pierrer@pike.ee.mcgill.ca (Pierre Racz) (04/01/91)
FIGHT BACK AGAINST COMPUTER RELATED ABUSES OF PRIVACY
I have just been harassed for the fourth time this week by a COMPUTER
calling me up and trying to sell me something. As a Computer
Professional, I take offense to this misuse of the technology I helped to
create and maintain.
Being harassed by phone is really annoying since:
1 - They bother you in REAL time, sometimes interrupting you at
very inopportune moments.
2 - You cannot give the caller a piece of your mind for bothering
you at home. Since they don't get the negative feed back, they
have no incentive to modify their behavior.
3 - There is no legislation (not even in the foreseeable future)
to protect the citizen from this and other computer related
abuses of privacy.
4 - They often don't identify the company they represent until
you follow up on their offer. This way you don't know who is
doing this to you. Proof that they know most people hate being
treated this way.
5 - It is COST EFFECTIVE for these companies to continue doing it.
WHAT COMPUTER PROFESSIONALS CAN DO
Indirect action:
Contact your local politician. This should be done, but results
will be at least one election away.
Direct action:
Program your modem or FAX to dial their number a few times every
day. Answering the phone cost them money. Give them a taste of
their own medicine : Do they like to talk to a computer ? I think
not.
Tips on direct action :
1 - Verify the number. Don't take my word about any phone number
less you yourself commit abuses of privacy by repeatedly calling
a phone number posted by some practical joker. After all you
don't want to behave like the people you are fighting.
Phone up the number and say: "I was called by your computer and
I would like more information about your offer". Their
response will confirm their marketing practices.
2 - Do not threaten to "sick your computer on them". This would
constitute harassment. You can and should tell them that you
disagree with such practices but nothing more.
If it happens that through some "operator error" your computer
repeatedly dials their number, there will be no evidence of
MALICIOUS INTENT.
3 - Don't over do it. You don't have to shut down their phone
system to get your point across. A few minutes every day will
do the trick.
Remember that there are other computer professionals who will
also take direct action. Our combined voices can be quite
loud.
4 - Report your results to the net. People like to know that they
are not alone in their thinking. If you want to remain
anonymous, send me private EMAIL, and I will post it publicly
with all references to you deleted. We should maintain a list
of these companies and distribute it as widely as possible.
5 - Follow up on these harassing phone calls. The first impulse is
to hang up. These companies know most people hate being
treated this way so they sometimes don't identify themselves
(this in itself may be illegal). Like direct mail, they expect
positive response from about 1 in 100 people. Get their name
and phone number and pass this information on to other computer
professionals.
6 - Find out if this is a boiler room operation by calling at
off hours.
7 - Don't get mad. Get even.
Tech Tips :
1 - Most hayes compatible modems can be instructed to dial out in
answer mode. The high pitch whine will leave no doubt to the
person answering the phone that they are speaking to a computer.
Such a command would be of the form:
atdt 433-5060a
^ put the modem in answer mode.
note : You can put the tailing 'a' in your dialing directory
with the phone number and most telecomm programs will happily
set the answer mode.
2 - Set the dial time for 20-30 seconds. When the modem dials out
in answer mode it may have trouble recognizing things like dial
tones and busy signals. However these companies answer the phone
on the first ring.
3 - You have two choices for the time between calls. You can call
continuously for a few minutes or you can call all day at wider
intervals.
Dealing with Telemarketing :
Although a human caller trying to sell you something is less annoying
than the computer variety this is the strategy I use :
I first politely interrupt the sales pitch. I then tell them I
don't have the time now to deal with them, if the would kindly give
me their HOME phone number, I will phone them back later.
Invariably, they refuse to give out their HOME phone number at which
point I ask: "What is the matter, don't you ever do business at
home ?". "No" they answer. "Neither do I" I say, and hang up.
List of companies in MONTREAL abusing my right to privacy:
(514) 433-0222 Max Tel Communication.
(514) 433-0087 Max Tel Communication. These unfriendly people own
the equipment that causes us all that grief.
(514) 923-3572 Trans Canada Telemarketing. Particularly nasty fly-by-
night operator. He also owns the equipment.
(514) 433-1112 Viatour Caravane.
(514) 433-5060 Viatour Caravane. After a while they switched their
computer to this number. They may switch again !
279-7474 Vacances St-Adele. These guys are non-apologetic for their
invasion of my privacy. Regarding my complaint, they told
me to be fruitful and multiply (but not in those words).
???-???? Some carpet cleaners that have yet to call me back or even
identify themselves.
(514) xxx-xxxx Trenti chaussures. Following my own advice I spoke to
the manager before taking direct action. He said he
received many complaints and will never use this service
again. Apparently a pushy sales man talked him into
using it. Their number has therefore been deleted from
the list.
The telemarketing industry
I phoned all the telemarketers listed in my Yellow Pages. The first
thing I noticed was that many of these businesses are fly-by-night
operations. Of 33 numbers listed, 13 had gone out of business
since the phone book had been printed in July 90. Seven others
are such small companies that they cannot man their phones during
business hours. Two of the remaining telemarketing operations
admitted that they use the hated talking computers. They are one
product companies who don't care what you think about their service.
It was pointed out told by both of them that that there is nothing I
can do to stop them.
But there is hope yet. The other telemarketers appear to be
quite professional about their service and care about what the
consumers think of their services. They agree that taking computers
are a bad marketing idea and that these operators give telemarketing
a bad name.
Unfortunately there are no regulations forcing telemarketers to be
part of the direct sales association which maintains the lists of
people who which not to be bothered. There is no mechanism to
review the conduct of telemarketing companies, no code of ethics.
