Automated advertising voices calling your home phone

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LesF

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#156078 18-Nov-2014 20:24

This situation sounds seriously stupid to me; I received an awful automated phone call trying to sell me an alarm, but not identifying the company responsible, so I followed their process to be contacted by a sales person. When the sales person phoned me some days later, I then asked for the company name, and explained how much I hate having automated advertising calls on my private home phone. She told me that the company responsible (rhymes with Alarm & Camera Warehouse) maintains its own Do Not Call list! Is it just me, or is there something idiotic about that? Why bother maintaining the list if you are going to submit people to that to get on it?

I asked her if she was aware that the Marketing Association already maintains a Do Not Call list in New Zealand, but apparently that had never been heard of before.

Finally, I get to my point! Is there a need to petition the government regarding unsolicited advertising on our home phones? I mean, there is no shortage of advertising options everywhere we look or listen already, and it appears that adding your number to the list maintained by the Marketing Association isn't worth spit.

[p.s. still want to learn the identity behind that "important message to all New Zealanders" automated call]

Batman

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#1178132 18-Nov-2014 20:48

My landline exists to make calls during powercuts ... So I never answer it ...

Involuntary autocorrect in operation on mobile device. Apologies in advance.

johnr

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#1178135 18-Nov-2014 20:57

Home phone rings I don't bother moving

Fred99

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#1178145 18-Nov-2014 21:21

Use the companies office search to find the name address of directors.
Set alarm for 2:30 AM and call him up.
You'd be amazed how compliant people can be when receiving calls at that time. Ask them to get pen and paper, write your name and contact details down, and promise to never call you again.
Works for me.

xpd

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#1178264 19-Nov-2014 08:33

We've had an unlisted number for a number of years now and get very few advertising/sales/survey calls. Seems to be the best thing you can do apart from changing number.......

I'm still waiting for a MS Tech Support call though.... ;)

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BlueShift

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#1178287 19-Nov-2014 08:57

LesF:
Finally, I get to my point! Is there a need to petition the government regarding unsolicited advertising on our home phones? I mean, there is no shortage of advertising options everywhere we look or listen already, and it appears that adding your number to the list maintained by the Marketing Association isn't worth spit.

Lots of luck with that - I have had robo-calls from a recorded John Key the past two elections.

Paul1977

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#1178323 19-Nov-2014 09:40

xpd: We've had an unlisted number for a number of years now and get very few advertising/sales/survey calls. Seems to be the best thing you can do apart from changing number.......

I'm still waiting for a MS Tech Support call though.... ;)

I second this. I have an unlisted number and never get any unsolicited calls. No advertisements, no surveys, and no "MS tech support".

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Bee

593 posts

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#1179315 19-Nov-2014 09:58

joker97: My landline exists to make calls during powercuts ... So I never answer it ...

Have you heard of a thing called a mobile phone? / cell phone? It runs on a battery so you can use it without any power... it doesnt have to cost you money every month if you dont make calls on it either.

markl

348 posts

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#1179321 19-Nov-2014 10:03

BlueShift: Lots of luck with that - I have had robo-calls from a recorded John Key the past two elections.

I got that from both sides on my MOBILE last election!!!

DarthKermit

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#1179326 19-Nov-2014 10:08

I can't imagine that many people would be happy to receive an advertising phone call from a robot. Do these guys really think this is good for business?

Whatifthespacekeyhadneverbeeninvented?

SepticSceptic

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#1179337 19-Nov-2014 10:29

Bee:
joker97: My landline exists to make calls during powercuts ... So I never answer it ...

Have you heard of a thing called a mobile phone? / cell phone? It runs on a battery so you can use it without any power... it doesnt have to cost you money every month if you dont make calls on it either.

Not if you are in a poor signal area, or the tower gets hit with the same general power outage, and the UPS batteries run flat ...

My thoughts are no longer my own and is probably representative of our media-controlled government

old3eyes

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#1179341 19-Nov-2014 10:33

Bee:
joker97: My landline exists to make calls during powercuts ... So I never answer it ...

Have you heard of a thing called a mobile phone? / cell phone? It runs on a battery so you can use it without any power... it doesnt have to cost you money every month if you dont make calls on it either.

the battery does eventually go flat and then what?? Mean while the old POTS line still keeps going..

Regards,

Old3eyes

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#1179346 19-Nov-2014 10:38

All these things are illegal in Holland. telemarketing, door-to-door, certainly automated intrusions. I had a real culture shock when I moved here. I still don't understand why you are allowed to trample on people's privacy here just because you are running a business.

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Geektastic

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#1179386 19-Nov-2014 11:38

Simple.

Make your landline confidential. That's what we did when we had one and I never had a single call from anyone I had not deliberately given the number to.

Why should people be able to contact you simply because you happen to have a means to be contacted? I do not wish to hear from anyone I do not ask to contact me, by whatever means.

Geektastic

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#1179390 19-Nov-2014 11:42

old3eyes:
Bee:
joker97: My landline exists to make calls during powercuts ... So I never answer it ...

Have you heard of a thing called a mobile phone? / cell phone? It runs on a battery so you can use it without any power... it doesnt have to cost you money every month if you dont make calls on it either.

the battery does eventually go flat and then what?? Mean while the old POTS line still keeps going..

However, I can't see that I would have enough need to justify whatever cost comes with maintaining POTS each year just for calls in power cuts!

If there was an option for 'emergency POTS' that cost say $50/year and had a tariff of say $1/minute, I may have that.