green-e writes "Looks like us Aussies are finally introducing a national 'Do Not Call' register. Under the plan all telemarketers would be banned from calling homes after 8pm on weekdays and 5pm on weekends. Companies that call a household on the register could face fines of up to $220,000 (AU), which could be legislated early next year. About time something like this should be set up. How effective has it been in the US ?"Ads_xl=0;Ads_yl=0;Ads_xp='';Ads_yp='';Ads_xp1='';Ads_yp1='';Ads_par='';Ads_cnturl='';Ads_prf='page=article';Ads_channels='RON_P6_IMU';Ads_wrd='communications,biz,politics';Ads_kid=0;Ads_bid=0;Ads_sec=0; Australian Do Not Call Register Log in/Create an Account | Top | 243 comments (Spill at 50!) | Index Only | Search Discussion Display Options Threshold: -1: 243 comments 0: 241 comments 1: 199 comments 2: 112 comments 3: 34 comments 4: 18 comments 5: 10 comments Flat Nested No Comments Threaded Oldest First Newest First Highest Scores First Oldest First (Ignore Threads) Newest First (Ignore Threads) The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way. As an Australian I can honestly say (Score:4, Insightful) by AbRASiON (589899) * <slashdot@scottyl ... m minus math_god> on Monday October 31, @03:46AM (#13913409) (Last Journal: Thursday December 02, @08:18PM) It's about time.This is awesome and I hope it's enforced thoroughly.Sure it's going to cost some people some jobs - but lately the calls have been coming from other countries anyhow.Marketing is invasive enough as it is, my number at home is not to be called for any old reason - this is just plain RUDE, 30 years ago you wouldn't dream of this crap happening. [ Reply to ThisRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by fabs64 (Score:1) Monday October 31, @03:49AMRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by m4dm4n (Score:2) Monday October 31, @04:42AMRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by Shakrai (Score:2) Monday October 31, @09:23AMRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by BrokenHalo (Score:1) Monday October 31, @11:01AM Re:As an Australian I can honestly say (Score:5, Insightful) by ankarbass (882629) on Monday October 31, @04:05AM (#13913469) (Last Journal: Sunday October 30, @02:30AM) I'm not on the american register. But, I've noticed several things.1) There ARE fewer calls. Fewer companies seem to be willing to risk the fines or pay for the lists.2) Companies seem to love to play the "We have a relationship" card much more than they used to. They go out of their way to make sure I know that.3) Those that call are much more aggressive. They are using automatic systems to make calls more and more. I seldom get a person directly on the other end. Even though I only get a few calls a month, it is for this and other reasons that I'm ditching my landline and going to voip only.With voip it is both easy to have multiple phone numbers that can be changed quickly. Further it's much easier to filter by caller id and completely control how each call is handled. f you don't know the secret personal number which I can change at the drop of a hat, you won't get to talk directly to me ever. I have separate permanent numbers for places I do business with so that they will ALWAYS have to leave a message. Those numbers can take ALL the junk calls they want to dish out because they will NEVER ring a phone in my house. Only my personal voip numbers ring a phone and only if your number hasn't been blacklisted.Voip is to phones what email is to postal mail. Your physical address no longer has any meaning and it's easy to set it up so that you control what is coming and going based on how available you want to be.  [ Reply to This | Parent Re:As an Australian I can honestly say (Score:4, Insightful) by dotwaffle (610149) <slashdot.walster@org> on Monday October 31, @04:25AM (#13913515) (http://www.ukscene.org/) Maybe it's just me - but I'm really scared by VoIP. