Who to contact

[misfish]

My reply. Whoopdee doo.

 

Dear Mr Blowes,

 

Thank you for contacting CAA South Central Ontario. This is to confirm your email has been received.

 

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you have experienced. On behalf of CAA South Central Ontario, Leger Marketing is currently conducting our annual Awareness Usage and Value of Services (AUVS). Randomly selected Members will be contacted to take part in this telephone survey.

 

Leger Marketing has signed a confidentiality agreement with CAA South Central Ontario and will be following standard Privacy Protocol. For more information on our privacy policy and opt-out information please visit http://www.caasco.com/privacy.

 

Regards,

 

 

Maureen

Resource Desk Specialist

CAA South Central Ontario

[email protected]

905-771-3000

 

 

 

IM NOT A MEMBER. WHAT A JOKE.

[SBCregal]

An apology, seems as reasonable a response as any.

 

ryan

[misfish]

It says "contact members"?

 

Im not a memeber.

 

Where did they get the number.

Like I said,we have only had it 2 months and have not filled out any form of a ballot.

 

Yet they know our name?

[irishfield]

Maybe City Hall sells their marriage chapel list... lol

[SBCregal]

ah, missed that part

[misfish]

Go play with yer bird,,,,,,,,,,birds.LOL

[Terry]

Maybe City Hall sells their marriage chapel list... lol

 

great, I had a mouth full of food when I read it

 

it's on the floor now......LOL

[blarg]

this reminds me a bit of the last time i ordered a dominos pizza, my order was wrong when it arrived, completely wrong pizza, i almost took it anyway because it looked like the delivery girl was the one who made a mistake, anyway i did send it back, next thing i know the owner or manager calls me and lays a guilt trip on me for sending back something i didn't order, i told him to keep his pizza, i've never gone back. I still can't believe that he called to give me a hard time, crazy.

[John Bacon]

The Do Not Call legislation works. Our calls at home have dropped significantly, even without putting our number on the list. I'm in a business that has depended on the cold call technique in the past. Many of us have realized that we might as well forget that method of finding business as the red tape we should go through isn't worth the results.

 

If you have done any kind of business with a company in the past 18 months they are legally entitled to call you again. That's why the ballots seem to be a good trick, although I suspect that if tested in law the ballot idea wouldn't pass the acid test unless it spells out the intended use of the information on the ballot you filled out. But what it does do is blow enough smoke up yer butt to get you to agree to talk on the phone.

 

As for any reputable company selling their mailing list today - I doubt it. Read any agreement (all the fine print - I know - it's really boring) that you've signed with that company and find some spot where it says they are authorized to sell or share your personal information with other companies. It might be under a Use and Distribution heading like it is on real estate agreements. In any event, it's required under the Privacy Act in Canada to protect the confidentiality of any personal information supplied to a company with whom you do any business. They must disclose to you what info they will collect and use, and how they will use it. If any of you have signed a real estate listing agreement or a buyer representation agreement lately look in the fine print under Use and Distribution and you'll see what I mean. There might be some tricksy wording in there that says they can share your personal information with other companies under their corporate umbrella or somesuch but if it's too vague the regulator will probably slap 'em down if it was ever tested. Our own legal counsel advises against vague language as a way to pull stunts like that. I happen to be involved with a group that reviews and amends all the forms used for organized real estate in Ontario and I can assure you that all wording is vetted carefully by counsel, and that's after our own group member/lawyer has cleared it.

 

I'm no expert but we've looked long and hard at this issue in the real estate industry and for what it's worth our people are being told to take it seriously. My company pays a lot of money to run a screening phone line that filters out calls (we try to make) if they're on the list. The business world is taking Do Not Call seriously. I suppose some businesses will be looking just as seriously at ways to fool the system though.

 

JF

 

 

There are some loopholes though. The list does not apply to politicians or charities. There have also been issues with calls from foreign companies which are not subject to Canadian laws.

[TC1OZ]

There are some loopholes though. The list does not apply to politicians or charities. There have also been issues with calls from foreign companies which are not subject to Canadian laws.

 

 

And not everyone follows the law! lol.

[JohnF]

There are some loopholes though. The list does not apply to politicians or charities. There have also been issues with calls from foreign companies which are not subject to Canadian laws.

 

Yup. No question, but it's a start.

