Telemarketing - When To Take The Call
If you enjoy getting spam calls, then this article isn't for you. But if your answer to the question "What is telemarketing?" was a resounding "OH NO!" then keep reading.
You might not be familiar with the term telemarketing, but odds are pretty good that you've already been the victim of it. Telemarketing is a term used to describe unwanted and unsolicited phone calls made for business purposes. In today's digital world, telemarketing isn't just about phone calls. It's also instant messaging, chatty Twitter messages, and e-mail spam.
Telemarketing was once a lucrative business for entrepreneurs. By buying lists of previous patients/ clients from doctors' offices, dentists' offices, etc., a sales person could call people in their homes and try to sell them something - usually something that they didn't want or need. It was usually overpriced and the sales person would use high pressure tactics to get people to buy it anyway (hence the term "high pressure" sales).
Telemarketing is an old trick. But it is not always an illegal one. If you've ever requested something via a telemarketing call then that is OK. For instance if you request a free magazine subscription or a free trial of medication, then it's not considered telemarketing. The trick is knowing which sales calls are illegal and how to handle them appropriately.
Telemarketing is considered illegal when the caller is contacting people at random and there is no indication that they had been solicited or requested to make the call. When someone makes an unsolicited call, either on the phone or through an electronic medium, it's called "telemarketing.
You would think that anyone who makes an unsolicited call to your home would already know you did not want to be called. Unfortunately, this is not the case. There are laws in place to protect your privacy and keep people from making unsolicited calls.
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) protects people from unwanted telemarketing calls, robocalls and faxes. Under this law your cell phone can be protected from spam text messages as well. The TCPA is enforced by the FCC, but it applies to all telemarketing calls and texts, not just those made by companies or businesses. The same laws apply whether or not the call is being made for business or personal reasons.
Under the TCPA you are protected from unsolicited calls in two ways: the dialing restrictions and the 'Do Not Call' registry.
Dialing Restrictions: Telemarketers have to restrict their calls to certain hours of the day. If they call you at other hours then they're breaking the law. The Electronic Fund Transfer Act of 1978 also created a special category just for financial institutions, which protect them from lawsuits if they follow certain guidelines when making telemarketing calls.
Do Not Call Registry: Telemarketing calls and texts to your cell phone are illegal even if they fall within the acceptable hours of the day. If you don't want these calls, then you can register your cell phone number on the Do Not Call Registry. It is free to register and the process takes less than one minute. You can place your cell phone number on the list by going to donotcall.gov and filling out a form with your name, address and phone number. Registration stays in effect until you decide to remove it or until you move.
If you receive a telemarketing call or text, then it is best to hang up. If they call you again, then you can report them to the Do Not Call Registry so that they are placed on your do not call list and their number blocked from calling or texting your cell phone.
It's important to remember that most telemarketing calls are made by advertisers working on behalf of big companies – think: insurance, mortgage or health care. The problem with telemarketing is not actually the sales people; it's often just a symptom of a bigger issue with the company they work for.
Many people are surprised to know that telemarketing is still a big business. That's because telemarketing is divided into two categories: "in-person" and "on-line."
In-person telemarketing involves sales people targeting your home. This is more common than you think, but you can spot it from the start since the sales person will always be in your home (usually while you're working or cooking) and they will be knocking on your door in the middle of the day when you're at work or otherwise occupied with other things. You might even get to see them out of the corner of your eye while they're standing there on your doorstep.
On-line telemarketing is a more recent phenomenon. The internet makes it easier for companies to reach potential clients, but it also makes it easier for telemarketers to spam people with unsolicited calls and texts. If you're tired of this happening then there are steps you can take to block them. Telemarketers often use aggressive marketing tactics that can be frightening, intimidating and annoying.
However, the worst part about telemarketing is that many times people end up paying for products or services they neither want nor need just because of the high pressure sales tactics used by the telemarketer trying to sell them something.
If you've ever been the victim of a telemarketing call it's important that you protect yourself from this pestilence. Even if you don't actually want the product or service being sold, it's important to remember that there are laws in place to protect you. If Telemarketers in Birmingham, AL continue calling and ask you to accept the call or do anything with the product, then it is most likely illegal.
If these sales people are doing business with your home address, then they are breaking a number of laws. If they are calling while you're at work and they don't have an appointment then they should not be calling at all. If they are calling your home number and you have that listed on the Do Not Call List then they are breaking the law.
In order to protect yourself from these kinds of sales calls, you need to remember that no matter how much they threaten you or pressure you into taking their offer, it is always better to hang up on them than to give in. Most of the time it's also better to just let them continue calling and never answer the phone – this way at least you don't have a conversation, because if you do answer then it's likely that eventually they'll get through and start trying to sell over the phone.
Conclusion
This has been a brief explanation of the best ways someone in Birmingham, AL can prevent unwanted sales calls. You shouldn't let anyone call your cell phone or home unannounced. The laws are fairly easy to follow and anyone who violates them is putting themselves at risk of legal problems.
If you're tired of getting unsolicited telemarketing calls or texts then you have options to take that don't involve spending money on new phones and services from the service provider. Contacting the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is one way that you can contact them – especially if there is a specific problem with someone making telemarketing calls for companies that are not responding to their complaints.