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great, and Asterisk is an amazing tool, but if I can set it up, so can Mr. 419-Nigeria-Scam, so can Mr. Viagra-automated-selling-tool. I can see a time when my phone is going to ring every 30 seconds, and it's going to be a marketer from a foreign country who does not recognise the UK's Telephone Preference Scheme.I can see trouble ahead. [ Reply to This | ParentRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by ankarbass (Score:2) Monday October 31, @05:34AMyou can send everybody to voicemail by weierstrass (Score:1) Monday October 31, @07:23AMRe:you can send everybody to voicemail by ankarbass (Score:2) Monday October 31, @10:30AMRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by jcr (Score:2) Monday October 31, @06:23AMRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by aminorex (Score:2) Monday October 31, @10:46AMRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by SeventyBang (Score:2) Monday October 31, @06:01PMRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by RockyMountain (Score:2) Monday October 31, @08:33PMRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by ankarbass (Score:3) Monday October 31, @10:11AMRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by SPSTech (Score:1) Monday October 31, @12:50PMRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by ankarbass (Score:2) Monday October 31, @02:49PM2 replies beneath your current threshold.Re:As an Australian I can honestly say by Anonymous Coward (Score:2) Monday October 31, @04:33AMRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by kimba (Score:2) Monday October 31, @07:25AM Re:As an Australian I can honestly say (Score:5, Insightful) by tpgp (48001) on Monday October 31, @04:39AM (#13913552) (http://slashdot.org/~tpgp) Well, as an Australian I can honestly say that this will be useless.From TFA:Market research companies, pollsters, charities and religious organisations are likely to be exempted.Riiiiiiggght.... Market resarch companies on the list of exempted organisations?I'm also quite sure that Politicians will be exempt from this.And quite frankly - the one person I do not want spamming [theage.com.au] me is John Howard [theage.com.au] (lying Australian Prime minister)This is the phone message he left on many peoples phones prior to the last election:JOHN HOWARD (phone message): Hello, I'm John Howard. I've taken the unusual step of contacting you with this recorded message to let you know we have recently announced what our first seven tasks will be if re-elected to office. So on Saturday, I ask you vote for your local Liberal member Peter Lindsay. This is John Howard. Thank you for your time.Think about it - will you trust a do-not-call register from a goverment with a prime minister willing to make marketing calls and send email spam through his son's company? [smh.com.au] [ Reply to This | Parent Re:As an Australian I can honestly say (Score:5, Insightful) by DingerX (847589) on Monday October 31, @04:56AM (#13913592) (Last Journal: Saturday September 10, @07:26AM) Yes, in the US, I was on the Do-not-call list, and it did kill a lot of the calls I was getting. For a while. Then election season rolled around and I got call after call from these robo-dialing get-out-the-vote thing. Excuse me? You don't even have the courtesy to pay someone to interrupt my day, and you want me to VOTE for your sorry ass? What kind of a mandate are you looking for? "A vote for me is a vote for more automated government intrusions on your personal life!" Then someone figured out that "market research" can also be used for marketing purposes. So the calls started coming back: Sir, I'm doing a market survey. What do you think of the [em]Gazette[/em]'s new layout and extensive sports coverage? The real solution is burn your phone. [ Reply to This | ParentRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by Shakrai (Score:2) Monday October 31, @09:31AMRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by TapeCutter (Score:3) Monday October 31, @07:12AMRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by slashname3 (Score:2) Monday October 31, @09:36AMRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by tezbobobo (Score:1) Monday October 31, @09:45AMRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by