Telemarketers

Do you know what I hate?

Telemarketers.

Here in Canada (Toronto, even), we have something called a "Do Not Call List" whereby we get to sign up on-line on a government sponsored phone list that means that unless we have done business with a company before, they aren't supposed to call you.

But that does not seem to dissuade a lot of companies who routinely utilize call center companies from other countries - say, India - to ask if I want my ducts cleaned. By the way, I am of Indian extraction, though I've never been there, don't speak the language or eat the food unless my wife makes me.

Now, if that was an euphemism, I might be interested, but it's not and it always seems to be men asking anyway. 

I don't mind that MY banks (plural) contact me. That's cool. But why am I getting a phone call for services from institutions I don't do business with.

I have call display - and no one really wants to call me here at home - so I know that excluding a long-distance call from Guelph, or a a number from a friend or two, an aunt and brother and father - no one else is going to be calling this house.

Upon answering an unsolicited call, I have tried to find out which company the represent, but get the run around - it's like they know they shouldn't give out that information, even though the call center is selling a company's services.

I've tried pretending I was the police investigating a murder scene - that one only confuses the call center, as they have no idea that what I am doing is a trick and keep going with their sales spiel. 

I have picked up the phone and immediately hung it up, only to have them call back again.

Sometimes, I stupidly pick up an unsolicited call, hear the empty silence for one second after I say "Hello", and then hang-up. It's because they have an automatic dialer... so these bastards are too lazy to even call me up themselves... I know that when I hear the sounds of momentary silence after my greeting that it's a telemarketer.

I even get telephone spam at work. At freaking work. We all do. It's a blast of a ships horn telling me that my ship is getting ready to sail and that I should be on a cruise.

I should be, but I don't need unsolicited calls like this at work. It's a recorded message, so I can't even yell at anyone. Does anyone actually ever write down the phone number to go on these cruises?

I mean... if these guys are so desperate to use a recorded dialer to leave messages at a work place, just how reputable a company can the cruise line be? I'm guess it probably uses some sort ff disgraced Italian captain to pilot the boat.

What? Too soon?

Here's what the Canadian National Registry has to say about itself:   

'Register My Number

In order to register on the National Do Not Call List (DNCL) personal information will be collected, used and disclosed by the National DNCL Operator in order to register, verify and de-register residential, wireless, fax or VoIP telephone number(s) on the National DNCL. The numbers registered by consumers on the National DNCL will be disclosed to telemarketers and clients of telemarketers and other subscribers to the National DNCL to prevent telemarketing calls to those numbers. The numbers may also be disclosed, on a confidential basis, by telemarketers and clients of telemarketers and other subscribers to the National DNCL to another person involved in supplying the subscriber with services to enable compliance with the National DNCL Rules.

In addition, personal information will be collected, used and disclosed by the National DNCL Operator, the CRTC and/or its Complaints Investigator Delegate in order to investigate complaints regarding violations of the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules, to administer and enforce these rules, and for audit and quality assurance purposes. Personal information may also be disclosed to Canadian and/or foreign law enforcement agencies for the purpose of administering or enforcing any law or carrying out a lawful investigation.

Should you wish to move to Canada and sign up for this - and hopefully it will work better for you than it does for me - click HERE and try your luck. 

Still.... do you know what I hate?

Telemarketers.