US cracking down on dinner-interrupting marketing robocalls

[cal04]

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/15/10418510-us-cracking-down-on-dinner-interrupting-marketing-robocalls

The Federal Communications Commission said Wednesday it's going after those annoying automated marketing calls that always seem to come right as you're sitting down to dinner.

The commission unanimously adopted new rules to crack down on what are known as robocalls. That's when a company sets up its computers to call thousands of numbers in sequence, hoping one or two of them will be answered by someone who'll listen to a pitch for whatever they're selling.

"Unwanted telemarketing calls and texts were consistently in the top three consumer complaint categories at the FCC in 2011," the FCC said. "Robocalls invade consumers' privacy, and can, in the case of calls to wireless numbers, use up their minutes."

(snip)
Wednesday, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said it had become clear that the current rules — which the FCC enforces along with the Federal Trade Commission — weren't working.

[Lionessa]

1. Honestly, what is the problem with Americans learning not to answer the

phone during dinner. This is ridiculous considering how many other things need attention.

This is the kind of nanny bs that rubs me all wrong. NO, I don't like robocalls or any calls during dinner, so I don't answer the phone unless it's CID is one of my kids. I don't need any government help in having peace and quiet during meal time. I'm actually pretty able to handle that.

[customerserviceguy]

5. Plus, there's the do-not-call list

If everybody used it, the telephone solicitation industry would dry up overnight. You ought to hear the fear in the solicitors' voices when I ask who they are, and tell them in the same breath that I'm on that list! I think I can actually hear them pee.

[RKP5637]

2. And the damn calls from bill collectors looking for people that don't exist. We get

those calls from the same company over and over looking for someone that does not live here.

And I've read that if you answer the phone then they accuse you of being that person and call even more and more and get damn insulting accusing you of being a liar and all. Anyway, they just get ignored.

And you can't block them via the telephone company and they can't be reported to the 'do not call' registry.

[Populist_Prole]

4. Tell me about it!!

I get them on both my home and cell phones. I've never experienced insults, but they are persistent as all get-out and you can sense the suspicion in their voices. I've had to get ahold of managers and that topped the calls...for a while. The thing is, it's not the address, or rather the household they are after, it's a persons name attached to a phone number. Whether the whole mess was caused by someone mis-typing phone number or whether the actual person they're looking for gave them a phony number is not clear, but I've never identified myself or my address. They can't collect money from a phone number; and as long as I am not the person they're looking for, they can go pound salt.

I come to learn that previously written off debts, full or remaining, being sold to collection companies is big business these days. They will buy and hound anything and anybody; the person's family especially in search of even partial payment, thinking they'd be money ahead.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

3. What if its a robocall

telling you to eat your vegetables?