The new "Do Not Call" list in America for registering to not receive commercial solicitations by phone has numerous loopholes and may decrease junk calls by only 25%.
NO OBLIGATION. Moreover, the cessation of calls offering a free Disney vacation or a timeshare in the Poconos could embolden survey-takers and nonprofits to pump up their volume. "Historically, survey firms have a refusal rate of 35% to 45%. If the past is anything to judge by, they'll pick up the pace to fill the hole that fewer commercial solicitations will create," says Bob Bulmash, president of Private Citizen, a consumer group that opposes unchecked direct marketing. Bulmash estimates that the Do Not Call List will slash unsolicited calls by just 25% -- a long way from the dinnertime quiet that Americans crave.
The primary reason: a loophole for companies that you have a "preexisting business relationship" with. According to the new regulations, any company you do business with may call you for up to 18 months after your last purchase or delivery from it, or your last payment. So the bank, the phone company, and the utility suppliers that you do business with on a regular basis are under no obligation to leave you alone.
Pollers, non-profits, charities, and even radio and TV service providers have loopholes in this new law. Plus, the junk callers can still call businesses and therefore may turn their attention to doing more calls into businesses. As the cost of international calling continues to fall any type of junk calling that is still allowed seems set to grow in use. With the American Teleservices Association holding seminars on offshore call centers it is easy to see which way the wind is blowing.
It is still worth your time to go sign up on the Do Not Call Registry. Also, if you don't mind spending $20 per year the Private Citizen organization will send notifications to a couple of thousand entities not covered by the "Do Not Call" list to remove your name and phone number from a large number of other lists. Private Citizen's service may become more valuable in future years as the number of calls from types of organizations not covered by the Do Not Call" list continue to increase in number.
Posted by Randall Parker at September 20, 2003 11:22 PMI believe Bob Bulmash is an idiot, and so are those sheep who maintain the herd mentality of "I hate telemarketers" Are you stupid enough to get scammed? If yes, then you deserve it. I have telemarketed for 15 years, business to business and sold valuable products and services - from well priced books to public libraries and schools - that benefited youth - to office supplies. Those that voice the negative so strenuously against telemarketers are those losers who have nothing better to do. I will find bob bulmash and split his skull with a pipe. He needs to be silenced.