Finally! Put a stop to pesky tele-marketers…
Posted by nicolascallegari on June 23, 2009
If you’re anything like my colleagues, you probably get harrased by tele-marketers from companies like Cell C and Altech Autopage Cellular trying desperately to sell you a mobile phone contract or insurance companies marketing some form of death and disability cover.
And no matter how many times you ask to be taken off their databases, it just doesn’t happen.
But redemption is at hand, I heard on Radio 702 that you can register your name on the Direct Marketing Association’s “Do Not Call” list, which should put an end to cellular and insurance comapneis purporting to have “specially selected you for an unbelievable deal”.
I registered myself on this Opt-Out list a few months ago and I’m very pleased to say that I’ve seen a HUGE fall in the number of unsolicited cold-calls that I receive.
Most notably, the biggest culprit that still calls me on the odd occasion is ABSA.
The last call I got was pretty ingenious becuase the [very well-spoken and professional-sounding] lady who called claimed to be the assistant to the financial manager of ABSA’s Cresta branch.
Her exact words were: “Mr. Callegari, ABSA has notified my boss that he absolutely HAS TO see you with regards to securing your bond with life cover. When could you possibly come in?”
The sad thing is that there are people out there who would have fallen for this little trick and walked into the office of yet another financial planner that doesn’t know you from a bar of soap but has an entire portfolio of insurance products that you simly “must have in order to survive”.
In any event, I’m glad to say that I have not received a cold-call or unsoicted SMS in months and I’m all the more sane for it.
