What’s behind all the hang-ups when the phone rings?
Your phone rings in the middle of dinner. You race to answer it only to find silence or the “click” of the calling party disconnecting the call. This scenario is probably repeated in thousands of homes each evening.
The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) receives many complaints about “predictive dialing” by telemarketers. Predictive dialing is when a telemarketer’s automatic dialer simultaneously dials more phone numbers than the telemarketer can handle if all of the called parties pick up at the same time. Oftentimes, the first person to answer his or her phone is connected to the telemarketer, while the rest are disconnected.
FCC rules require that companies identify themselves to consumers and also that telemarketers maintain “do-not-call” lists for people who do not wish to receive telemarketing calls from a certain company. The practice of predictive dialing and the resulting abandoned calls often do not allow consumers to identify the company calling, and, therefore, do not afford consumers the opportunity to make a do-not-call request under FCC rules.
What can you do to avoid predictive dialing by telemarketers? Consumers who wish to avoid all telemarketing calls may want to contact the Tennessee Regulatory Authority (TRA) to get on the “do-not call list.” There are sever exemptions under which telemarketers may call a household:
• As a 501? nonprofit organization (as long as an employee or member of the organization makes the call). Nonprofits can hire an outside firm to make calls, but that firm has to register and is not exempt from the law.
• A “business to consumer call,” provided that a business transaction with the consumer occurred over the prior 12 months.
• An occasional telemarketing call provided the business does not make more than three random telemarketing calls per calendar week and the call is not part of a telemarketing plan.
According to the FCC, currently 26 states have implemented, or are in the process of implementing, “do-not-call” lists. The Direct Marketing Associate also maintains a “do-not-call” list used voluntarily by its member companies. Call the DMA at 212-768-7277 for additional information, or visit its Web site http://www.dmaconsumers.org/consumerassistance.htm to find out how to remove your name from telemarketing, mail or e-mail lists.
For more information or to check out a company, call the Better Business Bureau’s 24-hour information hotline, 242-4222, or toll free, 800-989-4222.
You may also access information on our Web site at www.middletennessee.bbb.org. The Better Business Bureau’s services are made possible by the ethical companies in our community who support us. Look for the BBB plaque when you shop so you can support them.