Jedi Alec (Score:1) Monday October 31, @01:56PMRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by seifried (Score:2) Monday October 31, @06:16AM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:As an Australian I can honestly say by Weh (Score:1) Monday October 31, @05:03AMRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by InvalidError (Score:2) Monday October 31, @10:59AMRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by lazybeam (Score:1) Tuesday November 01, @12:13AMRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by minorproblem (Score:3) Monday October 31, @05:24AMRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by Bobsledboy (Score:1) Monday October 31, @12:16PMRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by AussieVamp2 (Score:1) Monday October 31, @07:27AMA Tale of Two Households (Yes, It Works) by purduephotog (Score:2) Monday October 31, @08:12AMRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by BrokenHalo (Score:1) Monday October 31, @10:48AMRe:As an Australian I can honestly say by meregistered (Score:1) Monday October 31, @01:21PM4 replies beneath your current threshold. Only not after 8pm? (Score:5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 31, @03:47AM (#13913411) ... why not a complete ban on those annoying calls all day? [ Reply to ThisRe:Only not after 8pm? by cerebis (Score:2) Monday October 31, @04:32AMRe:Only not after 8pm? by Anonymous Coward (Score:1) Monday October 31, @04:39AMRe:Only not after 8pm? by ghmh (Score:1) Monday October 31, @08:52AMRe:Only not after 8pm? by ZachPruckowski (Score:2) Monday October 31, @11:31AMRe:Only not after 8pm? by Da3vid (Score:1) Monday October 31, @08:10AMRe:Only not after 8pm? by onwardknave (Score:1) Monday October 31, @08:27AMTelemarketers? by aussie_a (Score:2) Monday October 31, @03:48AMRe:Telemarketers? by Shanep (Score:2) Monday October 31, @04:00AMRe:Telemarketers? by strider44 (Score:3) Monday October 31, @04:07AMRe:Telemarketers? by Shanep (Score:2) Monday October 31, @05:19AMRe:Telemarketers? by lazybeam (Score:1) Tuesday November 01, @12:33AMRe:Telemarketers? by strider44 (Score:2) Monday October 31, @07:33AMRe:Telemarketers? by lazybeam (Score:1) Tuesday November 01, @12:21AMRe:Telemarketers? by Shanep (Score:2) Monday October 31, @08:15PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:Telemarketers? by megrims (Score:1) Monday October 31, @04:32AMRe:Telemarketers? by DavidHOzAu (Score:2) Monday October 31, @04:53AMRe:Telemarketers? by TapeCutter (Score:2) Monday October 31, @07:22AM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Exceptions by CriminalNerd (Score:1) Monday October 31, @03:49AM Re:Exceptions (Score:4, Informative) by novakreo (598689) <`moc.liamg' `ta' `oerkavon'> on Monday October 31, @04:26AM (#13913518) (http://www.fairgofordavid.org/) From TFA: Market research companies, pollsters, charities and religious organisations are likely to be exempted. Market research companies and charities would have to be the worst offenders of the lot. If they are exempted the government may as well not bother. [ Reply to This | ParentRe:Exceptions by jcuervo (Score:1) Monday October 31, @07:39PM1 reply beneath your current threshold. $220000? (Score:5, Funny) by Biogenesis (670772) <<overclocker.bre ... ptushome.com.au>> on Monday October 31, @03:49AM (#13913418) (http://hd.blogdns.org:3000/) What's up with the fine amount? $200k + GST? [ Reply to This Re:$220000? (Score:5, Informative) by benk (93688) on Monday October 31, @04:32AM (#13913540) It's likely that the fine is expressed in "Penalty Units", the value of which is currently $110. (see http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ ca191482/s4aa.html [austlii.edu.au])The theory is that Parliament just sets a penalty for each statutory contravention in Penalty Units according to its perceived seriousness, and can update them all automatically eg to account for inflation by amending a single section of a single piece of legislation (the Crimes Act) rather than every section imposing a penalty (which would be a nightmare). It's quite