Poll: Telemarketing calls.

[mlawson]

Even though that &*^$^*(*$!!! judge ruled against Do Not Call, I am confident that Congress will legimitimize it. But, I am interested in how DU feels about those calls. If this has been done before, sorry.

I define telemarketing calls, as any uninvited call to your residence, by any institution, for the purpose of SELLING you something, or getting a contribution from you.

[arwalden]

1. One Ringy-Dingy

kick.

[mlawson]

2. Looks as if my own preference is winning.

I voted for #1 for several reasons, but the most pressing one was, that these calls are hard on many of the elderly. My mother, while still living alone, received the calls, sometimes after she had gone to bed. Already somewhat senile, she never understood what the callers wanted, and often was frightened by the ones in which no one said anything. Once, while I was there, a company called her THREE times, trying to sell her a vaction home at Hilton Head. When she handed me the receiver, I tore that one a new asshole! It's a wonder she never fell, trying to get to the phone!

IMO, the calls are a complete invasion of our privacy. I have no sympathy for those who work as telemarketers. None. Zero. Nada.

[billfromwny]

3. Until they pay for my phone

they have absolutely no right to call me!

[Heddi]

4. I worked in telemarketing for most of my adult life, and let me tell you

what a cesspool industry it is.

"See, you're not a SALESPERSON, you're an APPOINTMENT MAKER, see, and you'll get a base salary of $42 a month, but see, if you make appointments, you make MONEY. Don't let people tell you "No". When they say "No", they really mean "keep going"..."

It was horrible. Hated every minute of it.

When I worked in newspaper sales for a relatively decent newspaper, I still had to do the Cold-Calls and I hated it. Not because I hated hearing people say "no" all the time (I would have said alot meaner things than "no"), but I hated having to make the call to the people to begin with, and I always appologized to them for having to call them, and when they said "Do not call me anymore" I said "Yes Ma'am." and never did call them again.

I guess lately, in preparation for the start of the no-call list, I have found that telemarketers calling my house have REALLY ratcheted up their calling.

University of MOTHERFUCKING ARIZONA was in the habit of calling my house at 6am for a few months ("Well," said the person on the other end of the phone, "It's 9am on the East Coast, so we're perfectly within our bounds to call you at this time" arrrgh!)

They've even started calling my cellphone.

2 Weeks ago, we were on vacation in South Carolina (we live in Washington, so SC Was so *NOT* on our 'roaming' map it's not even funny).

we got a call, and thought it was our friend who was watching our house.

Pick up the call:

Me: Hello?
Them: Hi! Yes, I wanted to talk to you about the second mortgage you have on your home or property
Me: What are you selling?
Them: I'm not selling anything. I'm offering you an opportunity-
Me: It's funny that you're calling because I don't even OWN land or a house
Them: Sure you do
Me: Fuck off
Them: Should we call again
Me: Click

====

And this is what I get ALL MOTHERFUCKING DAY LONG.

I'm a full-time student. I (used to)leave my cellphone on ONLY in case of an emergency while I"m in class. But I had to stop doing that because in ONE fifty-minute class period, I got not one, not two, but NINE FUCKING TELEMARKETING CALLS----NINE.

And the oddest part about it is that we don't give our number to ANYONE for ANY REASON except for family and friends.

so our numbers (home & cell) have been sold ;-/

Qwest, our local telephone service, has given us the "opportunity" to purchase a little thing for $20 a month that will tell people "This call doesn't allow solicitiation"...um no, see. I already pay $30 for my phone. I'm not going to pay ANOTHER $20 for a fucking recording on it.

*I* pay for my phone number. I lease it from the phone company. Shit, if I wanted to, I could BUY the number outright from the company (but i'm not in that kind of mood).

Until telemarketers PAY for my phone service, or subsidize a part of my phone bill, they have no right to call me anymore than they have the right to pick the lock of my apartment and come inside to sell me their goods.

I am terribly rude to telemarketers. Terribly rude. Or completely wasteful of their time (as they are with mine). I'll tell them to hold on and then put the phone down for 20 minutes.

Amazingly, I've come back to the phone after leaving it on the counter for 20 minutes and the asshole is STILL There on the other end of the line.......

They are the leeches of society. They serve no purpose. The jobs are NOT high paying, and one could make more money as a wal-mart greeter than they can hounding the phones pissing people off.

[TXlib]

5. With over 50 million people signed up for it

out of a population of ~300 million, congress WILL find a way to legitimise it.

It will happen, and soon.

[mlawson]

6. Another fucking judge has blocked the legislation!!!

This one in Denver! A repuke, I bet!! Really, I am now worried -- the no call list may well be doomed.

Which means I go from unfriendly when called, to abusive....