Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: john@bovine.ati.com (John Higdon) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Telemarketers' Lists Message-ID: <10394@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 3 Aug 90 08:41:57 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Reply-To: John Higdon Organization: Green Hills and Cows Lines: 56 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 539, Message 5 of 13 alanf@daysinns.UUCP (Daniel Alan Fleming) writes: > We have asked repeatedly for our phone number to be > removed from their database and were told this was not possible. > [Moderator's Note: Impossible to remove your number? Like the time the > [...] > I would probably call the Chairman's office at the department > store, explain the problem, and advise the Chairman that you do not > wish to be placed in a position where you must file suit or a formal > complaint with the regulators but that you will do so if necessary. > Explain that you are asking his office to intervene. I'll bet you > don't get any more calls, because he will be the one to go downstairs > with an axe. PT] Our gentle Moderator is precisely correct. This is exactly how I handled the {San Jose Mercury} and their telemarketing-run-amuck. So far it seems to have worked. It went like this: [Oh god, Martha, another story...] For the past year or more, the Merc would occasionally wreck my morning. Suddenly, about 9:15 AM (a golden hour of sleep for some of us), my phone lines would go berzerk. Modems would answer, my answering machine would become active and my private lines would ring. When answered, a voice at the other end would ask, "This is Suzie from the San Jose Mercury News. Are you receiving our paper ok each day?" "Yes." "And the Sunday paper, too?" "Yes." "Thanks. Have a nice day." This went from about once a month, to twice a month, then once a week. When it started happening every other day, I decided it was time to call a halt. I called the circulation department of the Merc and asked to have my numbers removed from their list. They took each number (even the POTS number for my 800 service) and assured me that I would no longer be bothered. They were right -- for about a month. When it started again an irate call to the same place resulted in a "we have new equipment and can't remove numbers from the list." When I explained that my next call was going to be to Pac*Bell to complain about telephone harassment, I was connected to the president of the telemarketing firm that handles their account. He told me that my numbers could be removed but that it was a difficult process. Not my problem. Two days later, it all happened again. This time I told the gentleman that this was my last call to him. One more set of calls would result in my bringing every resource to bear to have his lines disconnected and even possibly contacting my attorney about a possible suit. That did it. I have had no more calls from the Merc. It's amazing how many things that "can't be done" actually can, given sufficient motivation! John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@bovine.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !