Saturday, January 3, 2015

How to Stop Robo-Calls: TELEPHONE ABUSE

Posted: 3 Jan 15





1.  Purposes


To help you preserve your serenity, at home, off duty, from un-welcomed intrusions across your land-lines and mobile phones.

To give you a link to a recent, wonderfully helpful KPIX, Channel 5, News story for dealing with those oft-annoying robo-calls and telemarketers -- filled with practical advice.  
===>  Here's the link  <===
To give you some other relevant information, in case you need to probe deeper.

Hint:  It occurs to me that we should be sure to keep pen and paper near the phone so we can readily capture the information we need to carry out the corrective procedures below.






2.  ABOUT ROBOCALLS

Definition

A Robocall is an automated telephone call that delivers a recorded message, typically on behalf of a political party or telemarketing company.




"A robocall is a phone call that uses a computerized autodialer to deliver a pre-recorded message, as if from a robot. Robocalls are often associated with political and telemarketing phone campaigns, but can also be used for public-service or emergency announcements. Some robocalls use personalized audio messages to simulate an actual personal phone call."  (More...)





"The federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA) regulates automated calls.[12] All robocalls, irrespective of whether they are political in nature, must do two things to be considered legal. Federal law requires all telephone calls using pre-recorded messages to identify who is initiating the calls and include a telephone number or address whereby the initiator can be reached.[13]"





"California prohibits any robocall unless there is an existing relationship.[18] The California Public Utilities Code §§ 2871 et seq. holds political campaigns to the same rules as other organizations making calls with an automatic dialing–announcing device.[18] The guidelines are:
  • A person must come on the line before the recording to identify the nature of the call and the organization behind it.
  • The recipient of the call must consent to the recording being played.
  • The call must be disconnected from the telephone line as soon as the message is over or the recipient hangs up, whichever comes first."




Reverse robocalling


In December 2011 reporting described "robocall revenge" where voters can turn the table and send robocalls to politicians and others using online website tools.






FCC Guidelines


What are the rules for robocalls?


"FCC rules require a business to obtain your written consent – on paper or through electronic means, including website forms, a telephone keypress – or a recording of your oral consent before it may make a prerecorded telemarketing call to your residential phone number or make an autodialed or prerecorded telemarketing call or text to your wireless number."




Pertinent Videos








What the Social Network is saying:

Facebook page, "Reverse Robocall"

Facebook page, "United States National Do Not Call Registry"
Facebook page, "RoboCall2011"

Facebook buddy, Jeff Biles said: "I use Privacystar. It really works!" [Thanks, Jeff!]






David Nelson





All Original Content © 2015, The MENTOR Enterprises / ELMS, All Rights Reserved. BUT, I hereby waive those rights, to this extent: You may freely copy and pass this along -- and are urged to do so -- as long as it's all done free of charge, unchanged, you include this statement, AND you inform me as to how it is being used -- at YOUR convenience but, hopefully soonest.

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