Jesse Brown: Do not call the do-not-call list
- October 1, 2008 11:20 AM |
By Jesse Brown, CBC technology columnist.
It’s broken.
Or jammed, or crashed, or otherwise unable to sign up anymore phone numbers belonging to Canadians who would prefer not to be bothered by telemarketers.
The National Do Not Call List website crashed too, but seems to be back up now.
This due to a stampede of sign-ups in the first 12 hours of the list’s existence. Over one million Canadians jumped at the chance to be left the hell alone. But only about 200,000 calls got through before the system conked out. Over half the country is expected to eventually sign-up, leaving some wondering if it wouldn’t have made more sense to create a “do-call” list instead.
Anyhow, it’s taken the CRTC three years to get this thing online, and hiccups aside, everyone who wants in on the off list will soon get it.
Or will they?
Inclusion on the list makes it a $15,000 offense for telemarketers to bug you. But this doesn’t apply to:
- Pollsters
- Newspapers
- Charities
- Political Parties
- Telemarketers outside of Canada
- Businesses you’ve “done business” with before (remember when you bought those AA batteries from Best Buy and gave them your number?)
Dear God, who’s left? It seems every nudge, huckster and annoyance out there is included for exclusion. Anyone not considered an “exception” is likely to just offshore their call-center to Bangalore in order to elude the reach of the CRTC.
You can block calls from “exceptional” telemarketers by calling them up one-by-one and asking them to stop bugging you. Or you can use a nifty, free online tool developed by Professor Awesome (a.k.a. Michael Geist). It’s called iOptout.ca, and it lets you quickly send an automated “bug off” e-mail to as many offending parties as you want.
It’s hard work to be left alone, but thanks to responsive legislation and cutting-edge technology, we’ll be done with telemarketers soon! After all, we rid the world of e-mail spam right?
Oh.
Nevermind.
About the Authors
- Tara Kimura
is a multimedia producer for CBCNews.ca.
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Comments (5)
The "Do Not Call" List is such a joke! people are rushing to sign onto it, but the worst offenders are exempt -- namely registered charities, political parties, and newspapers! Registering my number (as I just succeeded in doing) might save me from a dozen or so unwanted calls a year -- mainly from duct cleaners and lawn-care companies -- but it won't protect me from countless others. I can see why charities were made exempt, but political parties and newspapers??! Give me a break!
Some of the worst offenders are the charities. They call from 800 numbers, and it's all computerized. If you answer, 9 times out of 10 you get nothing. It's all computerized, and the computer didn't pick you that time. I don't answer them anymore (yay call display) but I still have to run to the phone to see who it is.
And then when they do get somebody, but not the person they asked for, they'll lie and say it's one of that person's charities.
I did registered to the "do-not-call-list" as well as to the "iOptout.ca" but I am afraid that the telemarketers will find a loop hole and called me now that they have my number. If marketing firms contract oversea telemarketers do they have to oblige to Canadian laws? If for an example if 623-657-3676 and 623-657-3678 have registered to the no call list this could easily give telemarketers carte blanche to call 623-657-3677. I think telemarketers need to be screened by some sort of central dispath.
This assessment is ridiculous.
First: The legislation is new. If successful, It can be expanded. The government can't introduce legislation off the bat that completely cripples the industry.
Second: There are 5 ways to register. Phone, Web, Fax, Live Agent and even TTY
Third: The site didn't crash. The volume was higher than expected, and so they needed to make adjustments to compensate.
Fourth: The web site is up.
Fifth: This is vastly different that iOptOut. One registration here applies to all telemarketers (other than exceptions). Even those that have never called you before. It stops the calls BEFORE they happen
Sixth: The do not call list is free to citizens. Telemarketers pay for the privilege of not calling you. (You have to love that).
Seventh: The complaints process is fantastic news for citizens. Never before has it been so easy to report telemarketers, and the processes will be there to enforce the regulations and heavily fine them
The Do Not Call list is absolutely fantastic news for Canadians.
I agree with SandyP. The charities can be bullies, especially to old people who can't remember how many times they have already given to the same charity, and who end up getting calls four times a year from them.
I don't want anyone to call me at all. I don't understand why they made exceptions. The exceptions are the worst offenders.