Telemarketing

I have heard of people posting old phone books like this
Nick

...........large bicycle frames, Bessa bricks, old car parts, or any old piece of junk you have under 20kg. Include your name and address, with a blunt reminder that the next time they try unsolicited mailouts to you, the item will be bigger and heavier.

It works..........

This happened during a political campaign over here in the West a few years back, when some God-botherers asked people to send in to them a petition to lobby the Govt via reply-paid. They ran up a bill of tens of thousands, before they got Aust Post to stop it. Had to pay, I understand.

I had Australian satelite data try to flog me TAB gambling software under the guise of an investment. Trouble is you need to gamble to "invest" your money. I said that they were lying to people and that there is fundamental difference between gambling and investing. She did not agree. I said if they called back I would call the ombudsman, then I had a change of heart and said I was calling the ombudsman anyway!! So they didnt call back - untill last month, their sell line did not use the word investment anymore it was still decieveing tho cause only an idiot would do it and those people have the most to loose from a scheme like this.

A silent number won't help you if you want to avoid recorded political advertisements (recall last election?).
And did anything come of that enquiry? Nope!

"No fixed line" is a better option. The $30/month goes a long way to covering any mobile calls.

Had a guy with a south-Asian accent called George (!) trying to flog me a GSM phone. Told him I was only interested in CDMA (thought that would get rid of him).
George: Oh, my goodness (head rocking from side to side), sir, this network covers 98% of Australia.
Me: No, I said, it covers 98% of the population, not 98% of Australia.
G: Oh my goodness, sir, it definitely covers 98% of Australia.
Me: Look mate, I've used your service, and outside large towns, it's cr@p!
G: Oh my goodness, I'll put you onto my supervisor (several minutes have gone by and he hasn't made a sale)
Supervisor: What technical issues do you have, sir?
I go through it all again.
Supervisor goes thru all that George has said.
I say, look, I've worked in RadioComms for 40 years, and I know what I'm talking about
Supervisor: Oh, in that case, good day to you sir.
15 minutes of their time wasted. (I'm retired, so I can afford the time)

I want that program!!!!!....................................................

I recall someone successfully sued a fax telemarketer for sending them unsolicited advertising, on the grounds that it was using up their paper and ink without their permission (might have been in the US, tho)

I ask them to wait while I check out something I have on the stove, After twenty minutes or so I find they have hung up. Funny about that.
Another ploy is to yell to the missus, "Don't worry luv, I'ts just a begger , no one important"
They don't like that much either.

Pooley

The ADMA is an association that is self regulating and that regulation only applies to members of that asscociation.

If the telemarketer calling you is not a member of that association, then they dont have to comply to anything at the moment.

When the Do Not Call legislation comes into being in 2007, hopefuly things will get better as all australian based telemarketers will have to comply by law, but dont know about overseas based telemarketers.

It is interesting to note that if you register for the Do Not Call Register, that the registration is only valid for 3 years and after that you have to reregister.

.......................................................................................................................

National Do Not Call register ¡V Legislation passed

The legislation creating the National Do Not Call Register passed through Parliament with only one small amendment being made to the Bill prior to adoption*. The Australian Communications & Media Authority (ACMA) will now be tasked with implementing the legislation, with the aim of establishing the Register by early 2007.

Last week, ADMA held meetings with Senator Coonan"'s Office, the Department of Communications, IT & the Arts and the Senate Committee to raise concerns that the legislation contains numerous "&grey areas"' particularly around the definition of "&consent"' and the concept of an "&existing business relationship"', which may introduce compliance difficulties for industry. ADMA has been assured that clarification will be provided through the regulations that are due to be developed by ACMA.

The key features of the legislation are as follows:

Registration
„X Registration will relate to telephone number only.
„X Only residential telephone numbers are permitted to be registered on the Do Not Call file ¡V small businesses cannot register.
„X The registration must be made by the telephone account holder or a person "&nominated"' by the telephone account holder ¡V any "&nomination"' made by the account holder must be in writing*.
„X Registrations last for 3 years after which time the number will need to be reregistered.

Application
„X Organisations will be prohibited from making a telephone marketing call to a telephone number that is on the Do Not Call register unless express or inferred consent has been given by the telephone account holder or a person "&nominated"' by the telephone account holder.
„X Express consent is where the telephone account holder or "&nominated"' person "&opts-in"' to or requests a telephone marketing call. The organisation obtaining the express consent will need to state the time period for which consent has been obtained for, otherwise it will expire after 3 months.
„X Inferred consent is where the organisation has an existing business relationship with the account holder or the "&nominated"' person. The instances where an "&existing business relationship"' exists remains unclear but appears to require an ongoing transactional relationship.
„X Only the telephone account holder or "&nominated"' person can consent to receiving telephone marketing calls on the number registered, however it appears that an organisation will be permitted to rely on an individual"'s undertaking that they have been "&nominated"'.

Exemptions
„X Charities, political parties, Government bodies, educational institutions, religious organisations are exempt and therefore permitted to call telephone numbers listed on the Do Not Call register.

Penalties
„X The penalties are on a sliding scale depending on (a) whether the organisation is a body corporate (b) the number of calls made to numbers listed on the DNC file; and (c) and whether the organisation has previously breached the Act. For a single breach by a person/ organisation with no prior record, fines range from $1,100 - $11,000. The maximum fine for repeated breach is $1,100,000.

ACMA will now develop regulations that will add detail to the new laws. These regulations will determine the mechanics of the Do Not Call Register, how it will operate, and the standards that telemarketers must subscribe to, such as permitted calling times, use of CLI and termination of calls.

In addition, the new laws recognise that a Code of Practice will be developed by industry to provide guidance for organisations that are subject to the new legislation. This Code will play a vital role in providing some clarity on the ambiguous aspects of the legislation.

For more information please contact jodie.sangster@adma.com.au.

* The requirement that any "&nomination"' made by the account holder must be in writing was the only amendment to the Bill prior to adoption. Prior to the amendment, nominations could be made orally.

Taking your name off with ADMA helps, but with the others i get i ask if they are a member of ADMA - if they don't know, ask to speak to their supervisor. If they are, protest. If they are not, ask to be taken off their list - you will probably be talking to a supervisor by this stage. Usually works, except for those ones from India that drive me mad. If all else fails, use an answering machine; call centres hang up on it - then answer after you hear the caller's voice. No point in "shooting the messenger".

ROTFLMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

same I dont bother even saying no thanks if they are indian - just hang up, I dont consider it rude I dont want to hear them and they dont want to waste their time

Telstra don't have this policy, we can't even get Please stop callng me out and they have hung up on us, great way to win customers back.