DCR and annoying calls

[F Murtz]

Two questions,
why can they call when I am on the do not call register?
And what are they on about?
The call in a foreign accent, are you mr ..... , yes I am,then something
like, we are home energy assessors and we are assigned by the dept of
energy, and then I hung up.I probably should have stayed and found what
further stuff they came up with.

 

[Epsilon]

F Murtz wrote:

Two questions,
why can they call when I am on the do not call register?
And what are they on about?
The call in a foreign accent, are you mr ..... , yes I am,then
something like, we are home energy assessors and we are assigned by
the dept of energy, and then I hung up.I probably should have stayed
and found what further stuff they came up with.

I have the same problem, and deal with it with an answering machine for
monitoring purposes. These unwanted callers invariably hang up as soon as
they realise they have contacted an answering machine.

 

In aus.electronics Epsilon <not@this.address.com> wrote:
[...]

I have the same problem, and deal with it with an answering machine for
monitoring purposes. These unwanted callers invariably hang up as soon as
they realise they have contacted an answering machine.

It's relaively easy to hack a cellphone (e.g. I have one based on
an embedded linux arm-based platform) to provide a screening service.
Based on date/time-of-day, whether the caller has ID blocked (if not,
their area code and number), and how many rings they're prepared to
wait, you can make a reasonable guess who's trying to sell you a power
contract or get you to sell your property.

--
R Kym Horsell <kym@kymhorsell.com>

If your ideas are any good you'll have to ram them down people's throats.
-- Howard Aiken

 

[Peter Jason]

"Epsilon" <not@this.address.com> wrote in message
news:ia8adn$sgq$1@news.albasani.net...

F Murtz wrote:
Two questions,
why can they call when I am on the do not call register?
And what are they on about?
The call in a foreign accent, are you mr ..... , yes I
am,then
something like, we are home energy assessors and we are
assigned by
the dept of energy, and then I hung up.I probably should
have stayed
and found what further stuff they came up with.

I have the same problem, and deal with it with an
answering machine for monitoring purposes. These unwanted
callers invariably hang up as soon as they realise they
have contacted an answering machine.

Me too. I always let the machine answer the phone. It
works also with tedious relatives who ring at dinnertime or
after 9pm.

Works great!

 

[Peter Jason]

<kym@kymhorsell.com> wrote in message
news:4cc7adf3$0$3032$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...

In aus.electronics Epsilon <not@this.address.com> wrote:
[...]
I have the same problem, and deal with it with an
answering machine for
monitoring purposes. These unwanted callers invariably
hang up as soon as
they realise they have contacted an answering machine.

It's relaively easy to hack a cellphone (e.g. I have one
based on
an embedded linux arm-based platform) to provide a
screening service.
Based on date/time-of-day, whether the caller has ID
blocked (if not,
their area code and number), and how many rings they're
prepared to
wait, you can make a reasonable guess who's trying to sell
you a power
contract or get you to sell your property.

--
R Kym Horsell <kym@kymhorsell.com

If your ideas are any good you'll have to ram them down
people's throats.
-- Howard Aiken

The size of those pestiferous mobile telephony gadgets
remind one of suppositories, and so immediately suggests a
solution to put them out of sight and sound.

 

In aus.electronics Peter Jason <pj@jostle.com> wrote:
[...]

The size of those pestiferous mobile telephony gadgets
remind one of suppositories, and so immediately suggests a
solution to put them out of sight and sound.
[...]

With the case removed and some as-near-as-I-could-get headers
installed my hacked thing is around 5cm x 7cm.

You first...

--
R Kym Horsell <kym@kymhorsell.com>

If your ideas are any good you'll have to ram them down people's throats.
-- Howard Aiken

 

[Ross Herbert]

On Wed, 27 Oct 2010 13:17:15 +1000, F Murtz <haggisz@hotmail.com> wrote:

:Two questions,
:why can they call when I am on the do not call register?
:And what are they on about?
:The call in a foreign accent, are you mr ..... , yes I am,then something
:like, we are home energy assessors and we are assigned by the dept of
:energy, and then I hung up.I probably should have stayed and found what
:further stuff they came up with.


Have you checked to see that you are still on the DNCR? I seem to remember that
a month or so ago everyone had to renew there listing on the DNCr because the
original application had expired. I renewed mine and haven't had any unwarranted
calls - yet.

 

[John Tserkezis]

F Murtz wrote:

Two questions,
why can they call when I am on the do not call register?

I've said the DNC register was a farce from the beginning:

The DNC register applies only to callers within Australia, so, if
they're calling from a call centre overseas, the DNC register does not
apply.

There are also convenient exemptions thusly:
* charities or charitable institutions
* educational institutions
* religious organisations
* government bodies
* registered political parties
* independent members of parliament
* political candidates.

So that pretty much means you're not going to see ANY end to these calls.

And what are they on about?

They want something. Usually money, either directly, or indirectly.

The call in a foreign accent, are you mr ..... , yes I am,then something
like, we are home energy assessors and we are assigned by the dept of
energy, and then I hung up.I probably should have stayed and found what
further stuff they came up with.

That sounds like it would be within the grasp of the DNC register, so
if you're still getting that class of call, remember that your DNC
registration only lasts three years, so if you subscribed when it first
started, it would have expired about a year ago or so, and you'll have
to subscribe again.

Yep, I *did* say it was a farce.
--
Inertia makes the world go round.

 

[David Segall]

John Tserkezis <jt@techniciansyndrome.org.invalid> wrote:

F Murtz wrote:

Two questions,
why can they call when I am on the do not call register?

