doge

So I've visited a few dealerships over the past few weeks and foolishly left them my phone number. I've been avoiding some of there calls because I'm not interested in their cars or not impressed by their service.

I've noticed I've been getting lots of calls from telemarketers, is there a relation between the two? Do they sell on your information to ad agencies?

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

Yes, businesses sell your info.

Get used to using a dedicated e-mail address and phone number (or text service) for businesses.

pman6

When you do business with them, they are allowed to call you.
The rule is that you can tell them to put your number on their own do not call list.
They have to abide by your request, or you can report them to the FTC

FrankReynoldsCPA

Yup, do not call request falled by a firm "Go shove a wrench up your ***" usually gets them to leave me alone.

Aron9000

Hahaha, had a telemarketing machine call my land line at my work the other day. Kind of crazy, as it isn't the main number listed for our hotel.

mmarshall

Like it or not, telemarketers are simply a fact of life. There are some you can stop, but most, you simply are not going to get rid of, Do-Not-Call list or not. They originate outside of U.S. borders, where American authorities can't control them. What's more, even in the U.S., political and charity-based calls are exempt from Do-Not-Call.

FrankReynoldsCPA

FWIW, in the past few years I have received VERY FEW telemarketer calls. I don't know if it's because of Do-Not-Call or because I don't give my cell phone number out online, but I rarely get anything. The last one I did get was from some indian that was running a small enough operation that if you redialed his number, you got him every time, rather than being directed through some phone bank to a random person. And he called about 2 or 3 times after being told to pound sand. Needless to say, we started calling him at odd hours of the night for a few weeks and he left us alone.

mmarshall

In general, the fewer activities you get involved in, the less likely you are to get telemarketers (and follow-up calls). But some are probably inevitable.

Blackraven

Hehe do some of those calls come from my country?

FrankReynoldsCPA

Funny story, i called a customer support line once and ended up redirected to a call center in the Philippines. When i finally detected by the dude's accent that he was Filipino, I started talking in Tagalog and freaked him out.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using IB AutoGroup

I8ABMR

I used to give them my number but now I refuse and tell them that I dont want to be pestered into buying a car. In the end these guys have their tactics. Mine is to be as firm as possible and not to let these morons steer me.

tex2670

It is correct that when you do business with them, they may call you. But if that organization sells your phone number to some telemarketing agency, who is not calling on behalf of the dealer, those people may not call you if your number is on the do not call list.

tex2670

That's funny, because I have noticed an increase over the past few years, as telemarketers, as mmarshall noted, have figured out the technology to mask who is calling. I've filed complaints with the attorney general, and the response I get back is usually--"We can't figure out who is calling you."

tex2670

I used to give them my work number to dealers when I was shopping, and then just never answer--and I've had a few of them search out my home number on the internet, and leave messages there too.

Habious

One of the biggest problems with the "Do Not Call" list (aside from the evil people who simply ignore the law) is that it's very specific.

If you tell a telemarketer...

"Stop calling me"
"Never call me again"
"Take me off your list"
"I'm not interested in your products, ever"
"Go to hell"
etc

They can still, legally, call you.

You must utter the magic phrase. You must say "Put me on your do not call list". THEN, they're required by law to put you on their Do Not Call list, and they're subject to fines if they continue to call you.