Have you noticed that you're receiving more call from US-based telemarketers since adding your number to Canada's do-not-call registry?
Well it turns out Canada's highly touted do-not-call list is having the opposite effect, leading to more telemarketer calls, says the Bruce Cran of the Consumers' Association of Canada.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) launched the registry in September to great fanfare, promising that those who registered would see a drop in unwanted calls soliciting goods and service. Millions of Canadians registered their names, home phone numbers and in some cases their cellphone numbers.
So what's the problem? Penalties for misuse of the registry run as high as $15,000 for a corporation or $1,500 for an individual... but it's difficult to fine fraudsters who are based overseas or those in Canada running fly-by-night businesses.
According to Cran, the CRTC sells the registry list online - "In Toronto, you can get 600,000 names for $50."
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is an independent public organization that regulates and supervises the... [more]
Rob Lewis
Rob is the President of Techvibes Media Inc. and Editor-in-Chief of Techvibes.com.
His diverse background includes stints in International Trade Finance, Web Development, and Enterprise Software and he is a graduate of the University of British Columbia, British Columbia Institute of Technology, and Simon Fraser University.
When not blogging on...[more]