I've said the DNC register was a farce from the beginning:

The DNC register applies only to callers within Australia, so, if
they're calling from a call centre overseas, the DNC register does not
apply.

I don't think that is true. "Any business that either calls or faxes a
listed number, or arranges for calls or faxes to be made or sent on
its behalf, may be in breach of the legislation and could face
penalties" <https://www.donotcall.gov.au/>.

There are also convenient exemptions thusly:
* charities or charitable institutions
* educational institutions
* religious organisations
* government bodies
* registered political parties
* independent members of parliament
* political candidates.

You have omitted the worst offenders. "Opinion polling" is exempt so a
telemarketer can ask you about your present telephone service provider
and if you know about the fabulous bargains offered by their
competitors.

 

[F Murtz]

John Tserkezis wrote:

F Murtz wrote:

Two questions,
why can they call when I am on the do not call register?

I've said the DNC register was a farce from the beginning:

The DNC register applies only to callers within Australia, so, if
they're calling from a call centre overseas, the DNC register does not
apply.

There are also convenient exemptions thusly:
* charities or charitable institutions
* educational institutions
* religious organisations
* government bodies
* registered political parties
* independent members of parliament
* political candidates.

So that pretty much means you're not going to see ANY end to these calls.

And what are they on about?

They want something. Usually money, either directly, or indirectly.

The call in a foreign accent, are you mr ..... , yes I am,then something
like, we are home energy assessors and we are assigned by the dept of
energy, and then I hung up.I probably should have stayed and found what
further stuff they came up with.

That sounds like it would be within the grasp of the DNC register, so
if you're still getting that class of call, remember that your DNC
registration only lasts three years, so if you subscribed when it first
started, it would have expired about a year ago or so, and you'll have
to subscribe again.

Yep, I *did* say it was a farce.

I did renew it recently.

 

[John Tserkezis]

David Segall wrote:

The DNC register applies only to callers within Australia, so, if
they're calling from a call centre overseas, the DNC register does not
apply.

I don't think that is true. "Any business that either calls or faxes a
listed number, or arranges for calls or faxes to be made or sent on
its behalf, may be in breach of the legislation and could face
penalties" <https://www.donotcall.gov.au/>.

Ah, "could" face penalties. The catch all for when they don't really
want to do anything about it. Let's face it, callers from other
countries are outside the jurisdiction of the DNC register. These
callers may not be breaking the law in THEIR OWN COUNTRIES (or may be,
either way who cares), which is the important thing, because outside
this country the DNC register can't charge anyone OUTSIDE the country.
Not for marking callers anyway.

You have omitted the worst offenders. "Opinion polling" is exempt so a
telemarketer can ask you about your present telephone service provider
and if you know about the fabulous bargains offered by their
competitors.

Yes, of course. There are more "exemptions" further down the page I
left out. (saw them right after posting).
--
Whoever has the most when he dies... WINS!

 

[John Tserkezis]

F Murtz wrote:

That sounds like it would be within the grasp of the DNC register, so
if you're still getting that class of call, remember that your DNC
registration only lasts three years, so if you subscribed when it first
started, it would have expired about a year ago or so, and you'll have
to subscribe again.

I did renew it recently.

Ah, perhaps you should have stayed on for longer. In your your
original message, you said they were from the "dept of energy". Who
doesn't actually exist here, but I'm guessing it's lost a bit when you
paraphrased.

Next time take notes, and name names. Usenet is great for that.

I normally abuse them.
Sometimes they call back and say I can't do that. So I give them more.

I had an old boss who was a master at dealing with them.
He could get THEM to abuse US (via speakerphone) without uttering any
swear or insult.
Great for laughs.
--
If you meet Ken Thompson on the road, kill him.

 

[Peter Jason]

"John Tserkezis" <jt@techniciansyndrome.org.invalid> wrote
in message
news:4cca2336$0$24510$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...

F Murtz wrote:

That sounds like it would be within the grasp of the
DNC register, so
if you're still getting that class of call, remember
that your DNC
registration only lasts three years, so if you
subscribed when it first
started, it would have expired about a year ago or so,
and you'll have
to subscribe again.

I did renew it recently.

Ah, perhaps you should have stayed on for longer. In your
your
original message, you said they were from the "dept of
energy". Who
doesn't actually exist here, but I'm guessing it's lost a
bit when you
paraphrased.

Next time take notes, and name names. Usenet is great for
that.

I normally abuse them.

That's great; but a really pissed off caller can ring
Telstra and cancel your phone line.

Be sure yours is protected by passwords. Check it now.

 

[Metro]

"F Murtz" <haggisz@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:4cc78bcc$1@dnews.tpgi.com.au...

Two questions,
why can they call when I am on the do not call register?
And what are they on about?
The call in a foreign accent, are you mr ..... , yes I am,then something
like, we are home energy assessors and we are assigned by the dept of
energy, and then I hung up.I probably should have stayed and found what
further stuff they came up with.

And then there are the calls that come in every night at about the same time
with 'Private Caller' on the screen. No one answers and it just rings
out..................

 

[Barry]

On Wed, 27 Oct 2010 13:17:15 +1000, F Murtz <haggisz@hotmail.com>
wrote:

Two questions,
why can they call when I am on the do not call register?

the dnc does not prevent anyone calling.

And what are they on about?
The call in a foreign accent, are you mr ..... , yes I am,then something
like, we are home energy assessors and we are assigned by the dept of
energy, and then I hung up.I probably should have stayed and found what
further stuff they came up with.