a law to be abided rather than just a courtesy register.
The only exception is charity funds which I have never been called by so I don't have a problem with it.
 

Achoo22

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I actually thought the do not call lists were the purview of the utterly worthless FTC rather than the FCC. Whatever the case, it's atrocious that they granted exceptions to political entities. I get bombarded with recorded calls from campaigns and research organizations.
 

gangrel

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Caller ID might force a ring on a typical wired phone, but not on my wireless phone. It's got call blocking built in; the numbers I've blocked, light up the display...but don't ring.

And HECK YES it's major PITA. I had 3 complete junk ones today...another that might be debatable. (A local roofing contractor, saying they'd be in the area and offering a free roof inspection. We *are* getting hail in spots.) This was a really bad day, but I'd say a couple a week *that are getting past numbers already blocked* is the norm.

And honestly, I do not give a damn about telemarketers' whines. My right to privacy, and to NOT be interrupted, should completely override their right to do business.
 

scolaner

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Now I wish somebody would stop junk snail mail. The resources wasted on paper, ink, manpower and time is ridiculous. Sometime I think it might be one huge conspiracy to cut down all the forest and stash them in landfills around the world.
I just take all the postage paid envelopes and, after stripping out any personal identifying info, stuff company A's envelope with the junk from Company B, and vice versa, and mail them back. If enough people did this the postage costs to receive someone elses junk mail would certainly make companies reduce, if not eliminate these mass mailings.

Holy next-level trolling, Batman!

Most days, I feel like it would be more efficient to install a paper shredder at the bottom of my mailbox and stash a recycling bin beneath that.
 


While I do agree with you, that would be very nice if that happened. Is telemarketing really such a huge deal still? Do people call your cell phone? I have actually gotten calls on my cell from telemarketers but it hasn't happened in a long time, years at least.
I don't personally get a lot of telemarketing, but if you own a business, you get hit with crap tons of calls. I know my brothers get at least 5 a day, who have small businesses.

What's really bad, is there are some companies which will dial you several times a day until you answer.
 

Turb0Yoda

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Well, home phone number is unlisted for us and we get calls every once in a while.
The whole This phone number is restricted and you should have never got this number works... Or pushing the silence button.. That said, I know of a story where a telemarketer got the number of an FBI director or some other top level agent through the random number generator... Lots of paperwork...
 

mortsmi7

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Now I wish somebody would stop junk snail mail. The resources wasted on paper, ink, manpower and time is ridiculous. Sometime I think it might be one huge conspiracy to cut down all the forest and stash them in landfills around the world.
I just take all the postage paid envelopes and, after stripping out any personal identifying info, stuff company A's envelope with the junk from Company B, and vice versa, and mail them back. If enough people did this the postage costs to receive someone elses junk mail would certainly make companies reduce, if not eliminate these mass mailings.

Holy next-level trolling, Batman!

Most days, I feel like it would be more efficient to install a paper shredder at the bottom of my mailbox and stash a recycling bin beneath that.
I have a trash can underneath my mailbox. Junk mail doesn't even make it into the house.
 
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