Do Not Call Registry: an example of government certainly not sucking

[Doppel]

Any adult here remembers years ago when we were being audible violated on a very regular basis with phone calls from a crap-ton of telemarketers. It was completely ridiculous.

Then this came along: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Do_Not_Call_Registry

And you know what, it damn well worked and very well.

I can only assume some people hate this for some reason, but I know for me it worked very well and [wiki]

According to the 2009 Economic Report of the President, prepared by the Council of Economic Advisors,
The program has proved quite popular: as of 2007, according to one survey, 72 percent of Americans had registered on the list, and 77 percent of those say that it made a large difference in the number of telemarketing calls that they receive (another 14 percent report a small reduction in calls). Another survey, conducted less than a year after the Do Not Call list was implemented, found that people who registered for the list saw a reduction in telemarketing calls from an average of 30 calls per month to an average of 6 per month.[16]

 

[rstove02]

Now if only it worked for political groups/individuals.

 

[UglyCasanova]

I put my cell phone on there about a year ago and I am still getting calls about once a day trying to sell me either a cruise or a home security system. For me it didn't work.

 

[Double Trouble]

I'm a big fan of the do not call registry, it made a big difference for me.

Just shows that government doesn't always fail, just usually.

 

[Brainonska511]

I put my cell phone on there about a year ago and I am still getting calls about once a day trying to sell me either a cruise or a home security system. For me it didn't work.

Those are probably scams. I get 'lower your interest' ones about once a week, always from a different number. They hang up as soon as you ask them to not call again (no acknowledgement). Even their automated removal menu doesn't really work, as I'll get a call from a different number next time.

 

[Exterous]

Those are probably scams. I get 'lower your interest' ones about once a week, always from a different number. They hang up as soon as you ask them to not call again (no acknowledgement). Even their automated removal menu doesn't really work, as I'll get a call from a different number next time.

Now if I could just get them to stop mailing me credit card/home mortgage/cruise/personal loan etc letters. of course then the USPS would really be in trouble

 

[rstove02]

Now if I could just get them to stop mailing me credit card/home mortgage/cruise/personal loan etc letters. of course then the USPS would really be in trouble

Actually there is a option to sign up for a temporary (couple years) opt out online or a permament (via mail in confimation) for insurance/credit card offers. Do not have the URL handy, but Google should reveal it. Resulted in dramatic reduction of those portions of junk mail. Does not have any affect on the local cupon flyers though.

Edit: Found it
https://www.optoutprescreen.com

 

[Exterous]

Actually there is a option to sign up for a temporary (couple years) opt out online or a permament (via mail in confimation) for insurance/credit card offers. Do not have the URL handy, but Google should reveal it. Resulted in dramatic reduction of those portions of junk mail. Does not have any affect on the local cupon flyers though.

Edit: Found it
https://www.optoutprescreen.com

:wub:

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

This is just more regulation that hurts business.

 

[Atreus21]

Any adult here remembers years ago when we were being audible violated on a very regular basis with phone calls from a crap-ton of telemarketers. It was completely ridiculous.

Then this came along: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Do_Not_Call_Registry

And you know what, it damn well worked and very well.

I can only assume some people hate this for some reason, but I know for me it worked very well and [wiki]

Another example of a government enterprise with which I'm pleased is National Parks. They do a good job. Whether or not they do it cheaply I can't say, but they maintain beautiful parks.

 

[MooseNSquirrel]

Now if I could just get them to stop mailing me credit card/home mortgage/cruise/personal loan etc letters. of course then the USPS would really be in trouble

Well if they had the power to raise prices, they probably wouldnt

 

[Thump553]

Now if only it worked for political groups/individuals.

Are excluded from this anti-harassment by law, to protect their free speech rights. Otherwise it would be for sure declared unconsitutional.

Has worked OK for me, unfortunately business lines are excluded. It's a rare day that I don't get called by at least two-three robocall spammers.

 

[werepossum]

Another example of a government enterprise with which I'm pleased is National Parks. They do a good job. Whether or not they do it cheaply I can't say, but they maintain beautiful parks.

This is true, both the National Park system and the Do Not Call registry are great.

 

[rstove02]

Are excluded from this anti-harassment by law, to protect their free speech rights. Otherwise it would be for sure declared unconsitutional.

Still, just does not seem right that political groups calling me up on my home line for donations at all times of the day to be considered protected free speech.

Now I do not mind them asking in a public area, but intruding into my house is a whole other deal.

 

[MovingTarget]

Shhhh! Government is the problem, not the solution! They were the ones calling you during dinner every night to get you to take MCI up on their long distance offer!

