Texas Don't Call List Sign Up (1 Viewer)

[MikeAlletto]

Ok, so the state started something called a Don't Call List. You get your info on the list and supposedly telemarketers aren't allowed to call you if you are on the list. But get this. They charge you to get on the list, and you are only on it for 3 months then you gotta pay again. Oh and if you don't get on it by midnight tonight you don't get on the list and have to wait till the next one is put out. Does this sound like a major scam to anyone but me? They've been "advertising" this thing on the news here for awhile now. By law if you tell a telemarketer to put you on the don't call list they have to and cannot call you again. I've done this with various callers and they've never called back. If they do you can sue them and collect big time. No way am I going to pay someone to keep my info in some list that is not permanent. What do they do with the list after the time period is up? Sell it to the telemarketers as people they can now call? This whole thing just screams of scam.

 

[CRyan]

Weird. We have had something like that in Tennessee for a year now and it does not cost a thing.

C. Ryan

 

[Greg_Y]

If a telemarketer calls you, just interrupt them and say, forcefully but politely, "Please put me on your do not call list." If they're a legit company and not one of those "friends of the police" organizations, they will stop their schpiel and say "Yes, sir/ma'am, I will do that. Please have a nice day."
It works 95% of the time. They stop talking and don't call ever again. And you get the side benefit of not having to rudely hang up on some poor schmuck with a crappy job.
I live in PA. I would think this works anywhere.

 

[JasenP]

I think there is some sort of legislation about a national "Do Not Call" list but I lost track of it.

BTW: Ameritech in Michigan charges you to have an unlisted phone number. I think that is idiotic.

 

[Troy Madlem]

We had a similar Do Not Call list start up back in January here in Indiana, only our politicians must not have been sharp enough to think of taxing the list because ours is free.

So far so good for us. Since January when the list went into affect, the only marketing calls we've received have been from the college we attended and Dish Network offering additional services. Before the DNC list, we were receiving at least 6-8 telemarketing calls a week.

Troy

 

[Jason L.]

Mike,



You're reading it wrong. You don't have to pay every 3 months. I paid through the web site, and it was for 5 years.



What happens is that the list is compiled every 3 months and sent to the telemarketers, who then have a certain amount of time [I believe it is another 3 months] to make sure they have their calling list up to date with the list the receive from the state.

 

[MikeAlletto]

Ok, but you still have to pay for it. Instead of 3 months its 5 years...what happens after 5 years then? The easiest way to get on a no call list is to just pick up the phone when a telemarketer calls...immediately tell them to put you on their don't call list. And you are put in their system as a do not call person. Thats it. And its free because the system is already in place to handle it. Does the info they are collecting for don't callers only apply to phone calls? Or junk mail also? I just don't trust them...sounds too wierd to me.

 

[DaveBB]

We have it here in Missouri and them number of telemarketing calls I get has dropped greatly. The only loophole is that companies that you do business with can still call you. So I still get calls from my long distance and cable companies; but that's about it.

I like it since it seems to be working.

 

[BrianW]

What happens is that the list is compiled every 3 months and sent to the telemarketers

Is it just me, or is there something seriously wrong with this picture?

 

[brian a]

It sounds like a good deal to me. It's something like $2.00 for 5 years of not having to pick up the phone and tell someone not to call anymore. Answering the phone and telling someone not to call back is the annoying part that I'm trying to avoid. Not to mention that you have to do that for every company that's calling you. 2 bucks and one list works well for me.

 

[DaveF]

We've got one in here in NY. It's great! (and "free" -- taxes cover it I assume). I no longer get *any* telemarketers. The only commercial calls I get are from customer survey companies and "csutomer service" calls from my credit card company. But all telephonic spam is gone
I'd gladly pay $2 for five years, if that was the deal.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I'd gladly pay $2 for five years, if that was the deal.

DAVE!!!! Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
I work for the state legislature in Albany and if someobdy here reads a post like yours....the next thing you know they'll be charging us $10 for the privilege + the taxes!
Seriously though, Dave is right. It works GREAT here in NY. HAven't had an annoying telemarketer call since April 1st of 2001!

 

[Mark Larson]

I've been working in the "donations" department of my college for three months now, and it amazes me how rude some people are. Most of them are polite and say they can't give, but some just hang up or worse, abuse you. Makes me want to say something to them to make them realise we have to call 100+ other people and we don't have time to waste.
Otherwise the job's ok, there's a thrill of finally "getting one" and that's more than any other work study job can give.

 

[Greg_Y]

I've been working in the "donations" department of my college for three months now, and it amazes me how rude some people are. Most of them are polite and say they can't give, but some just hang up or worse, abuse you. Makes me want to say something to them to make them realise we have to call 100+ other people and we don't have time to waste.

How is this any different from what a telemarketer does? I know that if someone who worked at the college I attended called me, asking for money, I'd treat them no differently than someone from Sprint trying to sell me long distance. Both are making unsolicited requests for money. And both would receive a curt "Please put me on your do not call list" followed by the sound of the receiver dropping.

 

[Steve Owen]

If you want to make some extra cash, keep VERY good documents on who calls and when. Be sure to engage them in conversation enough to get at least a phone number or address that you can contact for additional information. And THEN tell them to take you off their list. IF they call back (within a year), the fine is $500.
I read an article on this a while back... it was in a "legitimate" magazine, maybe People or something like that (if you can consider that legitimate). This woman was pretty much making a living by suing telemarketers.
There's some good links on how to do this here (for WA state), here, and here (this is a good one).
I do two things... one, we block all calls that don't allow caller-id. If someone who has their name blocked "as unavailable" calls, the'll get a message saying that the person they're trying to call does not allow calls without caller ID and that they have to dial a code (*67) before dialing to temporarily allow their caller-id information to go through. I figure if someone actually wants/needs to ge ahold of me, they can allow their caller-id information through. If they don't want to, then I probably don't want to talk to them anyway. That REALLY cut down on telemarketing calls. We get maybe 1-2 per week now.
And the "please remove me from your calling list" thing does indeed work too, though we have had a few repeats but unfortunatly haven't kept good enough records to pursue it in court. Also, in addition to "remove me from your calling list", you should tell them "do not sell my phone number or information to any other parties". That helps cut down on the spreading of your info as well.
-Steve
Waging war on telemarketers and spammers since 1990