Free Republic

<p>There's just over a year to go before the 2004 presidential election, and everybody in the nation is extremely excited. Except of course the public. The public, shrewdly, pays no attention to presidential politics until all of the peripheral dorks have been weeded out, and it's finally time to make a selection between the two main dorks left over.</p>

DENVER (Reuters) - A second federal judge has blocked a national "do not call" list that would have allowed consumers to stop unwanted sales calls. Photo Reuters Photo AFP Photo AFP Slideshow Slideshow: National 'Do Not Call' List However, Thursday's decision was based on telemarketers' free speech rights rather than questions over whether the Federal Trade Commission had the authority to implement such a list. U.S. District Judge Edward Nottingham in Denver said "the Federal Trade Commission has chosen to entangle itself too much in the consumers' decision by manipulating consumer choice and favoring speech by charitable (organizations) over commercial...

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OKLAHOMA CITY - A federal judge has ruled that the Federal Trade Commission overstepped its authority in creating the national "do-not-call" list against telemarketers. The ruling Tuesday came in a lawsuit brought by telemarketers who challenged the list of 50 million people who said they do not want to receive business solicitation calls. The list was to go into effect Oct. 1. U.S. District Judge Lee R. West said the main issue in the case was "whether the FTC had the authority to promulgate a national do-not-call registry. The court finds it did not." House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman...

Cases where telemarketers have tricked consumers into giving their phone numbers by filling out sweepstakes or contest cards have popped up nationwide since the national no-call list was established. But the Colorado attorney general's office said it is not yet a problem statewide."We've heard that Boulder and Pitkin counties have received complaints, but so far, we haven't," said Ken Lane, spokesman for the attorney general's office.Colorado has had a no-call list for more than a year. The national list will take effect in October, which has companies that make money selling goods and services over the telephone rushing to find...

Popular do-not-call list bringing industry to its kneesAug. 11 — In the past three months, the hallways at Groesbeck-based Tel-A-Sell Marketing Inc. have become a lot less crowded. CEO Edd O’Connor has been forced to trim his telemarketing staff from 72 to 18. “I WAS RUNNING a full house earlier this year,” said O’Connor, who also serves as president of the American Teleservices Association’s Great Lakes Chapter, which covers Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan. One of the big reason for the cuts: the chilling effects of the National Do Not Call Registry and other similar efforts in statehouses across the...

This is to all who signed up for the "do not call" law. This week I received a card in the mail that looked all right. It said "vote for your favorite cola--Pepsi or Coke--and receive a complementary 12 pack." It didn't look suspicious, but for some reason I kept looking at it. THEN I found it!! At the bottom of the card there was a VERY small statement. It was SO small it was hard to read--but here is what it said: "By completing this form, you agree that sponsors and co-sponsors of this offer may telephone you, even...

WASHINGTON - Telemarketers expanded their legal challenge to the government's do-not-call list, suing a second federal agency over the call-blocking service for consumers that the industry says will devastate business and cost up to two million jobs. The free government registry for blocking telephone sales pitches has grown to more than 28 million numbers since it was opened June 27, according to the Federal Trade Commission, which operates the service. The FTC has predicted registration to grow to 60 million numbers by next summer. The American Teleservices Association, an industry group that sued the FTC in January to stop the...

Never knew plush toys could be so handy SPEAK UP, SQUEAKY: When visitors to my home spot the half dozen cute stuffed animals gathered about the telephone on my desk, they often scowl and ask: "Do you have children, Dunf?" "No," I assure them. "I have telemarketers." Each fuzzy desk toy has a voice chip buried in its belly, eager to chat with pitchmen who dodge the automatic answering machine. You know those nights you expect a call and actually pick up the phone? When I hear the tell-tale pause that means the call's coming from a vast commercial phone...

Let us consider the word no. It's an easily defined term used, according to my dictionary, ''to express refusal, denial, disbelief, emphasis or disagreement.'' Acceptable substitutes include ''No way,'' ''Not a chance,'' ''Not interested,'' —Not going to happen.'' There is nothing difficult about no. It is capable of being understood by human beings of all stripes: police officers, insurance agents, construction workers, dog groomers, physical therapists, circus clowns. Everybody in the world except, apparently, telemarketers. ..

