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Proposed Bill Would Allow Robo Calls to Your Cell Phone

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Ah, technology, lobbying, and lawmaking. It’s a wicked brew. There’s currently a bill brewing in the US House of Representatives (H.R. 3035) that would allow companies to make robo calls to your cell phone.

The proponents of the bill say this is necessary because so many folks now use mobile phones as their only phone, and well, there might be important info that they need to reach you with. Backers of the bill include the US Chamber of Commerce, airline, banking, mortgage lenders, and debt collectors.

Yeah, I’m thinking the same thing too. Granted the communications experts are making a good case for this, but I’m sensing this could be the beginning of one of those slippery slopes.

Consumer groups and some states Attorneys General are fighting the bill. I would imagine the bills proponents might have had an easier fight had they put in provisions that would see customers on the receiving end not having to pay for those call or use their minutes. But then, that business model has kept the carriers in the green for some time.

And then there’s this. Does anyone every really stay on the line after receiving a robo call? Is the small percentage of folks who do hang on really enough to make this profitable? The latest trend we’ve seen on our landline at home is that company’s begin playing their messages right away and our answering machine only picks up the tail end of it. That’s all well and good as far as I’m concerned, but I have to wonder about the efficacy and efficiency of the entire business.

Thoughts?

Via MSNBC’s The Bottom Line

7 Comments

7 Comments

  1. Anonymous

    12/13/2011 at 10:02 am

    I agree that it seems like a waste of company money to make these calls.  I personally hang up right away.  But the marketing calls really prey on the elderly and gullible, who are more easily swayed into listening to the salesperson and buying whatever it is they are selling.
    The problem comes into this when a cell phone user doesn’t have unlimited minutes.  Then it becomes more than an annoyance.  I’ve made certain that I always have unlimited everything, rather than get hit with extra fees later.  I also block my number, and added my cell to the DNC list.  But I don’t think the onus should be on the consumer to take all of these steps to avoid dealing with annoying telemarketers.  If we want calls like that, set it up so we can “opt-in”, and not the other way around.

  2. Dr. Septimus Pretorius

    12/13/2011 at 8:12 pm

    I don’t answer calls from blocked numbers, “800 Service” or those I don’t recognize. They go straight to voice mail. This is true for my land line as well as my cell phone. If it’s important they may leave a message.

    All of our numbers are on the DNC registry, but as we get into the election year, expect to receive political robo calls as never before—they’re exempt.

    • Mariencole

      12/28/2011 at 8:57 pm

      I will not vote for any politician who robo calls my cell phone, legal or not.

  3. Eileenl10

    12/28/2011 at 4:30 pm

    We all need to contact the House of representative members an say NO to this bill.

  4. No Robo Calls

    12/28/2011 at 8:16 pm

    Crossing the line! This bottom-feeding attorney (Howard Waltzman) is sucking up lobbying money from the telemarketing unions. He’s pitching the idea that telemarketers should be able to call your cell phones now. Write old Howard and email ([email protected]) and members of congress that telemarketers should not be able to “robo call” your cell phones. That’s stepping over the line. Why don’t we call Howard? 202-263-3848

    • Mariencole

      12/28/2011 at 9:03 pm

      These representatives know darn good and well that we do NOT want such calls to our cell phones.  There must be good money being pocketed in representing telemarketers.  

  5. Realjewel

    12/29/2011 at 4:43 pm

    The only thing we can do is write to our Congressman.  I just did.  Have you?  It’s easy.  Go to
    https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml to find your Congressman and link to his email. 

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