Massachusetts-based Castel Inc. (http://www.castelhq.com/), a maker of automated dialing technology, has upped the ante in the privacy arms race by introducing their DirectQuest software for predictive dialers. They boast the software will ignore the "disconnected" tones emitted by the TeleZapper. According to Castel's marketing director, Walter Elicker, instead of relying upon audio tones, the software determines the status of the phone line directly by reading signals sent from the phone company's computers and completely ignores the tones put out by the TeleZapper.
In order to avoid triggering phone company privacy services that rely on the inability of the predictive dialer to transmit caller ID data, DirectQuest allows telemarketers to transmit a phone number or text message of their choice to caller ID displays. According to Castel chief executive Geoff Burr, DirectQuest can make sales calls less intrusive by providing the identity of the company on whose behalf the telemarketer is calling, thus giving people the option to refuse the call. "If you're an operator that calls on behalf of MasterCard, you're supposed to put out 'MasterCard' and a number that gets to MasterCard," he said. Am I the only person out there who thinks that will get abused in short order?
Lest you think that all hope of avoiding the dreaded telemarketers is slipping away, hang in there. Joe Consumer may again regain some control over his phone line(s) with the scheduled introduction of the Federal Trade Commission's national "Do Not Call" list. The FTC will begin accepting names and numbers this summer and expects it to become operational in the fall. According to the proposed rules, telemarketers who call listed numbers can receive fines up to $11,000 per violation. Be aware, however, that many telemarketing solicitations won't be restricted by the FTC's list. Calls for long-distance phone companies, banks, airlines, insurance companies, political campaigns and charities, among other solicitations, can be exempt.
In the meantime, while you're waiting for the first telemarketer to breach your telephone defenses with this new technology, prepare yourself to fight back with a freeware download of Enigma v1.2 for Windows from pcworld.com (http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,21981,00.asp). According to their write-up: "Tired of the phone ringing with yet another telemarketing pitch during dinner? Strike back at telemarketers with the Enigma Anti-Telemarketing guide. When you install and run Enigma, you'll be ready the next time the phone rings with just the right questions to drive telemarketers crazy--and hopefully away forever. Enigma knows just what you should say in every situation, including how to ask for a telemarketer's name, address, and understanding of the federal 'Do Not Call' laws of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act."
I've used this software for over three years now and can vouch for its effectiveness in preventing callbacks from many unwanted telemarketers. A Mac version is also available for download at http://www.rynosoft.com/enigma/index.html.
Now if only there was a better way to stop spam….
For more information, some humorous, on countering telemarketers:
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