Trace Downing
Supporting Actor
I work in telecom network maintenence, and would like to clear up a few things. Excuse me for not saying your names. I had to go into my school books again to find some of these answers...
It's not illegal to blow high pitched whistles into the phone. It wouldn't do anything to the person on the other end anyhow. Phone networks have a narrow bandwidth of 4khz, 300hz-3.4khz. High pitched noises get clipped off. As a reference, the human ear can detect sounds up to 20khz, or 20,000hz. Also, phone networks use a constant volume, so the whistle would only be as loud as your voice.
Pay per minute Telemarketing agencies don't pay by the minute. They buy a service called WATTS. It's a bulk rate plan, as opposed to a call by call basis. So staying on the phone doesn't waste any of their money, just your time.
The Telezapper is an expensive contraption that can be easily defeated by up-coming, soon to be installed phone equipment that overrides the detection device, and prevents the "zap". TMs are still one step ahead of you. Don't waste your money.
You must choose a long distance carrier. If you don't, and need to make an LD call, then any opportunistic company can charge you for the call, at rates usually above $1 a minute. Get with a reputable carrier, choose a free LD discount plan (they all have them), and you know what you'll pay when you have to. Use pre-paid cards if you have to. Never call on a pay phone without specifying an LD carrier that you know. There are carriers out there with names like...I don't care, whatever, it doesn't matter, Who cares, I don't know, etc. that will charge you 3-6 times as much as MCI, AT&T, Sprint, etc. and the operator will connect your call with the "I don't care" phone company.
Jeff, if you sell service to businesses, then I would like to thank you for selling your clients services which haven't been invented or installed yet!
It's not illegal to blow high pitched whistles into the phone. It wouldn't do anything to the person on the other end anyhow. Phone networks have a narrow bandwidth of 4khz, 300hz-3.4khz. High pitched noises get clipped off. As a reference, the human ear can detect sounds up to 20khz, or 20,000hz. Also, phone networks use a constant volume, so the whistle would only be as loud as your voice.
Pay per minute Telemarketing agencies don't pay by the minute. They buy a service called WATTS. It's a bulk rate plan, as opposed to a call by call basis. So staying on the phone doesn't waste any of their money, just your time.
The Telezapper is an expensive contraption that can be easily defeated by up-coming, soon to be installed phone equipment that overrides the detection device, and prevents the "zap". TMs are still one step ahead of you. Don't waste your money.
You must choose a long distance carrier. If you don't, and need to make an LD call, then any opportunistic company can charge you for the call, at rates usually above $1 a minute. Get with a reputable carrier, choose a free LD discount plan (they all have them), and you know what you'll pay when you have to. Use pre-paid cards if you have to. Never call on a pay phone without specifying an LD carrier that you know. There are carriers out there with names like...I don't care, whatever, it doesn't matter, Who cares, I don't know, etc. that will charge you 3-6 times as much as MCI, AT&T, Sprint, etc. and the operator will connect your call with the "I don't care" phone company.
Jeff, if you sell service to businesses, then I would like to thank you for selling your clients services which haven't been invented or installed yet!