elegant for the legal profession.It's likely that there will be a maximum penalty of 2000 Penalty Units for the contravention, which today = $220k, and in future may rise.What's interesting is that some Acts I have dealt impose penalties in the range of 1 to 30 Penalty Units, so this is quite a big fine, relatively speaking.disclaimer - i'm a lawyer but i'm not your lawyer and this is not legal advice. don't rely on it! [ Reply to This | ParentRe:$220000? by riflemann (Score:2) Monday October 31, @07:19AM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Yes by Zouden (Score:2) Monday October 31, @05:06AMAussies, be careful by WindBourne (Score:3) Monday October 31, @03:49AMRe:Aussies, be careful by hool5400 (Score:1) Monday October 31, @05:03AMRe:Aussies, be careful by WindBourne (Score:2) Monday October 31, @05:31AMRe:Aussies, be careful by Emeye (Score:1) Monday October 31, @06:59AMRe:Aussies, be careful by Oligonicella (Score:2) Monday October 31, @07:11AMRe:Aussies, be careful by homerules (Score:1) Monday October 31, @09:45AMRe:Aussies, be careful by Bastian (Score:2) Monday October 31, @08:19AMRe:Aussies, be careful by WindBourne (Score:2) Monday October 31, @08:27AMRe:Aussies, be careful by Bastian (Score:2) Monday October 31, @10:05AMRe:Aussies, be careful by WindBourne (Score:2) Monday October 31, @12:21PMRe:Aussies, be careful by pedroloco (Score:2) Monday October 31, @02:28PMRe:Aussies, be careful by Bastian (Score:2) Monday October 31, @03:36PMRe:Aussies, be careful by WindBourne (Score:2) Monday October 31, @05:46PMRe:Aussies, be careful by pedroloco (Score:1) Monday October 31, @05:47PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.1 reply beneath your current threshold.Indeed. by ionicplasma (Score:3) Monday October 31, @03:49AMRe:Indeed. by CmdrGravy (Score:1) Monday October 31, @04:52AMRe:Indeed. by MichaelSmith (Score:2) Monday October 31, @05:12AMIn the UK all I get is by RotateLeftByte (Score:1) Monday October 31, @06:07AMRe:Indeed. by karearea (Score:1) Monday October 31, @03:50PMRe:Indeed. by laptop006 (Score:2) Tuesday November 01, @12:52AMRe:Indeed. by fabs64 (Score:1) Monday October 31, @04:05AMRe:Indeed. by funkdancer (Score:1) Monday October 31, @09:26AM2 replies beneath your current threshold. How effective has it been in the US ? (Score:5, Informative) by frovingslosh (582462) on Monday October 31, @03:52AM (#13913426) How effective has it been in the US ? It has been pretty effective. Telemarketing calls were coming in hot and heavy right up to the last day, then stopped completely the day the ban went into effect. (Our ban is complete, not just an after-hours ban, as long as there is no business ralationship with the caller.) But since then a few telemarketers have figured thay can get away with breaking the law as long as they keep a low profile. I now get perhaps a call a month that is in clear violation of the law. I report these to my state's Atournet General office, but I've never heard of anything being done about them and over all we have only heard of one or two sucessful prosecutions they have done against anyone breaking this law. So it has helped a lot, but it's not perfect and I would like to see even more teeth in it. [ Reply to ThisRe:How effective has it been in the US ? by JumperCable (Score:2) Monday October 31, @04:04AMRe:How effective has it been in the US ? by Anonymous Coward (Score:1) Monday October 31, @09:48AMRe:How effective has it been in the US ? by biggaijin (Score:1) Monday October 31, @11:27AMRe:How effective has it been in the US ? by frovingslosh (Score:2) Monday October 31, @02:53PMRe:How effective has it been in the US ? by intnsred (Score:2) Monday October 31, @02:04PMPretty darn effective by JumperCable (Score:1) Monday October 31, @03:53AMNot to rain on your parade... by jettoki (Score:1) Monday October 31, @03:54AM In Sweden (Score:4, Informative) by gagge (808932) on Monday October 31, @03:54AM (#13913431) We've had this in Sweden for some years, a register called "NIX" (which means something like "nope").I think it works pretty well but not 100%.It's really easy to sign up, just call