Re: [privacy] FTC Hangs Up on Telemarketers' Pitch

[Drsolly <drsollyp () drsolly com>]

On Tue, 17 Oct 2006, Dave Killion wrote:

> On 10/17/06, Drsolly <drsollyp () drsolly com> wrote:
> > > I figure it will set me back about $500 total for the card and then
> > throw it
> > > in a spare computer I've got lying around.  I'd set it up with a white
> > list
> > > of callerID's to automatically pass-through, and a recording for all
> > others
> > > that informs them I don't take sales calls, etc, and to press one if
> > they
> > > are not a sales call.
> > >
> > > I just gotta find the time...
> >
> > You also have to find sales callers who don't hit one when they hear that
> > message.
> I'm hoping whatever I put in the 'etc' part will discourage them from doing
> so.  Something along the lines of:
>
> "This number is on the Do Not Call list. If this is a sales call, hang up
> now, or be subject to penalty under FTC Rule, 16 C.F.R. Part 310.  If this
> is not a sales call, please press one now."
>
> Try to make it short, sweet, and legalistic enough to make the
> 100-rupee-a-day telemarketers at least think twice about pressing 1.

Most people outside the US, aren't going to be too worried about FTC Rule, 
16 C.F.R. Part 310.
 
> The system will also have a log of the time, date, and callerID of the call,
> and it can even record the call if I like (I'd have to add a notice at the
> beginning, I'm sure), so if I did want to post a complaint, I could script
> up something that automatically filed the complaint for me - e.g. I could
> hook in something that say I dialed some sequence of numbers that it would
> take me off the call, play a recorded message ("You have violated FTC Rule,
> 16 C.F.R. Part 310, and a complaint is being generated..." etc), similar to

That's a good idea.

> the "Phone Butler" gadget (
> http://www.privacycorps.com/pages/phone-butler-review.htm - $40~$50 + S/H)
> people buy to politely hang up on people.
>
> Will it stop them all?  Probably not.  Will it drop my 3-5 calls a day to
> something more reasonable?  I hope so!
>
> I understand that I'd be spending more time setting this up than I'd ever
> spend dealing with calls, but it's more than the time - it's the disruption,
> the frustration, etc that I'd be getting rid of.

I see it as a public service and a labour of love. Plus, I enjoy winding 
up the senior staff, who very well understand what I'm doing to them.
 

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