[Xfactor]

Washington
The Federal Communications Commission approved new rules Wednesday to further limit automatically dialed or prerecorded calls know as "robocalls" and automated text messages.

The FCC's rules go beyond Federal Trade Commission rules that have been in force since 2008.

"Too many telemarketers, aided by autodialers and prerecorded messages, have continued to call consumers who don't want to hear from them," said FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski in a statement read at the meeting. These new overlapping rules seek to close loopholes in the existing regulations.

Under the new requirements, telemarketers will have to get permission in writing before placing an automated call to a consumer. Previously, companies that had an established business relationship with a particular consumer could call them without permission. For example, another FCC official not authorized to speak publicly explained, a bank could robocall one of its checking account customers to try to sell them insurance. The new rules prohibit that without written permission.

Information calls, such as school closing information and flight cancellations, are an exception. They can be made to land-line phones without written permission. Text messages and calls to cell phones are subject to stricter rules.

"Any type of phone call or text to a wireless device needs written consent," the FCC official added.

Telemarketers also will be required to let consumers easily prevent any future calls.

"Each and every telemarketing robocall will have to include an automated, interactive opt-out mechanism, so that a consumer can revoke consent by pressing just a few keys during the call," Genachowski said. The company will have to immediately disconnect the call and add you to their do-not-call list.

"Dead air" calls also are restricted by the new rules. Some telemarketers place many calls at once guessing how many people will answer the phone; if more people answer than there are operators, the result on the receiver's end is often the silence of a delayed response.

The new rules "strictly" limit the number of such calls telemarketers can make "within each calling campaign," the FCC said.

A telemarketing company that has a real person dialing the phone numbers is not subject to the new rules.

"Consumers' first line of protection against any call is the do-not-call list," the FCC official said.

Consumers can sue companies who violate these rules, the FCC official explained, adding, "We also take action based on trends of complaints."

http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/15/politi...html?hpt=hp_c1

[kellyhound]

good.

[johnleeknoefler]

While living and working in West Virginia I opened a phone line for our apartment. Within the first day I started getting calls from a psychic hotline. At first I was polite and just said no thanks. Then gradually it became more aggravating to have the phone ring every evening for the same stupid psychic bitch. Finally after telling her more and more how much I hated to be called I changed tactics. I got real friendly and kept acting like I wanted more info and was very interested and continued to ask more personal questions until I had all the information I wanted and did an online search in her area. Found her home address and home phone number. Gave her a call at home one evening after another call from her business number. Told her the gig was up as I now had her location and knew her name. Asked her if she really knew who I was. She didn't cause I had opened the our phone number up under another persons name and used a different phone to call her. (plausible deniability). I let her know how much could happen to her and how it could be possible since people in her area are dirt poor and will do anything for a buck. Told her to just knock it off and get a real job and never ever call again. Never had any more marketing calls after that. I don't even think she knew what phone number I had called from.

[Xfactor]

Originally Posted by johnleeknoefler ↗

While living and working in West Virginia I opened a phone line for our apartment. Within the first day I started getting calls from a psychic hotline. At first I was polite and just said no thanks. Then gradually it became more aggravating to have the phone ring every evening for the same stupid psychic bitch. Finally after telling her more and more how much I hated to be called I changed tactics. I got real friendly and kept acting like I wanted more info and was very interested and continued to ask more personal questions until I had all the information I wanted and did an online search in her area. Found her home address and home phone number. Gave her a call at home one evening after another call from her business number. Told her the gig was up as I now had her location and knew her name. Asked her if she really knew who I was. She didn't cause I had opened the our phone number up under another persons name and used a different phone to call her. (plausible deniability). I let her know how much could happen to her and how it could be possible since people in her area are dirt poor and will do anything for a buck. Told her to just knock it off and get a real job and never ever call again. Never had any more marketing calls after that. I don't even think she knew what phone number I had called from.

[DiamondSmiles]

I get alot of hangups since their robots don't realize it's an answering machine and go off right away. Not that I miss hearing them, I still get a few, but, somehow, and I'm not listed, I have gotten calls for all of my brothers.