Question:
What time are telemarketers allowed to call?
Why can't I seem to get a callback at the time I requested?
Can I get a company I've done business to not call me?
What about debt collectors/collection agencies?
What about prerecorded messages?
So what about political calls?
Answer:
Q: What time are telemarketers allowed to call?
A: The federal law says 8am-9pm. A number of states have issued more
constrictive laws, with start times as late as 10am on weekdays, end
times as early as 6 or 7pm, and no calling on sundays or holidays.
Q: Why can't I seem to get a callback at the time I requested?
A: Many phone rooms have a variety of projects going at once, and
sometimes the supervisors and managers don't always realize that the
people on the phone have made promises to customers to call back, and
so this one usually is a joke. Other times the computer system
crashes, and while most may last only a few minutes, they can
sometimes wipe out a day's worth of work if it's serious enough, or
there can be other problems that can cause them not to be able to do
their work, largely weather related on occasion. Other times they may
be working on a completely different list than the one your number was
on, some large projects have some lists that are just started, while
older lists are playing out, so they have to switch from one to
another to keep the sales per hour (SPH) levels up.
Q: Can I get a company I've done business to not call me?
A: Yes. Just tell them to place you on their own DNC list. However,
there is a ruse they will tell you, and that is that it takes 'four to
six weeks'. The law says they have to do so immediately. This is an
old trick they use to avoid getting fined.
Q: What about debt collectors/collection agencies?
A: Technically, they have to keep the DNC list as well. You did not
do business with them in the first place, so they cannot call you
under the DNC law despite what the law says, simply because you did
not request the info nor did you do any other business with them.
Tell them to put you on their DNC list and that the next time they
call you will sue in small claims, and that could in the case of
smaller amounts owed to the real company you owed the money to cancel
out the bill they are calling about! You still owe the bill
regardless of that, of course, but could cause the collection agency
that is calling some real headaches--and call the company you owed the
money to as well and let them know you've sued the collector when you
do. This might put a stop to some of the excesses in that industry.
Q: What about prerecorded messages?
A: Unless it is a political call, these are always illegal. There
have been some reports this week of mortgage companies using this
tactic, and a company in Aliso Viejo known as 'Consumer Services'
takes inbound calls taken from another party's illegal calling (the
latest was a 'six night stay in Orlando) is famous for this. (I've
never been able to find out who makes the offer on this one after I
got one about this, after many calls talking with arrogant managers,
etc.)
Q: So what about political calls?
A: By all means, take the call and answer honestly. These are alot
shorter than the average sales call, and are almost always either
get-out-the-vote if near election day, one- to five-question surveys
about candidates and issues, or other types of informational calls.
Occasionally they offer a courtesy like having someone deliver a yard
sign or send candidate/issue info by mail which can be a help if you
desire more info or want a yard sign--but remember, those are all
free. I said prerecorded political calls were legal, but they are
even shorter, the messages left are usually under 30 seconds in
length, up to 45 seconds tops. These also appear most frequently
quite close to election day. A few political calls are sometimes
longer, but that is really an exception, not the rule.
