Sep 24, 2003 | Q
Oh, for the love of f!*@, can we really not do anything about telemarketers? Looks like all we’re left with is the advice Dave Barry gave us — calling the American Teleservices Association as often as possible at the toll-free (to you, but not to them!) number (877) 779-3974 — and giving telemarketers a piece of their own action.
Update: it appears that the ATA has changed its number! The new number is: (866) 500-4272. How funny, though, that they changed their number, something that the millions of people that their members annoy really don’t have the luxury of doing…
“We’re sorry, the number you have dialed has been disconnected…”
• Posted by: Dan on Sep 25, 2003, 11:10 AMHeh! It wasn’t when I called, and sure enough, there’s a new number. I should e-mail Dave Barry with it; in the mean time, I’ll update the post itself.
• Posted by: Jason on Sep 25, 2003, 11:21 AMRemember, there is no way to block the receiver of a toll-free call from getting the calling phone number (they *are* paying for it, after all). So, rather than dial from one’s home number, it might be worthwhile using a pay phone to provide greater anonymity.
The fact that the receiver of a toll-free call has to pay about 24 cents to the owner of the pay phone is completely incidental to this recommendation.
• Posted by: David Singer on Sep 26, 2003, 12:23 AMI’ve been trying to call the new # and all I get is a busy signal.
• Posted by: Mike on Sep 26, 2003, 9:23 AMJason Levine is mad about the end-around the American Teleservices Association did this week by filing suit to stop the “Do Not Call” list, set to begin October 1. He passed on Dave Barry’s advice: call the ATA and…
• Pinged by Life Outtacontext on Sep 27, 2003, 3:11 PMDave got’em again: 317-816-9336.
• Posted by: Graham on Oct 5, 2003, 4:58 PM