Canada's National Do Not Call List is going live on September 30, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced on Wednesday (itBusiness.ca). If you're sick of giving lame excuses to telemarketers (as opposed to yelling at them or slamming down the receiver like they do in more enlightened countries), relief is coming.
Of course, for some businesses reliant on telemarketing that are just trying to stay solvent in a tough economy, this could be a bit of a kick in the teeth. Bell Canada has provided a video to educate everyone concerned on the new rules, so everyone's on the same page.
There are also some pretty big gaping exemptions to the new list, according to the CRTC: "Consumers may still receive calls from registered charities, political parties, and newspapers seeking subscriptions. Companies with whom a consumer has an existing business relationship will still be able to call, as well as those conducting surveys."
So... who exactly is going to stop interrupting my dinner? With that many exemptions, this may not cut the number of telemarketing calls all that much. Still, it is a step in the right direction.
Now, an enforceable no-spam list with heavy penalties would be even better...
Jonathon Narvey
Who are you?
I’m a Vancouver-based copywriter, journalist and blogger. I split most of my time between a daytime writing gig for a large tech firm in downtown Vancouver and my own freelance copywriting business. I pretty much spend all my time at work or at home making different combinations of words look pretty.
What’s your background?
Born...[more]
