Posted on 08/19/2013 7:50:41 PM PDT by EinNYC
I have been receiving unwanted telemarketing calls several times a day from the same lowlifes, wanting me to change my energy provider. After checking this number on the internet, I saw that many people had complained of such calls from the same number on several complaint boards. I am registered with the Do Not Call registry, so this was annoying me to no end.
First I called my phone company, asking them to block the number of the telemarketer. No dice, they don't do that sort of thing.
Then I called the Do Not Call folks, who referred me to the FCC. They would not block the calls or prevent the telemarketer from disturbing my day.
Then I reluctantly called my Congresscritter, who is a pro-immigrant lawyer and asked for her help in getting the FCC to stop these calls and put this lowlife telemarketer out of business. A few days later, I received the following:
I have NEVER received any such request to give up my privacy from a Congressperson before.
What do my FReeper cohorts think of this? Would you sign away your privacy in order to get help with the annoying telemarketer calls? Is this even legal? I think the whole thing smells to high heaven. I particularly loved the claim that "agencies are not permitted to disclose information without the expressed written consent from the applicant."
Where’s the form?
I have Time Warner digital phone service, and you can block phone numbers on your account page. Same thing with my Verizon wireless. Change your phone company.
I would ignore your Congressman.
When the telemarketer calls you, tell them you are not interested. Then tell them to remove your phone number from their calling list. Then hang up. They are required by federal law to remove your phone number, or they can be fined by the FCC.
I have had to do this before and I never hear from them again. You may have to do with each telemarketer.
If you pick up the phone, no one is there. You see the caller I.D. So you cannot do what you suggested. Apparently just robocalls.
The robocalls I get offer an option to opt out at the end of the message by pressing a number. If no option is mentioned, then does it give you a chance to talk to a human being by pressing a key? If so, make your request to them.
Here is a recent article posted today on your problem.
http://www.wave3.com/story/18837859/do-not-call-list-not-stopping-robo-calls
Don’t blame your Congressman — there are indeed laws which are supposed to protect YOUR privacy, that you have to give express permission to anyone to discuss any of your personal affairs, so, indeed for the Congressman or his staff to track down the problem, they do need written permission from you.
But as for telemarketers — I have simple solutions, which worked for me for years, still do: have talking caller ID, as well as an actual answering machine — that way I can hear the number calling, as well as if someone is trying to leave a message, so I have plenty of time to listen and decide whether I want to pick up the phone. Friends know that if I recognize their number I pick up, otherwise they should start to leave a message and I will pick up if I am there, if not, I’ll have their message and will call back.
Telemarketers or their robomachines can keep calling as much as they want, they have no impact on me. It’s a great peace of mind at very low cost, which is worth every penny.
Do NOT tell them to “remove” your number from “their” call list. Their call list is not affected by the law. Tell them to “put” your number on the “do not call list”. At that point they will stop.
sfl
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