WASHINGTON - The public's simmering frustration with telemarketers erupted Friday as people hurried to sign up for a new national do-not-call list, registering about 635,000 telephone numbers in the program's first 14 hours. Registration opened just after midnight. As of noon Friday, the program's Web site was being visited 1,000 times every second, according to the Federal Trade Commission, which operates the registry. "Unwanted telemarketing calls are intrusive, they are annoying, and they're all too common," said President Bush (news - web sites), who formally launched the list at a White House ceremony. "We're taking practical action to address this...

Folks, While this may seem like a duplicate thread, it's not. The President signed this legislation. That's great Political news. However, until the registry is actually put into place, you do have options. The best option is to record the phone company's DISCONNECT TONE (available freely on the internet) at the beginning of your message. (Don't spend $$ on the telezapper which essentially does the same thing). The predictive autodialers that telemarketers respond to this tone by ending the call and deleting you from the database. So, until the do not call registry is activated, this will help you get...

http://www.wtv-zone.com/redheaddad/tracer/tips.html

<p>WASHINGTON -- President Bush on Tuesday signed legislation creating a national "do-not-call" list intended to help consumers block unwanted telemarketing calls.</p> <p>The bill allows the Federal Trade Commission to collect fees from telemarketers to pay for the registry. The program should begin operation by summer.</p>

  White House - AP Bush Signs Anti-Telemarketing Bill Tue Mar 11,12:37 PM ET Add White House - AP to My Yahoo! WASHINGTON - President Bush (news - web sites) on Tuesday signed legislation creating a national "do-not-call" list intended to help consumers block unwanted telemarketing calls. Latest news:   The bill allows the Federal Trade Commission to collect fees from telemarketers to fund the registry, which will cost about $16 million in its first year. The do-not-call program should begin operation by summer. Telemarketers say the registry will devastate their business. The Direct Marketing Association, an industry group, filed...

As you all know Anti-American Danny Glover is doing MCI phone commercials. Today I got a call from a telemarketer, and it went like this... Telemarketer: Hi this is Susan from your local MCI neighborhood, and I was calling to see if you would like to try MCI. Me: MCI? Telemarketer: Yes this is Susan, and from your local neighborhood MCI, and we would like to know if you would like talk to you about switching your phone service. Me: Ohhhh yes. I've seen the commercials with Danny Glover. Telemarketer: Yes!! Me: I don't think I'll be buying anything from...

NEW YORK - A telemarketing tool that penetrates home privacy defenses is upping the ante in a technology battle between sales callers and consumers seeking shelter from unsolicited calls. Castel Inc., a maker of automated dialing technology, boasts that its DirectQuest software is immune to the TeleZapper, a $40 gadget designed to thwart sales calls by faking the tones of a disconnected number. Beverly, Mass.-based Castel has been mailing brochures to telemarketers and other prospective customers touting the software, which also includes a feature that lets salespeople transmit any phone number or text message to residents' caller ID displays. That...

<p>With the proliferation of such mobile devices as two-way pagers and text-enabled cellular phones also comes the advance in commercial technology that allows advertisers to send unsolicited messages, or spam, straight to wireless gadgets.</p> <p>As the issue gains widespread attention in Europe and Japan, some consumer advocates say it's only a matter of time before U.S. consumers are left with having to delete, block or otherwise deal with wireless spam.</p>

Dec. 18 — Following are tips from the Federal Trade Commission about its Telemarketing Sales Rule, which was adopted in 1994 in an effort to protect consumers from fraud and abuse by telemarketers. The FTC requires telemarketers to make certain disclosures and prohibits certain misrepresentations. To determine whether or not you're talking with a scam artist or a legitimate telemarketer, keep the following tips in mind: If you have asked a telemarketer not to call you back and he or she continues to call, hang up and report the telemarketer to your state attorney general. Calling times are restricted to...

<p>The Federal Trade Commission is expected to announce new rules today to make it easier for consumers to ward off calls from telemarketers.</p> <p>The FTC will propose creating a nationwide do-not-call list that puts consumers off-limits to telemarketers, industry sources said.</p>