Do Not Call list/Market Research firm not bound?

Do Not Call list/Market Research firm not bound?

I just got a call from a market research firm that claimed that they weren’t bound by the federal DNC list because they weren’t selling anything. Is this true?

Yep, it’s true.

True.

From the Federal Trade Commission:
"30. Are calls from political organizations or calls soliciting for charities covered?

Political solicitations are not covered by the TSR at all, since they are not included in its definition of “telemarketing.” Charities are not covered by the requirements of the national registry. However, if a third-party telemarketer is calling on behalf of a charity, a consumer may ask not to receive any more calls from, or on behalf of, that specific charity. If a third-party telemarketer calls again on behalf of that charity, the telemarketer may be subject to a fine of up to $11,000.

  1. What about telephone surveys?

If the call is really for the sole purpose of conducting a survey, it is not covered. Only telemarketing calls are covered — that is, calls that solicit sales of goods or services. Callers purporting to take a survey, but also offering to sell goods or services, must comply with the National Do Not Call Registry."

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/dncalrt.htm

Damn. So I should keep them on the line when they claim to be doing market research, tape them, then nail them when they try to sell me something, huh?

Even though they aren’t subject to the “do not call rules,” some market research groups maintain their own do not call lists. Ask to be put on it. Also, if they are calling on behalf of a company you do business with (say, your bank has you called for a survey they’re conducting of customers), you can ask that company to put you on their own do not call list. All of the companies I’ve worked for have maintained those lists. We don’t want to piss off our customers! If you ask who they’re calling for, they’ll usually tell you.

Just politely ask them to take you off list. I say politely because, years ago I worked for a MR company, and when people were rude or would piss us off we would throw them back in the system to be called back in an hour or two.