Insurance Agent Forum

[Jocely]

Some of you have a lot of knowledge about the new laws concerning telemarketers and auto-dialers. I am hoping that you can please lead me in the right direction. I have read calling business to business with an auto-dialer is allowed, however calling cell phones is strictly prohibited. My question is what if a business owner has his/her cell phone listed as their business phone number and they are called by an auto-dialer on that cell phone is that considered breaking the law? I have called the FCC and FTC to find out and as of right now I have been on the telephone for a few hours with no answers. If the answer is yes, do you have any suggestions on where I can purchase a list of businesses that will include no cell phone numbers. Thank you in advance.

[djs]

Don't take this as gospel (sorry for the religious reference Al), but if the number is listed as a business number, it is fair game.

Calling with an auto-dialer should be outlawed completely. Okay, for follow-up (doctors appointment reminder kind of thing), no big deal, for sales, the person doing it should be taken out back and shot....

Ooops, letting my personal feelings get in the way of making a profit.

Dan

[myinsurebiz]

Jocely - do you already have your own hardware?

Our hardware scrubs for cell #'s, but I can't speak for anyone elses.

LOL - Dialers are an effective means of creating leads or getting a message out.

Come 9/09 - Residential opt in lists will be sold like prostitutes.

We'll be utilizing a predictive dialer with a human introduction to harvest leads / transfers from consumers.

B2B is wide open . . .

But - they are increasingly becoming agitated too . . .

Tom

[djs]

Interesting. How do you know which number is a cell phone number? It used to be possible to tell, but with the number portability thing, I've been told it's almost impossible now.

Is there some indication that a number is a cell phone number?

Dan
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LOL - Dialers are an effective means of creating leads or getting a message out.

I didn't say they didn't work, I said people who use them should be shot. If they didn't work at all, people would eventually quit using them.

Yes, I get very irritated at work with these calls. If you don't have time to call me, then don't call me. I mind them less at home than I do at work.

Dan

[myinsurebiz]

Cell #'s have a certain "block" of the first 3 digits of a number - after the area code.

Frankly - I don't know how they actually do it - I just know on our system there is a check box to scrub cell #'s if desired.

Tom

[djs]

Cell #'s have a certain "block" of the first 3 digits of a number - after the area code.

This used to be true, before number portability. My old home number is now on a cell phone. How would you know?

I don't really care, just everyone is always worried about calling cell phones, yet, as far as I know, there is no accurate mechanism to tell what type of phone you are calling anymore. Granted, the old method still works with some degree of accuracy, but is far from foolproof.

Dan

[myinsurebiz]

If the number isn't originally from a wireless carrier - then, it's almost impossible.

I'm not aware of any existing laws in relation to not calling a cell phone. So - far as I know - these number types can be included in the DNC.