Consumerist
robocalls
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not taking it too seriously
Crazy CSR Loves Spam, You, Hanging Up Abruptly
Megan sent us this transcript of a recent phone conversation she had with someone from a mysteriously generic "cardholder services" that called her.
More »CSR: Hi, how may I help you Ms. [redacted]?
Me: Please take my number off your list.
CSR: I love you.
Me: Um.
CSR: Do you like spam?
Me: No…
CSR: I love spam, fried up all crispy with maybe a little mayo.
Me: What is this?
CSR: *click* -
annoy the powerful
Car Warranty Robot Calls Senator During Meeting On Capitol Hill
First they pissed off Verizon, then they pissed off the internet, the attorney general of Indiana, and Congressmen Mike Doyle. Now the group of companies responsible for the car warranty robocalls have annoyed New York Senator Chuck Schumer by calling him during an important meeting about health care. More » -
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lawsuits
FTC Sues Dish Network For Violating Do Not Call List
A lawsuit has been filed against Dish Network by the U.S. Justice Department (on behalf of the FTC) alleging that the company violated "Do Not Call" rules by phoning potential customers without their permission. More » -
telemarketers
Smart Television Alliance Asks "Feature Films For Families" To Stop Using Its Name
Feature Films For Families—the company that's been phone-spamming random people over the past few weeks—follows no man's law! The nonprofit Smart Television Alliance, which works to educate parents on how to improve the television experience for kids*, discovered that the company was using its name without permission. More » -
Feature Films For Families
Verizon Wireless Sues "Velveteen Rabbit" Telemarketers
Hooray for Verizon Wireless! Wait, what? The cellular carrier has just filed a lawsuit against Feature Films For Families for illegally telemarketing. Specifically, they're accusing the company of using an auto-dialer to cold call hundreds of thousands of Verizon Wireless customers earlier this month, which is illegal according to NJ state laws (where the suit was filed) and the Federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
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telemarketing
How The "Velveteen Rabbit" Company Is Bypassing The Do Not Call List
We were wondering how Feature Films For Families, the company that's randomly calling home lines and cellphones to sell a movie to people who are on the Do Not Call list, was able to get around federal and state telemarketing rules. It turns out they're hiding behind a non-profit, and non-profits are exempt from following the Do Not Call list. Something similar happened in 2006 between Feature Films For Families and a different non-profit named the Dove Foundation, and the state of Missouri fined them $70,000. It might be time for you to start filing complaints with your state Attorney General and the FTC. More » -
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telemarketing
This 'Velveteen Rabbit' Teaches You The Triumph Of Love. Also Of Telemarketing.
Oh no, someone's gone and made a terrible looking half-animated, half-live action, religious-on-the-down-low version of this beloved children's book. That's bad enough, but then they decided to direct-market it to households by cold calling strangers and offering them a "producer's guarantee" that if they don't like it, they can purchase other movies from FamilyTV.com for $4 each. Update: Here's how the company producing the film is sneaking past the Do Not Call rules. More » -
telemarketers
Angry Telemarketer Calls Back, Chews You Out For Hanging Up
This telemarketer has had it up to here with all of you people at home hanging up on her every time she needs to sell you something! Randall Whited in Austin, Texas, received an earful recently, when he answered the phone shortly after hanging up on the unnamed telemarketer. More » -
do not call list
Hey, How Do I Sue Telemarketers Who Ignore The Do Not Call List?
We've been getting a lot of emails lately from people who are fed up with telemarketers ignoring the Do Not Call list and want to take the bastards to court. Now, to be fair, sometimes the people who email don't fully understand what is and what is not allowed under the law. More » -
att
AT&T Calls 9 Times In 12 Days Trying To Sell DSL
Would you buy DSL service from a company that either doesn't care about Do Not Call lists or doesn't know how they work? A man in Missouri was harassed to the point where he considered calling the police, because no matter what he did, AT&T wouldn't stop calling. Every time he tried contacting AT&T to get it to stop, he ended up in automated phone systems with recorded messages, busy signals, and disconnections—but never a live person. Only after he wrote to a local consumer advocacy columnist did AT&T pay attention and turn off the telemarketing fire hose. AT&T didn't, however, explain why they were targeting this person, or whether anyone else is facing the same barrage of calls. More » -
do not call
How To Report Do Not Call List Scofflaws To The Proper Authorities
Reader Brian says that he's getting weird scammy calls about "lowering his interest rates" and would like to know what he should do about it. More » -
telemarketing
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! More » -
junk mail
If You Love Junk Mail, Visit The Direct Marketing Association's Advocacy Website "MailMovesAmerica.org"
Did you know that "advertising mail is under threat?" It's true! But what can you, the consumer who loves junk mail, do to stop the 15 states that, in 2007, "proposed the creation of state Do Not Mail registries, similar to the national do not call registry"? The Direct Marketing Association has set up a website just for you! More » -
harassment
Dell Has Called Every Day For The Past Eight Months... And I'm Not A Customer!
Every day for the past eight months, Dell has called Kat to demand payment for a bill she doesn't owe. Kat unfortunately inherited the phone number of a Dell debtor when she started a new job, something Dell would rather overlook—along with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Kat has tried calling, escalating, and having the debtor tell Dell to leave her alone. Dell continually assures her that the problem has been fixed. And then they call again.
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do not call
Telemarketers Weep As President Signs Do Not Call Improvement Act
Never again will you have to worry about renewing your Do Not Call List registration thanks to Public Laws 110-187 and 110-188. Our newest laws provide a permanent stream of funding for the Do Not Call List and guarantee that registrations will never expire. Read the White House's ebullient press release, after jump. More » -
do not call
Dish Network Refuses To Leave You Alone After Cancellation
Recently I canceled my service with Dish Network. It was nothing personal, I had just moved in with a friend that already has TV service and doesn't want to change providers (they talked their way into some kind of deal with Comcast; it's pretty cheap, but knowing Comcast it probably involves the naming rights to their first born). In any case, he owns the house so he decides who provides us TV service. More »
Missouri's Attorney General has 