a number, enter your home phone number and confirm. [ Reply to ThisRe:In Sweden by holyceefax (Score:1) Monday October 31, @05:49AM Works in the UK too (Score:5, Informative) by irw (204684) on Monday October 31, @03:58AM (#13913442) Nobody asked, but...I stayed off the do not call list in the UK ("telephone preference service") for a while, used to average one call per day. Im not getting any since joining, though it took a month or two to settle down.Like the US, it's a complete ban unless they already have a business relationship with you. [ Reply to ThisRe:Works in the UK too by DrSkwid (Score:1) Monday October 31, @04:26AMRe:Works in the UK too by a24061 (Score:2) Monday October 31, @05:24AMRe:Works in the UK too by Nobby Nuts (Score:1) Monday October 31, @08:17AMRe:Works in the UK too by jellical_cat (Score:1) Monday October 31, @10:48AM2 replies beneath your current threshold. No phone, no problem (Score:4, Interesting) by JanneM (7445) on Monday October 31, @04:01AM (#13913454) (http://lucs.lu.se/People/Jan.Moren/ | Last Journal: Friday October 31, @03:49AM) I haven't had a landline for two years. I have a mobile phone with silent ring if it's someone not in the addressbook, and Skype with contact disabled if not approved by me. No telemarketing or nuisance calls whatsoever. [ Reply to ThisRe:No phone, no problem by DarkEdgeX (Score:3) Monday October 31, @05:05AMRe:No phone, no problem by dun0s (Score:1) Monday October 31, @05:48AMRe:No phone, no problem by DarkEdgeX (Score:2) Monday October 31, @06:07AMRe:No phone, no problem by Bastian (Score:2) Monday October 31, @08:11AMRe:No phone, no problem by root_42 (Score:2) Monday October 31, @05:41AMRe:No phone, no problem by seifried (Score:2) Monday October 31, @06:10AMRe:No phone, no problem by jasgo (Score:1) Monday October 31, @11:21AMRe:No phone, no problem by Ramadog (Score:1) Monday October 31, @04:04PMRe:No phone, no problem by JanneM (Score:1) Monday October 31, @06:28AMRe:No phone, no problem by tooth (Score:2) Monday October 31, @06:31AM1 reply beneath your current threshold. Just use this (Score:5, Funny) by mattjb0010 (724744) on Monday October 31, @04:03AM (#13913461) The telemarketer counter-script [xs4all.nl]. [ Reply to ThisOr this :) by kale77in (Score:2) Monday October 31, @04:41AMRe:Just use this by alwsn (Score:3) Monday October 31, @05:22AMRe:Just use this by drsmithy (Score:3) Monday October 31, @05:43AMRe:Just use this by antic (Score:3) Monday October 31, @06:16AMRe:Just use this by jcr (Score:3) Monday October 31, @06:32AMRe:Just use this by F_Scentura (Score:2) Monday October 31, @09:42AMRe:Just use this by Nf1nk (Score:2) Monday October 31, @10:41AMRe:Just use this by Buran (Score:2) Monday October 31, @12:44PMRe:Just use this by jcr (Score:2) Monday October 31, @04:10PMRe:Just use this by Frogbert (Score:2) Monday October 31, @06:10PMRe:Just use this by jcr (Score:2) Monday October 31, @05:17PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.1 reply beneath your current threshold. The ultimate geek prank phone call (Score:4, Funny) by strider44 (650833) on Monday October 31, @04:04AM (#13913466) (Ring up someone you really hate at midnight sunday night)*Ring Ring*Hi, I'm from Microsoft. Have you heard about the exciting new things Windows now has to offer your business or home? [ Reply to ThisRe:The ultimate geek prank phone call by Mateito (Score:2) Monday October 31, @05:24AMUS telemarkets UK by Kryptic Knight (Score:1) Monday October 31, @04:18AMRe:US telemarkets UK by shrewd (Score:1) Monday October 31, @04:31AMRe:US telemarkets UK by plaxion (Score:2) Monday October 31, @05:19AMRe:US telemarkets UK by amelith (Score:1) Monday October 31, @05:33AM1 reply beneath your current threshold.hmm.. by Archon-X (Score:1) Monday October 31, @04:23AM"No cold calling" zones. by puke76 (Score:3) Monday October 31, @04:24AMRe:"No cold calling" zones. by Sierpinski (Score:2) Monday October 31, @09:54AMUK Perpsective by Elfod (Score:1) Monday October 31, @04:27AMProblem with that approach by sczimme (Score:2) Monday October 31, @07:44AMRe:UK Perpsective by TheHawke (Score:2) Monday