Telemarkers Targeting Mobiles

[Ky_88]

I heard on the radio this morning that I think they said as of next month that telemarketing companies are going to have access to everyones mobile phone number, therefore no escape!

Now the interesting part about it is that apparently you will be charged and potentially signed up to sites like Jamster etc which will take money off you on a regular basis - if you keep rejecting these calls that is.

So, the Government of all people have created a site called http://www.donotcall.gov.au/ and you can register your mobile number so you won't receive or be charged for telemarket calls.

I have already registered my numbers as I sure as hell wouldn't want an indian every week trying to sell something and me getting charged for that call. What about you? Thoughts?

(Apologies if someone has beaten me to the punch on this!)

[02-KQ-LASR]

i allways get calls from idia or somewhere trying to get my to change my phone plan on my mobile.... its so annoying, firstly i cant understand them properly and secondly they dnoe let you talk, they just carry on.... i normally just hang up on em! lol

[Cosmo Dude]

Telemarketers have had access to your phone number for a long time, they choose to use your home phone because in Australia its cheaper for them.
This is an old one, in the US and some other countries area code prefixes for mobiles are indistinguishable from home phones so if you choose to have a mobile the mobile account holder pays the difference between the land line and mobile call rates. In Australia though all mobies have a prefix of '4' (the '0' is a toll prefix) so the caller pays the additional charge. If a telemarketer calls you and you hang up there is no charge to you, by law they must give you an option to accept an offer or additional charges. If you are concerned then your mobile service provider can have these premium services barred from your phone and there is no way that you can be co-opted to any 'Jamster' like services. Any complaint to the TIO will only have you directed to your mobile service provider and any complaint to the ACCC will only have you directed to the TIO.

BTW having a premium service barring on your phone also means that you won't be able to dial 190x numbers so no voting on Idol or Big Bother. LOL

I've worked in telecommunications way too long :p

[Batty]

Thanks for the heads up guys

[derb]

thanks cosmo dude, i'm going to bar all premium services now!

[Rix]

I've been getting these calls for years its fricken annoying specially when its at insane hours of the day. I've had them call me at like 2am before

[Ky_88]

Rix, that's because 2am to us is like 1pm for them lol. Damn Indians...

Cosmo, thanks for the info. Just what they were saying I thought was quite intriguing and should spread the word in case they are correct. Whether they are allowed to do it or not, I wouldn't put it passed them starting to charge the owner of the mobile number.

The reason it came up on the radio is because the Police went to a local public school in Newcastle and gave all the children the heads up in regards to this. Obviously they are concerned due to the growing amount of children that are allowed to get mobile phones nowadays!

[Batty]

didn't Telstra get a $100000 fine for calling people on the dont call me list

[Ky_88]

Didn't hear of that but I wouldn't put it past them. I hope the person they called got a cut of that fine haha :)