Domino's Pizza, Please Stop Calling Me To Tell Me Your Specials
Reader Ron is annoyed that Domino's Pizza will not stop calling his cellphone 1-3 times a week to let him know the specials. Yuck!
Not a huge thing in the big scheme of life, but I wanted to make you guys aware of something Domino's Pizza started doing recently.
They will call you weekly (usually 1-3 times a week) and inform you of their weekly specials. They will do this to cellular phones, work numbers, anywhere. In short, they use their customer list as a free list of people to spam with weekly specials.
Again, this isnt a crime against man and nature but having your cellular phone hammered by unsolicited calls from the local pizza joint is a bit unsettling and uncalled for.
Readers beware. When you call in to order a Domino's pizza, you are adding yourself to a list of people to-be-hounded.
The National Do Not Call list is obviously ignored, as this number has been registered there for months.
Sadly, Ron, the Do Not Call list doesn't apply here unless you specifically ask Domino's not to call you. By purchasing something (pizza), you established a business relationship with the company. They are allowed to call you for 18 months after your last purchase or delivery, unless you ask them not to call again. In that case, they must honor your request not to call. If they subsequently call you again, they may be subject to a fine of up to $11,000.
Every time you order a pizza, however, you're restarting the whole business relationship clock again. Good luck.
(Photo: Ben Popken )
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Well, for what it's worth, I used Dominos online ordering in Texas a few times earlier this year, and we never had any calls from them. Maybe this is a local or regional thing. Then again we moved and our phone number changed back in April so perhaps they started a new "harrass our customers" program?
After telling them to stop calling you, you should stop ordering from Domino's altogether. I mean, really. You get about as much flavor from the box as the pizza.
When they call you, order pizza to be delivered to fake addresses. They'll stop calling.
I've never gotten calls after ordering from Dominos. I do get lots of Dominos flyers in the mail though. I don't order from them very often though so who knows if the local place has changed policies or not... However if I did start getting calls from them I'd simply tell them to stop calling. If they continue then I'd tell them to stop calling because they've now lost me as a future customer because of their harassing behavior. If they continue after that then I'd tell them that since they haven't stopped I was going to tell all my friends & neighbors to avoid them because of the harassment. In other words, just keep pushing back and letting them know you don't appreciate it. If, after repeated requests to stop, they still persist, then tell them you plan to file harassment charges against them and follow through on it.
Yeah I got an "automated message" last night at 9:30pm actually telling me about pizza, woke up my 2 year old daughter. I was pissed. This practice should stop immediately.
BTW I think you only get called if you have ordered online and given your phone number, after all, they called my skype-in line on my pc, no one has that number...
Call them regularly during the week at their busiest times to tell them meaningless information. Friday night at 8:00pm, give them a call and tell them that you are getting ready to go walk your dog. Maybe tell them that the local CVS has a 2-for-1 deal on birthday cards.
This is all assuming, of course, that you've at least asked them to stop. I mean, if you haven't then how should they know the calls annoy you?
If you have established a "business relationship" with them, they are allowed by law to call you for up to 18 months after that relationship has ended even though you have your number on the do not call list, unless you have asked them to stop. If they refuse to stop after being asked, report them to the FTC. There is a complaint form on their website.
I fired the local newspaper in January and they were calling me at least weekly. After they repeatedly ignored my request to stop calling, I filed an FTC complaint and I've not heard back from them.
Heh... the Dominos near me send out coupons, and then refuses to honor them. I complained about 3 weeks ago, and just last night (at 9:30!!!) got a call apologizing.
It must be your local owners doing this - We order pizza from all of our local pizza places - pickup & delivery. I think we get an occasionally extra piece of mail advertisement, but I can not ever remember being called.
Domino's--YUCK! Why would you even order from there to begin with?
What if you got the cell phone company to block the number? One person actually kept calling the wrong number (my dad) and he just got the number blocked and it's never happened since.
Their cheesy breadstix are bangin!
Actually, there are some laws out there about cold-calls and telemarketing on cell phones, because you have to pay for the calls. I'd suggest looking into it.
@womynist:
Maybe they like Domino's. Maybe they live in a small town with no other places, or those other places are closed. Maybe they called Domino's just to annoy you. I think the point is, having to give your phone number to get a pizza delivered shouldn't give them the right to call you back a month later.
This is what you get when you don't tip the pizza guy and anything under $2 is not a tip.
@mewyn dyner: They aren't allowed to autodial cell phone numbers because of incoming call charges, but they can still manually dial the number and make a pitch. I don't know what that kind of law is meant to prevent: charges, solicitation, or autodialers.
Cell phones should be subject to the same DNC registry rules, though, I think. It counts as a residence line if it's for personal use, right?
When you make your next order be sure to remind them not to call you anymore. No need for a 2nd call to them then.
Indeed.
@mdoublej:
I think the point is that if you despise a particular company's business practice(s) enough to post something about it on a website, then the thing that you should probably do is stop patronizing said business.
That being said, OP has not informed us whether or not he will be ordering from Domino's again, but here's the crux of the issue:
You either (1) (a) have no other place to order pizza from in your small town or (b) actually like Domino's (gag) and, as such, the calls aren't annoying enough for you to stop eating the pizza or (2) are fed up with Domino's bullshit and will stop buying pizza from them.
Seemingly, you can't, as they say, have your pizza and eat it too.
Besides, I don't care how small your town is: if you have a Domino's, then you have a grocery store and can buy your own pizza fixin's for a fraction of the cost AND it will end up tasting a HELL of a lot better than anything Domino's can burn and deliver to you cold.
If you have a GrandCentral number use it! I do all the time especially for online forms.
@VicMatson: My GrandCentral number is the only one I give out. While I'm ordering my pizza online, I turn GC to ring through to my phone. Turn it off when pizza arrives.
Telemarketing should be illegal - based on my theory: I pay for my lawn, for myself to use, not so somebody else can operate a lemonade stand or vegetable cart or any other business on it. The right to try and sell something should not have priority over possession/property rights. I pay for my lawn AND my phone service - for ME to use. I shouldn't have to chase away people from using either without my permission.
My home number apparently used to be connected to a fax machine, so I get 2-10 faux-fax-calls a day. At least Domino's is calling about something moderately edible . . . slightly better-tasting than a fax machine.
@BrianU - my thoughts exactly! This extends to my doorbell, too. My phone and my doorbell are my property. If a stranger rings my doorbell, they get the full brunt of my rage. I'm looking at you, Jehova's Witlesses.
If Ron was ordering from the Dominos in the picture, he should definitely hang his head in shame. There are NO EXCUSES to order this crap if you live in the 5 Boroughs.
@BrianU: You're right, it should be (or at least be highly curtailed). However, the Lemonade Stand Operators of America organization spends far more money telling congressmen why the economy of America depends on lemonade stands being able to be placed on anyone's lawn, than you and other homeowners spend telling them why you're tired of footing the bill for someone else's business.
The last time I picked up a pizza from Dominoes the two kids working in there seemed bored out of there minds, but I haven't received any calls myself. Sounds more like some micromanaging nitwit not wanting to pay his employees to sit around during the slow times.