Friday, August 27, 2004
Signs That the Do Not Call List Is Working
Good news on the "why do telemarketers keep calling me during dinner?" front.
Harris Interactive conducted a survey in which 92% of respondents who had signed up for the national Do Not Call List said they were getting fewer phone calls. Close to 25% weren't getting any at all anymore.
Amazingly, however, 43% of the respondents who took the survey hadn't yet signed up for the list. If you're one of those 43% and you want to find out what you're missing, go to the Do Not Call website.
Harris Interactive conducted a survey in which 92% of respondents who had signed up for the national Do Not Call List said they were getting fewer phone calls. Close to 25% weren't getting any at all anymore.
Amazingly, however, 43% of the respondents who took the survey hadn't yet signed up for the list. If you're one of those 43% and you want to find out what you're missing, go to the Do Not Call website.
# posted by AmandaWelsh @ 2:56 PM 
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
Score One For the Consumer
There has been a lot of talk lately about Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association's new directory for cell phone numbers. Privacy advocates are concerned that telemarketers will abuse it. Cell phone companies claim that numbers will only be included if the consumer agrees to it and that the numbers would never be printed in a directory.
In a somewhat stunning move, Verizon Wireless broke ranks and announced today that it would not offer up directory information on any of its 40 million customers. The company, which claims more than a quarter of all cell phone subscribers in the US, was responding to consumer pressure. It seems that customers have been sharing their fears that they would have to pay additional charges to be excluded from the listing (much like landlines have worked for years - being in the phone book is free. Staying out of it costs you.)
Good on Verizon – and Qwest which had earlier announced its intention not to participate in the directory – for listening!
In a somewhat stunning move, Verizon Wireless broke ranks and announced today that it would not offer up directory information on any of its 40 million customers. The company, which claims more than a quarter of all cell phone subscribers in the US, was responding to consumer pressure. It seems that customers have been sharing their fears that they would have to pay additional charges to be excluded from the listing (much like landlines have worked for years - being in the phone book is free. Staying out of it costs you.)
Good on Verizon – and Qwest which had earlier announced its intention not to participate in the directory – for listening!
# posted by AmandaWelsh @ 11:42 AM
