Oct 21, 2013
For What It's Worth Dept re two common frustrations: 1) Do Not Call listings being ignored, and 2) actually answering the anonymous number call but no one there.
1) Many companies employ auto-dialers that call numbers sequentially: XXX-XXX-XXX1, XXX-XXX-XXX2, etc., hoping just to get lucky and someone answers. Smaller "hustler" type companies simply do not concern themselves with DoNotCall infractions; probably light-weight penalties, or changing company names enough to avoid serious trouble, but system generates enough business to still make small penalties worth it.
2) Auto-dialers signal reps when they get a connection, but if all are busy on their phones already with previous connections, you will get dead air until someone is freed up to take you call, etc.
There doesn't seem to be an end to unwanted land-line solicitors, especially. I am looking into call-blocking equipment since I'd like to keep my land-line an option as long as possible. (I'm surprised land-line providers don't lobby harder to prevent abuses that have to end up driving accounts away in big enough numbers to matter, I would think.)