October 31, @08:53AMtalk back by Lil-Bondy (Score:1) Monday October 31, @04:35AMUK - Slightly Effective by CmdrGravy (Score:1) Monday October 31, @04:45AMPretty efficient here too by Jugalator (Score:2) Monday October 31, @04:46AMRe:Pretty efficient here too by josephdrivein (Score:1) Monday October 31, @05:08AMRe:Pretty efficient here too by Mateito (Score:3) Monday October 31, @05:26AMInteresting ... by apathy maybe (Score:2) Monday October 31, @04:57AMRe:Interesting ... by MichaelSmith (Score:3) Monday October 31, @05:21AMRe:Interesting ... by habig (Score:1) Monday October 31, @11:31AMRe:Interesting ... by Buran (Score:2) Monday October 31, @12:53PMWorks for Me. by OC_Wanderer (Score:1) Monday October 31, @05:04AMState law by ffrinch (Score:1) Monday October 31, @05:08AM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Defining Terms... by Da3vid (Score:1) Monday October 31, @05:11AMUK Telephone Preference Scheme by jjeffrey (Score:1) Monday October 31, @05:17AMRe:UK Telephone Preference Scheme by StoatBringer (Score:1) Monday October 31, @05:45AMRe:UK Telephone Preference Scheme by jjeffrey (Score:1) Monday October 31, @05:55AMRe:UK Telephone Preference Scheme by Epsillon (Score:2) Monday October 31, @07:26AMI have a better solution... by EvilCabbage (Score:2) Monday October 31, @05:19AM Re:I have a better solution... (Score:4, Funny) by meringuoid (568297) on Monday October 31, @07:24AM (#13914031) ... keep an airhorn near the phone.That I like, but we could do better.I'm thinking it maybe wouldn't be too difficult to hack together a system to sit between your phone and the socket which would do nothing but play a really loud noise onto the phone line at the press of a button.You might even have a menu to choose from. Let's see, how shall I interrupt the telemarketer's script this time? 'Airhorn, v loud' - good. 'White Noise' - nice, might make them think their system's broken. 'Beep, Sinusoidal, Annoyingly High Pitch' - a possibility. 'Baby Crying' - cruel! 'Barney Theme Song' - perhaps excessively sadistic. 'Fingernail On Blackboard Noise' - they don't deserve that yet. No, I think this telemarketer gets the 'Burst of Incomprehensible Dialogue From Puni Puni Poemy'. * click *And having built it, post a webpage and submit to /. so we can all applaud. [ Reply to This | Parent1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:I have a better solution... by AussieVamp2 (Score:1) Monday October 31, @07:48AM1 reply beneath your current threshold.spamfilters by radu124 (Score:1) Monday October 31, @05:21AMToo many exceptions in the US by spywhere (Score:3) Monday October 31, @05:23AMRe:Too many exceptions in the US by midimastah (Score:1) Monday October 31, @07:58AMRe:Too many exceptions in the US by tmortn (Score:2) Monday October 31, @10:52AMRe:Too many exceptions in the US by spywhere (Score:1) Monday October 31, @11:37AMRe:Too many exceptions in the US by midimastah (Score:1) Monday October 31, @09:28PMRe:Too many exceptions in the US by Buran (Score:2) Monday October 31, @12:57PMRe:Too many exceptions in the US by GuiDisabled (Score:1) Monday October 31, @09:20AMBest way to dissuade telemarketting types by tod_miller (Score:2) Monday October 31, @05:29AMToll-Free #s on Caller ID == Telemarketer Scum by Ron Bennett (Score:2) Monday October 31, @05:29AMThey know it won't work by DavidHOzAu (Score:1) Monday October 31, @05:31AM USA Experience (Score:4, Interesting) by salesgeek (263995) on Monday October 31, @05:37AM (#13913686) (http://www.indyassociates.com/) I was doing CRM systems when many US states passed do not call lists. The result was impressive in two ways:* The calls at home absolutely stopped after the lists went into effect.* You could stop an telemarketer cold with one sentence: I'm on the do not call list.* Call centers had to re-invent their business to focus on inbound calls.* Companies had to learn that marketing is the stuff that makes the company phone ring.