• FreeAdvice has a new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, effective May 25, 2018.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our Terms of Service and use of cookies.

National Do Not Call Registry

Accident - Bankruptcy - Criminal Law / DUI - Business - Consumer - Employment - Family - Immigration - Real Estate - Tax - Traffic - Wills   Please click a topic or scroll down for more.

gobonas99

Member
What is the name of your state? NY, but pertains to any state. :)

Okay - I am not sure where to post this, so I am posting here.

I have my own business selling Princess House. For those of you that are unfamiliar, Princess House is a direct selling company, whose consultants conduct home parties. There are thousands of consultants, nationwide.

From time to time, some consulants conduct "cold-calling" - where we basically sit down with a phone book and call 15 or 20 numbers (or more) in an attempt to get bookings for parties. I, myself, have never done this, but I know others who have.

With the new national "do-not-call" registry, will we be able to continue this practice of "cold-calling"? What about calls to guests who were invited to a party but didn't come and didn't order (ie no direct business relationship)?

I tried running a google seach, but the only info I could find from a business's perspective seemed to be aimed at LARGE companies. Would our little one-person businesses be exempt from the registry?

What if we formed our calls into surveys? IE - "Hi! My name is Jane Smith with Princess House! Are you familiar with Princess House? Would you be interested in earning FREE merchandise?" or something along those lines?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated! :) Thanks!

-Christina
 


I AM ALWAYS LIABLE

Senior Member
My response:

The days of "cold calling" are almost over.

If you fail to check the "registry" before you call anyone, whether you're a big or small business, you're in for some heavy-duty fines for each call you make to a number that's on the registry.

We're all really very tired of businesses, like you, who disturb us. What you people don't seem to want to understand, or care about, is that if we want a product or service, we'll do the asking and we'll do the locating.

Additionally, businesses like yours think that your product or service is the best thing since sliced bread, and that it's the most important thing in our lives, and we'd "love you" if you could tell us all about it. Well, I've got news for you - - it's not to us, and we don't want our dinner disturbed, or our alone time with our spouses sitting in front of a fireplace with our glasses of wine and some cheese.

I didn't pay for my telephone and service for you to use it!

I've got my airhorn next to my telephone. C'mon, give me a call!

Stop calling us, goddammit!

IAAL
 
Last edited:

JETX

Senior Member
The national 'Do Not Call' list only applies to interstate calls. So, if you are just calling in your community and not across state lines, it shouldn't affect you at all. And DO NOT CALL me!!!

Further the National Do Not Call registry allows businesses that have an established business relationship to continue contacting for up to 18 months after last purchase or delivery from it, or last payment to it, unless the company is asked not to call again.
 

gobonas99

Member
IAAL -

While I have great respect for your legal responses, I take offense to the blanket generalization you made in your post about "businesses like yours".

You don't know me, and you don't know how I conduct my business. Not every consultant is an "oh-my-gosh-our-products-are-so-wonderful-you-can't-live-without-them" crazy person - although there ARE some like that out there.

"What you people don't seem to want to understand, or care about..." Yes, there ARE consultants like that out there - but *I* am not one of "those people". *I* only call 3 types of people, all of whom are on my contact list - people I know personally who I think might like to have a party or be interested is starting their own business, people who have attended parties and have expressed an interest in being contacted in the future (either about new products, having a party, or starting their own business), and referrals (people who numbers I receive from their friends because they either know they like the products or think they would like to have a party/have extra income).

As I mentioned in my original post, I have NEVER cold-called anyone out of a phone book. However, I know consultants that DO cold call, and an article in our Sunday paper about the National Do Not Call Registry raised my curiosity about how it would effect home-party plan consultants, and thus prompted my search for information.

JETX -

Thank you so much for your response! I knew about the established relationship exemption. There is also a "survey-taking" exemption - so would my idea about phrasing it as a survey (and only continuing converations with people who express interest) be okay?

If the National DNC is only interstate (which while it does not effect me, it could effect consultants in towns near state borders), what about state DNC registries (I know NY has one, as do others)?

Further, when we call people, we are not usually SELLING anything - we are merely attempting to book parties. So would the fact that we're not SELLING exempt us?

Thanks! :) And don't worry - as I mentioned to IAAL above, I won't be calling you, since you are not on my contact list! ;)

-Christina
 
Last edited:

Find the Right Lawyer for Your Legal Issue!

Fast, Free, and Confidential
data-ad-format="auto">
Top