To get your address and phone number removed from may of the lists call
or write to :
Assoc. Canadienne de Marketing direct.
2549 Blvd Rosemont suite 101
Montreal
H1Y 1K5
(514) 729-5196
Last word
I know I am not alone in the way I feel about this. If nobody does
anything about this it will only continue. Computer professionals
have been successful in the past stamping out some of the many
privacy abuses. This year they forced Lotus corporation to withdraw
the CD ROMS with the names, addresses and estimated incomes of 150
Million north Americans.
In any case, feel free to get in touch with me.
Pierre Racz
Internet: pierrer@pike.ee.mcgill.ca
Fidonet: Pierre Racz (1:167/116.0)bill@bilver.uucp (Bill Vermillion) (04/07/91)
In article <1991Apr1.033719.899@thunder.mcrcim.mcgill.edu> pierrer@pike.ee.mcgill.ca (Pierre Racz) writes: > >I have just been harassed for the fourth time this week by a COMPUTER >calling me up and trying to sell me something. As a Computer >Professional, I take offense to this misuse of the technology I helped to >create and maintain. >Being harassed by phone is really annoying since: .... > 3 - There is no legislation (not even in the foreseeable future) > to protect the citizen from this and other computer related > abuses of privacy. Well if enough people will voice their opinions perhaps your state can do something. Here in Florida it is against the law to user computer calling unless the calling firm has business with the called person. eg The local Sears system uses a computer calling and message generating system to tell you that you repairs are done, or that a serviceman will be at your home at a specific time. Also exempt is the state which uses computer calling out of it's State Revenue division. On unsolicted calls, the caller must indentify by name and orginization at the first of the call. You can also be put on a "non-solicit" list by PAYING at $10/yr fee (that I think is wrong - it should be free). All who make unsolicted calls MUST abide by that list. Two exceptions. One is charitable orginizations, the others are newspapers soliciting subscriptions. (Guess who must have had a lobby at the capitol). I have seen a drop in unsolicited calls since this went into effect, and in fact virtually all of the calls I have had in the past year, at least 80%, have been for charitable donations. That is quite a switch from the calls that used to be for aluminum siding, grave sites, etc. -- Bill Vermillion - UUCP: uunet!tarpit!bilver!bill : bill@bilver.UUCP
rfarris@rfengr.com (Rick Farris) (04/09/91)
In article <1991Apr7.164924.6137@bilver.uucp> bill@bilver.uucp (Bill Vermillion) writes: > Here in Florida it is against the law to user computer > calling unless the calling firm has business with the > called person. ... > On unsolicted calls, the caller must indentify by name and > orginization at the first of the call. ... > All who make unsolicted calls MUST abide by that list. Yeah, we've got the same law here in California, more or less. So what happens? The boiler rooms have moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. California law don't mean diddley over there. -- Rick Farris RF Engineering POB M Del Mar, CA 92014 voice (619) 259-6793 rfarris@rfengr.com ...!ucsd!serene!rfarris serenity bbs 259-7757
rcd@ico.isc.com (Dick Dunn) (04/10/91)
bill@bilver.uucp (Bill Vermillion) writes: > Well if enough people will voice their opinions perhaps your state can do > something. Lots of folks in Colorado voiced their opinions about junk calls. The bill never made it out of committee. Of course, Colorado has arguably one of the worst legislatures in the nation. > Here in Florida it is against the law to user computer calling unless the > calling firm has business with the called person... That's not bad IF the interpretation of "business with" is strict. > All who make unsolicted calls MUST abide by that list. Two exceptions. > One is charitable orginizations, the others are newspapers soliciting > subscriptions. (Guess who must have had a lobby at the capitol). That's a bad exception, 'cause some of the worst offenders we get here are the newspapers. They won't leave you alone for any reason--not even if you take the paper! The Colorado bill, for the brief moments it lasted, had exceptions like the one you mention for "business with callee" but it also extended to allowing calls to remind people that warranties were about to expire--which opens the door to all the extended-warranty scamming. Worse yet--and the reason I don't think you're likely to see no-junk-call bills get very popular: The CO bill had a provision exempting political calls (forget the exact wording, but it allowed phone campaigning and fund-raising). Think about it--this is one reason the bills have moved so slowly: politicians use phone solicitation. -- Dick Dunn rcd@ico.isc.com -or- ico!rcd Boulder, CO (303)449-2870 ...Lately it occurs to me what a long, strange trip it's been.
peter@taronga.hackercorp.com (Peter da Silva) (04/12/91)
Last time I got robocalled, the discussion went something like:
"Would you like blah blah blah insurance information blah blah
blah sent to you no fee no obligation blah blah blah...?"
"My penguin's legs are both the same"
"Do you own your own home?"
"Because it's a duck!"
"Thank you, could you give me your name?"
"Argent Wolfsong"
"What is a number blah blah can be reached?"
"If you yell real loud I'll probably hear you!"
"What is your address?"
"My duck would like some insurance too."
"Thank you"
Much more satisfying.
--
(peter@taronga.uucp.ferranti.com)
`-_-'
'U`dnb@meshugge.media.mit.edu (David N. Blank) (04/17/91)
> Last time I got robocalled, the discussion went something like:
Oh, the fun you can have. You were overly nice. One time while I was
still in college I picked up a handy textbook (it happened to be on
Asian Art) and read the machine lengthy paragraphs regarding various
Chinese dynasties and their paintings. I like to think I increased
some marketroid's knowledge on something he or she would probably
never get from on-the-job training. If you happen to have a machine
around which can do DSP, try dropping your voice a couple of octaves
and answering with something choice. Come to think of it, that might
be fun with live calls too...
Peace,
dNb
P.S. Of course I cited my source on Asian art!