9/9     I was woken up today (Saturday) at 9 am by a telemarketer.  Is
        there some way to avoid this (aside from unplugging my phone and
        missing calls from friends worth being woken up for)?  For example,
        there could be a law passed where telemarketers have to
        electronically identify themselves as such.  Then, the residential
        phone customer (me) could choose when they want to receive/block
        calls from telemarketers with the touch of a button.  How would one
        go about trying to get a law like this passed?  -tired & pissed
        \_ telemarketers have caller ID blocks which makes it impoossible
           to tell what their number is or *69 them.  You can pay PacHell
           $2/mo to block all *69/CallerID blocked (yes, the double negative)
           numbers or pay PacHell $6/mo for caller ID and the above service
           is free.  The only problem is that if you have friends who work
           in SVC their companies probably also have callerID blocks. That
           can be remedied by using *82 to disable it temporarily.
           can be remedied by using *82 to disable it temporarily. When
           you do get called by a telemarketer, try to give them the run
           around.  Make them pay for their crimes or just start cussing
           at them. If you really want to look up laws try
           http://thomas.loc.gov
           \_ My experience is that telemarketers call from areas that
              don't have caller id, and whenever I get a call and my
              caller id unit tells me this, I don't even bother answering.
              There is a difference between calling from an area without
                        going to stop AT&T from calling me.  Besides, it's
                        not that I mind them calling.  I just mind them
                        calling when I'm sleeping on a Saturday morning at
                        9 am.
              caller id and calling from a phone that has it blocked.
        \_ All you need to say is, "Can I please be taken off this list?"
nnnnn   \_ All you need to say is, "Can I please be taken off this list?"
           Ta-da.  After a number of months of this, your tele-marketing
           calls drop *dramatically*.
                \_ I don't see how telling Discover card not to call me is
                going to stop AT&T or the "Rescue Mission" from
                           to help and I get this crap.  Thanks buddy.
                calling me.  Besides, it's not that I mind them
                calling.  I just mind them calling when I'm sleeping
                on a Saturday morning at 9 am.
                                \_ Most telemarketing is outsourced to a
                                   small number of companies - if you tell
                                   them not to call, they're supposed to
                                   remove you from all lists, not just the
                                   client they're calling you for.
                        \_ Whoops.  I should have read your original
                           question more carefully and realized you had
                           greater problems than 9 a.m. phone calls.  I try
                           to help and I get this.  Thanks buddy.
                                \_ Relax.  Don't take it personally!  I was
                                        just being more specific about the
                                        problem.  But thanks for your help.
                                        \_ Anyways, they're supposed to
                                           only call from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.,
                                           which includes weekends.  It's
                                           bad manners, but it's legal.
           \_ Yes, the polite approach is best. I hear that if you piss
              off a telemarketer, they'll put your name on more lists.
                \- i just say "please mail me the infiormation so i can
                review it" --psb
        \_ I was called by providian credit card, and i said i wasn't really
           interested, and she kept insisting i give the last 4 digits of
           my SSN to check to see how much credit I would have, so i thought
           it couldn't hurt, and within seconds she started saying
           "your credit card will be arriving in two to three weeks", and
           I kept repeating "No!! no!! I dont want a cred-" "Thank you
           and have a good day" and she hung up. I got my unwanted CC
           last week with a $59 intial charge tacked on. I called up and
           told them the whole story, they appologized, cancled the card
           but it took me half an hour, waiting and getting transfered.
                \_ Saying anything _but_ "No, please take me off this list"
                   is always a bad idea.  If at any point you say the word
                   "Yes" in response to any question, they've got you.
                   "Are you having a good day?"  "Yes."  Pow!
        \_ "What is your company?  Please add me to your no call list.
            Never call me again.  Thank you".  Do this, and the number of
            telemarketing calls swiftly goes to 0.  If any company calls
            you a second time, sue them in small claims court for $500.