* Internet advertising asploded. [ Reply to ThisRe:USA Experience by forgotmyotheraccount (Score:1) Monday October 31, @07:27AM...likely to be exempted. by NailedSaviour (Score:1) Monday October 31, @05:45AM how to avoid *all* telemarketers (Score:5, Informative) by cohomology (111648) on Monday October 31, @05:53AM (#13913750) (http://tincansandstring.net/index.html | Last Journal: Thursday September 22, @02:59PM) For the past 10 years, I've gotten *at most* two telemarketing calls per year. How did I do it? I once made a "credible threat to sue" AT&T Wireless. There's an industry wide list of people like me, and they don't call us.I learned the technique from a colleague familiar with the industry. First, know your legal rights. Second, keep a hand-written log of occasions when you have asked to be added to the no-call list of a telemarketing firm. Be careful to have them spell out the name of the firm and the city they operate out of. Then wait for them to make a mistake. If they call you again, after the six month grace period the law allows them to update their paperwork, you've got it made.Don't shout or be nasty; just read them the log and indicate that you are aware of your legal rights and are interested in collecting the statutory damages. They asked me to "please call this special number to be removed ... " but I just said that I wasn't going to lift a finger to help them. Remember, if it went to court, the case would be decided on "the preponderance of the evidence," and a corporation has no choice but to pay for legal council at trial - they can't represent themselves. Everything is on your side, so they just add you to the list.Enjoy. [ Reply to ThisRe:how to avoid *all* telemarketers by Quiet_Desperation (Score:2) Monday October 31, @10:07AMRe:how to avoid *all* telemarketers by bleckywelcky (Score:2) Monday October 31, @12:19PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Where English is a foreign language by andersh (Score:2) Monday October 31, @05:54AMSeriously now... by RicardoStaudt (Score:1) Monday October 31, @06:16AMGood news for telemarketing firms by Centurix (Score:2) Monday October 31, @06:20AMRe:Good news for telemarketing firms by jlowe (Score:1) Monday October 31, @10:08AM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Australian Telemarketing call...? by tgoodmannz (Score:1) Monday October 31, @06:37AMalmost useless by pbjones (Score:2) Monday October 31, @06:38AMyou guys r missing the point by muphin (Score:1) Monday October 31, @06:39AM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Ahhh, a $220,000 fine by chrism238 (Score:1) Monday October 31, @06:48AMI dont know about the US by miasmic (Score:1) Monday October 31, @07:02AMThis will do diddly squat! by aztec1430 (Score:1) Monday October 31, @07:40AMRe:This will do diddly squat! by Tashmire (Score:1) Monday October 31, @09:29AM700 000 employees by tomw576 (Score:2) Monday October 31, @07:51AMOne Aussies Current Tactic by bikam0wz (Score:2) Monday October 31, @07:51AMBan telemarketing under the new anti-terror laws by mallie_mcg (Score:1) Monday October 31, @08:45AMWe've had the same sort of thing in the UK by dapprman (Score:1) Monday October 31, @09:10AMSuccess! Telemarketing calls/yr reduced to zero! by Murf In Wyoming (Score:1) Monday October 31, @09:53AMOne Problem by leabre (Score:2) Monday October 31, @10:30AMThe easy way by jasgo (Score:1) Monday October 31, @10:45AMOddly by Now.Imperfect (Score:1) Monday October 31, @10:45AMUS results by romka1 (Score:1) Monday October 31, @12:08PMEffectiveness by FatBear (Score:1) Monday October 31, @12:14PMThe changing tactics... by Iron Chef Unix (Score:1) Monday October 31, @01:41PMIt'll be good for my Dad by karearea (Score:1) Monday October 31, @03:57PMWhat's this "finally" crap? by RodgerDodger (Score:2) Monday October 31, @04:16PMNice, but it is sort of redundant by Trapped Database Adm (Score:1) Monday October 31, @05:21PMUseless by Davidge (Score:1) Monday October 31, @08:13PMRe:the UK needs this badly. by irw (Score:3) Monday October 31, @04:03AMAlready got it! by gefafwysp (Score:2) Monday October 31, @04:04AMRe:Already got it! by innlegg (Score:1) Monday October 31, @06:06AMRe:What about 8pm? by weharc (Score:1) Monday October 31, @04:45AM13 replies beneath your current threshold.