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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!ut-sally!ut-ngp!werner
From: werner@ut-ngp.UUCP (Werner Uhrig)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: The Consumer-Activist's way to curtail phone solicitation
Message-ID: <2610@ut-ngp.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 14-Nov-85 18:54:30 EST
Article-I.D.: ut-ngp.2610
Posted: Thu Nov 14 18:54:30 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 15-Nov-85 20:52:28 EST
References: <1405@mtgzz.UUCP>
Organization: UTexas Computation Center, Austin, Texas
Lines: 46

Given that neither phone-companies nor phone-solicitors will cooperate
in a satisfactory way to protect you (me) from these obnoxious intrusions
the only way to deal with this problem is legislation.

So lets get our act together and try to work into this direction.

I suggest the following:

1) Let's hear from people in whose state there exists such a law.

2) Anyone who can get an address or phone-number where one can request a
   information about such laws, please post.  I would very much like to
   start a collection of such info and send it to my legislator here,
   together with a cover-letter telling him why.

3) Call your local phone-company and utilities-commision and complain.
   Even though they will give you only discouraging news about how they
   can do nothing about it, they will certainly start considering doing
   something if enough people complain.  One can, of course, make one's
   vote count several times, by calling more than once   (-:  , how about
   every calling them every time someone solicits you over the phone again ??!!

and some FLAMESssssssss....

NO, it's not your right to make a living by calling me to solicit !!

NO, I should not have to disconnect the phone to not get solicited !!

NO, I should not have to call DMA to my *NAME* !! on a list of those that
  don't want to get solicited.  First, at most it should be my phone-number
  and not my name, that gets listed, and second, it doesn't work.  At least,
  I can't tell a reduction in calls.  BTW, requesting no junk-mail hasn't
  reduced the paper-flood either, or so it seems.  Oh, well ....

NO, I should not have to *PAY* for an unlisted number to not get solicited.
  Besides, it doesn't work.  Numbers are collected from checks you write,
  whereas other solicitors dial all numbers in sequence !!!

NO, I will NOT guarantee that I'll I'll always find a friendly and calm
  way to fend off those phone-solicitors.  Noone has a right to expect me
  to sleep only at night !!!  Or be more receptive for phone-solicitations
  between 5 and 8pm, just because YOU think that you don't interupt
  anything important then.


.... I usually tell 'em that I wished they'd find a better paying job ... ((-: