Is It Legal for Companies to Use Machines for Telemarketing Calls?

[Dr Lots-o'watts]

Are "calling machines" legal?

My phone just rang. It was a pre-recorded message from a company I won't name just now, asking me to fill out a satisfaction survey.

Is this legal? If machines are allowed to call people, then why don't every company program in the entire phone book and advertise this way, and we could just spend our days answering calls from machines.

 

[Pengwuino]

As far as I know, calling machines are illegal. However, I believe the term "calling machine" literally refers to the auto-dialers that will call every single number, 000-0001, 000-0002, 000-0003, etc.

I imagine your pre-recorded message was from a company you've done business with and they have your information?

 

[Newai]

Wiki tosses it in these articles, if that helps:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robocall
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_Consumer_Protection_Act_of_1991

 

[SamirS]

My phone just rang. It was a pre-recorded message from a company I won't name just now, asking me to fill out a satisfaction survey.

Is this legal? If machines are allowed to call people, then why don't every company program in the entire phone book and advertise this way, and we could just spend our days answering calls from machines.

Those "surveys" are often a way to get you into scam, e.g. to get your data or to see if you're gullible.

 

[Borg]

If they don't fake their phone number, you can look up their 800 number here (http://800notes.com/" ) to see what others know about them.

 

[pallidin]

Yeah, well, for now, with my new cell phone I have not functioned voice mail because I'm tired of all that stuff.

For some perhaps voice mail is very important.
For me, I will still know the caller number, but they can't leave a message.
Great for me!
If I care to hear what they want to say, I call them back!

 

[Dr Lots-o'watts]

I imagine your pre-recorded message was from a company you've done business with and they have your information?

Yes, it was for a survey about the service they gave me. It was decent service, but being called by a machine is downright insulting. I called their 1-800 number right away and gave the rep a speech. The call was supposedly recorded, and I hope whoever made the decision to use machines to call people hears the recording.

I urge everyone to file a complaint if ever called by a pre-recoded message. How arrogant it is to have a machine call potential customers.