“This is a short automated survey from Probit Inc.…”

[rekabis]

Apparently these people are spamming in direct contravention to the do not call list, which I am on (yes, they are doing research, but I don’t care -- I never asked for their survey). However, what is really juicy is that they have a very badly programmed survey bot. With most bots, if you push any one non-relevant button too many times, it will kill the process and end the call. This one doesn’t. It just re-starts the spiel from the very beginning.

I’m up past 30 minutes right now. And I am on a landline; there are no call limitations. Enjoy the long-distance bills, suckers.

[Captain Awesome]

Apparently these people are spamming in direct contravention to the do not call list, which I am on (yes, they are doing research, but I don’t care -- I never asked for their survey). However, what is really juicy is that they have a very badly programmed survey bot. With most bots, if you push any one non-relevant button too many times, it will kill the process and end the call. This one doesn’t. It just re-starts the spiel from the very beginning.

I’m up past 30 minutes right now. And I am on a landline; there are no call limitations. Enjoy the long-distance bills, suckers.

Uhm...if you want to end the call, why don't you just hang up?

[rekabis]

Uhm...if you want to end the call, why don't you just hang up?

Because it won’t. They’ll just keep on calling, and calling, and calling until you answer the damn survey, and then they’ll know that there was a mark at the other end so then they’ll start calling with different surveys. The only way to hurt them is to hit them were it counts -- in the pocketbook.

I’m up past an hour-thirty now. That’s gotta bite them somewhere… even with VoIP they have to pay for exit nodes, and virtually everyone is on a per-minute rate even if it is bulk. I’ve got the phone mounted in a small maker that I’ve programmed to lower its nozzle every one minute and fifty two seconds directly onto the zero button. More than enough to keep them on the line until I decide to stop.

[Lazarus]

Everyone's got to have a hobby, I guess...

[vinnied]

Okay, so what are the consequences for calling someone on the do not call list database?
surely there must be a fine of some sort no?

[rekabis]

Okay, so what are the consequences for calling someone on the do not call list database?
surely there must be a fine of some sort no?

While I was writing my initial post, I looked that up. Apparently research companies are exempt, for some really strange reason. So that is why I really don’t have recourse other than forcing them to rack up really big phone bills. The thinking is, if I cost them too much, they’ll take my number off of their database, especially since there is no way to do so from within their survey bot itself.

[fastfreddie]

If you go to their website, there is a provision to have your phone number removed from their calling list.