Consumer Collective Action Helps People Learn More About Telemarkketers
Evangeline Bruce
August 29, 2008
If you are on the Do Not Call list, have done things to protect your phone numbers, and the telemarketers are still calling, you can be a little more than frustrated. These calls can even be coming from other people, trying to act is if they are telemarketers. They may be wanting to scam you out of large sums of money. When you feel that there is nothing more you can do, and the phone company seems to be at a loss, take matters into your own hands through consumer collection action groups.
These groups can be found online, and work in a very simple way. People go there with a number that has been giving them problems to search to see if someone else has reported the same number. If so, they can learn more about that number, and then add their own comment about what they went through, or are going through, with that number. If the number is not found, they can start a new entry with their experience.
You may think this is a good way of venting, but that it does not do much else. In that thought, you are wrong. There are a few things that can happen when you do this. If you are reporting a legitimate telemarketing firm, they can be humiliated enough by the bad reports to change the way they do business. If someone else has hired them to sell their goods, they may decide to go with a different firm that will behave. Both can be powerful outcomes.
Also, venting can help someone out when you have run into trouble. If you have never gotten a call that involves a scam, you are one of the lucky few. Even exceptionally smart people can be duped at times with these scams. What can happen, hopefully, is that someone would look for the number before they fall for anything. If they see the number, along with your story and warning, they may not fall for it like you did. Imagine how good that would make you feel.
When you go to such a site to file a telemarketing complaint, give as much detail as you can. Don´t waste your time listing your number and then asking them to quit calling, as that will pay that no mind. However, you should be as detailed as possible about your experience with the number, and how often they call you. That can be more effective than you think.
These groups can be found online, and work in a very simple way. People go there with a number that has been giving them problems to search to see if someone else has reported the same number. If so, they can learn more about that number, and then add their own comment about what they went through, or are going through, with that number. If the number is not found, they can start a new entry with their experience.
You may think this is a good way of venting, but that it does not do much else. In that thought, you are wrong. There are a few things that can happen when you do this. If you are reporting a legitimate telemarketing firm, they can be humiliated enough by the bad reports to change the way they do business. If someone else has hired them to sell their goods, they may decide to go with a different firm that will behave. Both can be powerful outcomes.
Also, venting can help someone out when you have run into trouble. If you have never gotten a call that involves a scam, you are one of the lucky few. Even exceptionally smart people can be duped at times with these scams. What can happen, hopefully, is that someone would look for the number before they fall for anything. If they see the number, along with your story and warning, they may not fall for it like you did. Imagine how good that would make you feel.
When you go to such a site to file a telemarketing complaint, give as much detail as you can. Don´t waste your time listing your number and then asking them to quit calling, as that will pay that no mind. However, you should be as detailed as possible about your experience with the number, and how often they call you. That can be more effective than you think.
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