 

I had some clown with a rather pronounced Asian type accent call me today claiming to represent my bank with a great new offer for me. I asked him which bank that would be and he said they actually represent 40 banks and have been authorized to call by mine. I asked again which bank that was. He told me again his company represented 40 very reputable banks. I asked again. Same answer so then I told him to stop babbling and answer my question. Same answer. I asked him if he even understood english. Same answer. So then I said "Stay on the line while I get a pen. Now, what's your name." Then he started with the "Sir. Could you please speak louder. I can't hear you." and just kept repeating that over and over. I guess he'd exhausted his whole repertoire by that time. Very very loudly I told him he was a slimeball and hung up.

 

JF

[CLofchik]

The Do Not Call legislation works. Our calls at home have dropped significantly, even without putting our number on the list.

 

Isn't that contradictory, it works because you didn't use the service? Or you were one of the smart ones not to put your number down and now all the telemarketers are all busy calling numbers on the list

 

I'm no expert but we've looked long and hard at this issue in the real estate industry and for what it's worth our people are being told to take it seriously......

 

This would be the industry whose dirty little secret is members selling access to what is supposed to be an industry only dbase right? So when we move and the first week, even before we have all the furniture in, there's three "energy company associates" mentioned in a post a few days ago showing up at our door can I yell at you......just a little bit, please.

[JohnF]

Isn't that contradictory, it works because you didn't use the service?

 

My nuisance calls at home dropped significantly. Now we only have to deal with the really hardcore telemarketing types, and them you just hang up on.

 

This would be the industry whose dirty little secret is members selling access to what is supposed to be an industry only dbase right? So when we move and the first week, even before we have all the furniture in, there's three "energy company associates" mentioned in a post a few days ago showing up at our door can I yell at you......just a little bit, please.

 

I can only speak for those of us who respect the laws, confidentiality and personal privacy. No matter what you may think you know, our industry is really working on not just paying lip service, but honouring the spirit and intent of the consumer protection laws, like the Do-Not-Call legislation and the Privacy Act. If you think about it, those of us who actually make a decent living from our industry wouldn't want to soil our own nest, would we? With as many members as we have in Ontario alone it stands to reason that many of us can't hide behind the anonymity of a big urban population. How fast did the incident I believe you're referencing get dealt with internally? We work very hard to protect our data from those other industries that would love to get their hands on it to exploit it. In fact, I'm pretty sure that would be how you even knew about the situation - because of the industry's pre-emptive solution. Do you know, or care, or is it just more fun to drag everyone else down?

 

I'll give you a rather benign example of how things have changed. A few weeks ago a national brand moving company rep showed up in my office "to touch base'. In the long ago past that meant asking for the names of any leads we'd give out who might need his services. He saved me the trouble of explaining the Privacy Act to him by starting off with "I know you won't give me any personal stuff, but could I leave some cards and brochures for your clients?".

 

We don't even supply names to the Welcome Wagon types any more, and in all honesty I think a lot of home buyers actually appreciated the visit from the Welcome Wagon rep with the coupons and gifts, but since this isn't one of the reasons we disclosed for collecting and retaining personal info, it doesn't happen.

 

Our industry is working very hard to follow the letter and spirit of these consumer protection laws particularly, and, though there will always be a few looking to make an easy buck by bending or breaking the laws, we're making significant headway within the industry.

 

Sorry about the rant, but I teach the pre-licence courses for the industry and I help create the forms we use province-wide, so I know exactly how much effort has gone into, and continues to go into making our industry squeaky clean, into creating new legislation that goes well beyond the usual expectations of common law and contract law to guarantee ethical treatment, full disclosure and competent service.

 

End rant

 

JF

[Raf]

i gave up on land lines many moons ago.. only use cellular. so, i have to ask, what are telemarketing calls?

[JohnF]

i gave up on land lines many moons ago.. only use cellular. so, i have to ask, what are telemarketing calls?

 

They've started txting cells with spam.

 

JF

[Raf]

They've started txting cells with spam.

 

JF

 

i've yet to rec'v one. other than from my provider (which are free). there'll be hell-to-pay if people get spammed and they pay for each incoming text.

[jace]

i don't think there's anything you can do. part of the user agreement is that you've agreed to rogers sharing your info with any of their divisions and outside business partners. That deal also continues for a specified period after you cancel services. maybe it's 6 months?

[Mike Pike]

I know some of you have found that the "Do Not Call List" has helped reduce the number of telemarketers, but honestly, I havent!

 

So frustrating!!!

 

Most are very cordial when I say; "No I'm not interested and please take me off your list." But these calls just keep coming!!!!!!

 

AAAAARGHHHH!!!!!!!!!

Edited July 23, 2009 by Mike Pike