Subject: Telemarketing Calls Getting You Down?
Date: Thu 10/10/2002 11:59 AM
From: Housing <univhous@andrew.cmu.edu>
To: All-Residents@wgs.housing.cmu.edu <All-Residents@wgs.housing.cmu.edu>
Dear Residents,
In response to numerous student complaints about telemarketing calls last
year, we are offering information and resources to help you limit the
number of telemarketing calls that you get to your campus room.
You play a major role in limiting the number of calls you receive. You may
be inadvertently providing your number to callers when you make purchases
on-line or sign-up for sweepstakes and contests. Be aware of when and how
you offer your phone number. See some tips below.
You can also have an impact with the language that you use when the
telemarketers call. Ask the caller for the company name, document the call
date, time and name of the operator calling you. Indicate firmly that you
want to be placed on their ?Do Not Call List? immediately and do not want
to be called again. If this company calls again, you can file a complaint
with the Bureau of Consumer Protection through this website
www.attorneygeneral.gov/ppd/forms.cfm or call 1-800-441-2555 for assistance.
Alpha Phi Omega publishes the C-Book, the student phone directory as a
service to the community each fall semester. This is a valuable resource
used by students to contact one another throughout the year. It is
intended to be an internal campus document, i.e. not to be used by those
outside of the University community. In recent years, there have been
concerns that this publication has been used by companies or telemarketers
to contact our students. We need your assistance to protect the integrity
of the C-Book. Please do not leave copies of it in public spaces or areas
where others could take it. Please do not lend it out to others for use
other than for that which it is intended.
If you have additional suggestions or ideas to add to this list, please
feel free to contact me at ra2v@andrew.cmu.edu.
Sincerely,
Becca Albrecht
Coordinator of Student Development
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TELEMARKETING FAQ'S:
1. How do telemarketers get my telephone number?
There are several ways telemarketers can get your number:
a. You may inadvertently give your phone number to them! If you sign up
for a contest or sweepstakes, register at a new website, or make purchases
on-line, a phone number is usually requested. Such give-away promotions
may have less to do with gifts than they do with obtaining your number for
sales pitches. If you have your phone number printed on your checks, your
name, address and phone number can easily be copied and entered into
computerized mailing/phone lists.
b. Random digit dialing devices are able to determine all possible phone
number combinations, even unlisted numbers, and dial them much more rapidly
than any person can.
c. "800," "888," "877," "866," and "900" numbers are another way for
telemarketers to obtain your phone number. When you call these numbers,
your phone number may be captured with a system called "Automatic Number
Identification" or ANI. ANI uses equipment that automatically identifies
and stores the number from which you are dialing. By matching your phone
number with other computerized lists and street address directories, your
name and address can often be discovered and added to marketers' databases.
Not only will the company that captured your number be able to use it, they
may sell it to other marketers.
2. How can I stop sales calls?
It is difficult to completely eliminate sales phone calls. However, you
can dramatically decrease the number of calls you receive by taking the
following steps:
a. Sign-up for free on the Pennsylvania ?Do Not Call List?
(http://www.nocallsplease.com/) which registers your number on a list of
consumers who want to avoid telemarketing calls. Every telemarketer that
calls consumers in Pennsylvania is required to purchase the list from the
list administrator. The telemarketer must then remove every name on the
"Do Not Call" list from their calling lists within 30 days of receiving the
list. A violation of the law carries a civil penalty of up to $1,000, or
$3,000 if the person contacted is age 60 or older.
Complaints against a telemarketer in violation of this law should be filed
with the Office of Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection by
calling the toll-free hotline at 1-800-441-2555, or by filing a complaint
online at www.attorneygeneral.gov.
b. When you are contacted by telemarketers, tell them to put you on their
"do not call" list. Federal laws requires them to maintain and honor such
lists.
c. Screen your calls with an answering machine or voice mail service.
d. Contact Acxiom, a large data compiler that sells consumer data to
marketers. To request an opt-out form, leave a message on its Consumer
Advocate Hotline at (877) 774-2094, or send an e-mail message to
optout@acxiom.com.
e. Contact the credit bureaus and ask that they remove you from their
marketing lists. Four major credit bureaus ? Equifax, Experian (was TRW),
Trans Union and Innovis ? have established a shared opt-out number. Call
(888) 5OPTOUT (888-567-8688).
f. Be aware of ways that you inadvertently release your phone number.
Don't have your phone number printed on your checks. Consider providing
your work number when you must give a number to merchants. Do not provide
your phone number when you sign up for contests and sweepstakes. Avoid
providing your phone number when you register on web sites. Be sure the
requestor has a reasonable need to obtain your number.
g. When calling an "800," "888," "877," "866," or "900" number, indicate
that you do not want your name, address and phone number rented or sold to
others. Also request that they do not call you in the future.
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