The law is based on theft of service. PERIOD.No, the law is really based on making people feel comfortable. There is no "theft of service," even if the law says so. The service offered to you by the phone company is an "open line" that anyone can call. If you paid the phone company for a "closed line" limited to only those callers you approved, and telemarketers somehow managed to circumvent the block and reach you, THEN I can understand the "theft of service." But, an open line is an open line.
And "caller ID" is not the same as a "No Solicitors" sign. Caller ID is similar to an answering machine; it simply gives you a tool for screening your calls. Neither is the "telezapper" a "No Solicitors" sign; it merely messes with the telemarketing company's computer system.
I'm not building "strawmen". You're so clouded by your outrage at obnoxious telemarketers (who I have already said annoy me to no end, too) that I have to present other scenarios that fall along the same lines just to try to make you understand the principle behind what I'm saying.
And, actually, the only reason I wanted to walk away is that I'm a busy person, too, and it doesn't look like you're ever going to understand. And, in the end, the deal is done, anyway.
Well it took a while but we're seeing your true colors now. You're just an apologist for a bad industry and you're not going to let any facts get in your way.
Yes there most assuredly IS theft of service. The service offered to me by the phone company is a tool to get wanted phonecalls, there is a presumption that some unwanted phonecalls will also come but the idea is that they will not be the majority and if they fit a pattern of harassment I may press charges and have the government do something about it.
No caller ID is exactly the "closed line" you mentioned earlier. It was sold for its ability to block sales calls, then the telemarketers figured out how to spoof it and get around it. Of course telezappers are a No Soliciting sign, HELLO they take your number off their list WAKIE WAKIE, why would somebody want their number off the list? Oh yeah... BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO RECEIVE TELEPHONE SOLICITATION.
You're building strawmen constantly. You're denial is either a product of ignorance or a lie. I have no outrage at obnoxious telemarketers, I just want them to stop calling me and I don't want to have to spend 15 minutes per company to make them stop. Very simple. They wouldn't provide that even when instructed by the federal government to do so, so now that has been provided for them.
Then walk away. But understand there is no agreeing to disagree. You are wrong. PERIOD.
If you paid the phone company for a "closed line" limited to only those callers you approved, and telemarketers somehow managed to circumvent the block and reach you As has been REPEATEDLY EXPLAINED ON THIS VERY THREAD, the phone company offered precisely this service in the form of "Caller ID" and the telepests circumvented it.
Frankly, they should have been smacked down for that alone; it's equivalent to a burglar wearing a mask so that you think it's Aunt Ida when you look through the door peephole.