Since a blog post about Canada's Do-Not-Call registry was Techvibes most popular in 2008, I couldn't resist writing about the results of a national Voice of the People survey released today by the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA).
According to their research, eight-in-ten Canadians (80%) who have registered a telephone number with Canada's National Do Not Call List (DNCL) say they now receive fewer telemarketing calls. The survey is apparently the first to track the effectiveness of Canada's no-call list since its launch on September 30, 2008, was designed to give Canadians an opportunity to rate the registry's effectiveness at blocking unwanted telemarketer calls.
"The survey shows clearly that Canada's National Do Not Call List is benefiting the great majority of registrants by stemming unwanted telemarketing calls," says VoxPop spokesperson Brendan Wycks, Executive Director of MRIA. "Nationally, 50 per cent of those who have registered report they now receive noticeably fewer or far fewer telemarketing calls; 20 per cent say they now receive slightly fewer telemarketing calls; and 10 per cent report receiving no telemarketing calls at all since signing on to the no-call list."
The not-so-good news on the National DNCL's performance is that 13% of registrants report that they are now receiving MORE telemarketing calls than before they registered a telephone number.
Wycks confirmed that some National DNCL registrants are now receiving more calls than before registering but blamed it on the recession and an upswing in telemarketers using random dialers to call Canadians.
Many believe that the DNCL is actually to blame for the increase in calls as there is no enforcement of penalties for rogue telemarketers who actually purchase the DNCL with the intention of targeting it.
It seems from my experience that the increase in calls is indeed coincidence. I have only a cell phone, and have for years. I never received telemarketing calls except the odd one from Telus (my provider), my bank trying to sell me insurance, and the Herald, who I once subscribed to. However, in the past two months or so, I've gone from zero to maybe 3 or 4 calls per week. Because I'm on cell and wasn't subject to telemarketers, I have not registered with the DNCL, yet I've seen the increase as well.
I also Google the source numbers (often an 888 code), and find that others are commenting that they're either the fake expiring warranty call, or the fake "it's your credit card company and you're paying too much interest" calls. I'm sure there's some scammers out there using the DNCL for their gain, but the robot dialers seem to be a huge cause in the uptick.
My household is definitely receiving less calls. We used to get 2 to 3 calls at dinner hour and that has basically stopped. Like TJ said, now I find the calls I get are usually tied to some kind of up sell from my bank or insurance company.
I have noticed a drop in calls to my home. One thing that has picked up is the harrasing robo-calls to my cel phone. How I long for the days when you could easily block callers easily with rogers.
there has been a twofold increase in telemarketers, I never had calls before to my Vonage phone and now get 3 or more a week. Before the DNCL my bank would rarely call and now I have become agitated and was close to losing it on the last caller. I am not on the DNCL but Libby Davies is very aware of her constituents complaint
I recieved marketer calls and recordings on my moble phone for the first time shortly after registering with the DNCL. "For your free promotional gift press one NOW!...". They stopped now though after I just kept hanging up.
On the land line is a different story. "000-000-0000" and " 012-345-6789" #s started a month after registration, along with phantom calls and telemarketers are still calling. Today I asked a telemarketing supervisor why I'm still being called. He said It takes up to 6 months for them to get my number from the CRTC. Is it a coincidence that that's almost how long ago the registry started? Next month will he be saying 7 months?
I want to know how many people have been fined by the CRTC. Any at all?
The telemarketer who said that it takes 6 months to get an update
from the CRTC is LYING. If you go to the CRTC website, you will see that
they are REQUIRED to obtain a list NO MORE THAN 31 days before
calling. He is likely lying, or he is breaking CRTC rules for telemarketer
ot obtaining regularly updated lists. Either way, they are in the wrong and
are subject to penalties if you complain on the do not call website.
