FCC Proposes Giving Consumers Right To Block Telemarketing Calls & Texts

[allheart55 (Cindy E)]

You know what’s not awesome? Answering your phone only to be greeted by a prerecorded robocall telemarketing message. Even a decade after the establishment of the Do Not Call registry and rules banning certain types of robocalls, unwanted calls and messages still top the list of complaints to the FCC each year. Today, FCC Chair Tom Wheeler proposed closing some additional loopholes in order to cut down on these annoying intrusions.



The newest protection that could be available to consumers is the ability to tell their phone company — wireless or landline — that they revoke their consent to receive these calls.

The rule would also give telecom providers the green light to introduce ‘Do Not Disturb’ technology that consumers could use to stop unwanted robocalls.

With so many people ditching landlines in recent years, many of those phone numbers are being recirculated to new subscribers. Unfortunately, this has led to telemarketers calling that number trying to reach the former user, only to annoy the heck out of the new one.

Bank lobbyists had pushed for exemptions from facing violations for making these “wrong number” robocalls, but the new rules would clarify that telemarketers have only one chance to get that number wrong. Subsequent calls would be in violation.

The new rules would, however, allow for businesses to make emergency robocalls and texts to wireless users in very specific circumstances — fraud alerts from a bank, for example — but these calls could not be used for marketing or debt collection. In addition, wireless subscribers will be given the ability to opt out of receiving these types of urgent messages.

“Few things rankle consumers as much as unwanted calls and texts,” writes Wheeler, adding that rules need to adapt with the times. “The responsibility to protect consumers from robocalls that can be both costly and intrusive does not expire with changes in technology.”

The proposal will be voted on at the Commission’s Open Meeting on June 18.

Source : http://consumerist.com/2015/05/27/f...ers-right-to-block-telemarketing-calls-texts/

 

[allheart55 (Cindy E)]

I would love to see this happen.

 

[N3]

I agree cindy.........Also unemployed telemarketers. :>)

 

[Plastic Nev]

Lets face it, the telemarketing business is nothing more than an extension of advertising. Various agencies make millions out of advertising and especially so with the junk on the internet. (Adblock plus is one answer and they have recently won another court case). Advertising may make business's better off by enticing folk to buy their product, however I would be happy to see the whole thing limited by law to pages in newspapers and roadside hoardings and to he11 with telemarketing, e mail spam, and website pop ups.
Most of the general public are sick of adverts, how many millions go make a cuppa tea when they come on the telly, or if recording a program from the TV, set the recorder to not record the adverts.
In short, advertising is going the way of the dodo, no one wants it and people do everything possible to avoid it, so what exactly do adverts do for the companies paying for these adverts? Not a lot is a reasonable answer I think these days. It is mainly done by business's now for tax reasons as they can claim tax back as advertising is a business expense.
Might just be better if governments legislated that advertising is not a legitimate business expense. The advertising in general would vanish overnight.

OK OK, I will climb down off my soap box now, my rant is over.

 

[AWS]

I hope this makes it. I get at least 2 or 3 robocalls each week. I probably have more than 100 numbers in my block list.

 

[Mommalina]

I agree cindy.........Also unemployed telemarketers. :>)

I think "Bridgette" needs a vacation, and I don't think I'll miss
her sometimes twice-a-day calls.

 

[Mommalina]

Might just be better if governments legislated that advertising is not a legitimate business expense. The advertising in general would vanish overnight.

OK OK, I will climb down off my soap box now, my rant is over.

How about limiting all advertising to special channels we can voluntarily
choose to access? If they don't want to buy 24/7 time like QVC and HSN do,
they could buy 1/2 to one-hour segments on special advertising-only channels.
No infomercials on regular channels, main stream or cable!

P.S. Or, limit and enforce the limit of time allowed for each 1/2-hr broadcast.

 

[allheart55 (Cindy E)]

Sounds like a great plan to me!

 

[Zee]

Well, actually I used to buy insurance through telemarketing. I normally don't go for any offer from a phone call. But bach them I was thinking of buying an insurance and haven't got a chance to compare all the products yet. But it's true that no one will buy a product they don't need just because it offered to them. In fact, bombard by telemarketing call could be really annoying. Especially when they start to be insisted. Put us in a situation where it will be a big loss for us if we don't buy the product. But what's more annoying is scam calls.I haven't got any of this call yet, only received a lot of text messages. But I heard from my cousin who lives in US, this has been a prevalent issue there. She ever got a phone call from someone claiming to be from Microsoft expert, saying that her computer infected with virus and try to gain access to her computer. Luckily, she didn't fall for it. I also read an article about robocall here . There are also a lot of different schemes use by scammers to lure their target. I wonder if the rule can completely shut down illegal calling. Even if it can't', at least it can help from getting bombarded by unwanted calls.