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| Angelika/Mike Schilli |
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Michael In the USA, it is indeed allowed for companies to call you at home to sell you all sorts of nonsense. While this might sound amusing at first, it becomes nerve-wracking over time. Of course, we have what is called "Caller ID" at home (which outrageously costs 6 dollars a month) so that the phone company can pass through the caller's number. When the phone rings, I can read the caller's number on a display. And our answering machine even announces the number while it's ringing, so we don't even have to get up from the sofa when another telemarketer calls.
If you happen to pick up when a telemarketing call comes in, you typically hear nothing for about 5 seconds. You shout "Hello? Hello??" into the phone until the automatic telemarketer dialer connects you to the next available agent. They usually ask, "How are you doing today?" and then you often hang up, already annoyed. One of my colleagues uses the following strategy: When a telemarketer calls, he says, "One moment please," as he supposedly has something on the stove. After 60 seconds, he comes back and says it will take a little longer. This way, the telemarketer has to stay on the line and wait, unable to bother other people. It's a clever idea, but there's an easier way.
For there is the Do-Not-Call-List. Anyone whose phone number is on this nationwide USA list cannot be called by telemarketers. If they do call, they face such high fines that they actually refrain from doing so. I was initially a bit skeptical, but I have to say that we hardly receive any telemarketing calls anymore since our number has been on this list. Exceptions are companies with which you already have relationships (for example, the phone company) or non-profit organizations seeking donations. Adding your own phone number to the list takes about 30 seconds. You simply go to www.donotcall.gov, enter the number, and that's it. After about two weeks, almost no telemarketing calls come through. If they do, I usually say, "You realize that what you're doing is illegal?" and most telemarketers are shocked.
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