/tinfoil

Yeah, the Do Not Call registry has been a godsend. It isn't perfect though. They should do more to crack down on robocallers that tend to ignore the law.

 

[MovingTarget]

Another example of a government enterprise with which I'm pleased is National Parks. They do a good job. Whether or not they do it cheaply I can't say, but they maintain beautiful parks.

Agreed. The parks are awesome. (even non-federal ones) :thumbsup:

 

[Gunslinger08]

This is just more regulation that hurts business.

I assume you're being sarcastic, but if you actually think about it, I'm sure it does hurt business. You may have never bought anything from a telemarketer cold call, but I'm sure some small percentage of people who are currently on the do not call list have/would buy from a cold call. So realistically, the do not call list probably has caused some telemarketers to lose their jobs.

That said, I don't care. I've never received a telemarketing call since the list went up and that's the way I like it.

 

[PokerGuy]

For every one thing they get right, they screw up 10 others... The DNC registry might have been that one.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

I assume you're being sarcastic, but if you actually think about it, I'm sure it does hurt business. You may have never bought anything from a telemarketer cold call, but I'm sure some small percentage of people who are currently on the do not call list have/would buy from a cold call. So realistically, the do not call list probably has caused some telemarketers to lose their jobs.

That said, I don't care. I've never received a telemarketing call since the list went up and that's the way I like it.

I was being 100% serious. You're exactly right in your analysis. My point was judging a regulation strictly because it hurts business isn't a fair or complete assessment.

 

[DucatiMonster696]

I don't find it surprising that big government is able to accomplish what a small government could easily do in their own right or what the private sector could of been allowed to do or at worse mandated to establish to do on their own.

Edit: This thread reminds me of the Chris Rock bit about people (government) doing what it is supposed to do and then claiming it as some sort of stellar accomplishment.

This thread - "Government takes carez of basics rolez in society and can accomplish small taskz!"
Chris Rock - "It's supposed to you dumb motherfucker!"

 

[Phokus]

This is true, both the National Park system and the Do Not Call registry are great.

I hear the internet is also great. So is clean air. And clean water. And fuel efficient cars. And the National Highway system. And public research that helps private companies develop drugs. And all the technology that made it's way into the marketplace thanks to research by Nasa. And i'm sure there are a zillion other things we can thank government for.

 

[DucatiMonster696]

I hear the internet is also great. So is clean air. And clean water. And fuel efficient cars. And the National Highway system. And public research that helps private companies develop drugs. And all the technology that made it's way into the marketplace thanks to research by Nasa. And i'm sure there are a zillion other things we can thank government for.

Awesome and of course you do realize at some point government has to and in some cases must step away in order to ensure that it does not smother the private sector or individuals with its good intentions and eventually create unintended consequences? That when government acts it usually does so with a double side blade that cuts both ways legislatively?

Or is that you believe that it is okay for government to continue acting long after the actual need has passed and it is to only act so as to sate the political wishes of those in society? How many times have you railed against corporate welfare, military spending, government aid to religious institutions, etc.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Awesome and of course you do realize at some point government has to and in some cases must step away in order to ensure that it does not smother the private sector or individuals with its good intentions and eventually create unintended consequences? That when government acts it usually does so with a double side blade that cuts both ways legislatively?

Or is that you believe that it is okay for government to continue acting long after the actual need has passed and it is to only act so as to sate the political wishes of those in society? How many times have you railed against corporate welfare, military spending, government aid to religious institutions, etc.

Obviously that is the balance so many of us are looking for. Do we need to regulate every little thing the financial sector does? Not at all, but there needs to be checks and balances just like there is with our government. The 08 crash could have been avoided with a only a little more regulation.

 

[DucatiMonster696]

Obviously that is the balance so many of us are looking for. Do we need to regulate every little thing the financial sector does? Not at all, but there needs to be checks and balances just like there is with our government. The 08 crash could have been avoided with a only a little more regulation.

The 08 crash was a reality check of a housing bubble that had formed over decades post-WW 2 and which was maintained via government policies that benefited those in private sector heavily invested in maintaining this bubble. Some would argue though that the housing market has yet to reach bottom partly due to government action that attempts to salvage certain private sector institutions and its own debt ridden, inflationary spending bubble of which help sustain what is left of the artificial housing bubble and its inflated prices for homes in some areas of the nation.

 

[Doppel]

I don't find it surprising that big government is able to accomplish what a small government could easily do in their own right or what the private sector could of been allowed to do or at worse mandated to establish to do on their own.

And yet private industry had done very little about it. Until the registry came along you had to personally sign up for services and/or hardware in a reactive manner to try and get around this.