Telus Just Won't Quit -- the 1-905-310-2255 telemarketing harrasement!!

Apparently Canadian telemarketing firms just ignore don't call me again warnings!!

On December 13th, 905-310-2255 shows on my calling line id -- its Telus marketing. I asked the person to remove us from their telemarketing list and don't ever call us again for telemarketing purposes.

On December 14th, at 9:36AM PST, 905-310-2255 shows on my calling line id, and its Joline from Telus Telemarketing. Joline is ever so apologetic about calling again but Joline does say they have 30 days for the remove from the Telemarketing list to take effect!! Do I have to endure another 28 days of Telus marketing abuse?

Apparently, Canadian telemarketers don't feel they have any risk of being sued in Canadian small claims court...

I don't know that Telus wanted to try sell me, but if my Telus ISP Billing Issues and Shaw vs Telus for your ISP business issues weren't enough, I now add Telemarketing harrasment to my check list against Telus.

One has to wonder about Telus. The lights might be on at the HQ office towers but is anyone there managing that company? Why would anyone want to own stock in Telus given their demonstrated questionable business practises of apparently going out of their way to bug a long term customer.

U.S. Based Telemarketeers Can Abuse Canadians with Relative Safety!!

After trying to shut down some annoying U.S. based telemarketeers I get the feeling Canada has the role of the Spanish in Captain Morgan's Great Pirate Army.

A quick check, of one particularily annoying Telemarketing caller from 1-231-732-2220 at Wikipedia, shows the area code 231 is located in Michigan. One might reasonably expect that U.S. law applies to U.S residence, especially given that U.S. tries to force their laws on other free nations of the world -- see Antigua vs the US at the WTO.

Our letter to the FCC:

From: editor@bcdisabilities.com
Received: 11/26/2007 11:50:09 AM
Subject: US-Canada Cross-Border Question

Hello FCC,

Have just been admiring the DoNotCall Registry bumpf and eagerly await our own Canadian approach to the telemarketing issue expected sometime, one hopes, before the next century. Here's my question - Somehow (how?!) U.S. telemarketers are permitted (by whom?!) access to Canadian phone numbers. Does it follow then that Canadians may file complaints with you when YOUR telemarketers breach YOUR telemarketing rules when they make unsolicited calls to Canadians? What's the interplay of international trade law with respect to market access, I wonder? The amount in small claims over these breaches, which occur daily in our household alone, is quite considerable. At the moment, I'm concerned with the latest offender - 1-231-732-2220 - no msg, no caller ID, just repeated calls. Most unsettling.

Thanks, xxxxxx Vancouver, B.C. Canada

And the FCC response:

From: "FCCINFO" <FCCINFO@fcc.gov>
To: <editor@bcdisabilities.com>
Sent: Monday, December 10, 2007 4:40 AM
Subject: CIMS00000673329 - US-Canada Cross-Border Question

You are receiving this email in response to your inquiry to the FCC.

Thanks for contacting the FCC Consumer Center in Gettysburg PA.

Consumers outside the U.S. should contact their own nation's appropriate
regulatory or enforcement authority. While the FCC can't investigate
complaints filed by non-U.S. consumers, there are provisions for various
nations' authorities working together to resolve telecommunications issues,
including telemarketing. For example, please see the RCMP's Telemarketing
Fraud website at:

http://www.rcmp.ca/scams/tfraud_e.htm

This site notes that telemarketing fraud is an international problem that
does not respect boarders, and invites Canadian residents, if they believe
they have been a victim of a fraudulent telemarketing, to contact Project
Phonebusters to lodge a complaint or to request more information. Contact
resources include:

Toll-free telephone: 1-888-495-8501
Toll-free fax: 1-888-654-9426
e-mail: info@phonebusters.com
Website: www.phonebusters.com
Mail: Box 686, North Bay, Ontario P1B 8J8

Or, contact the Competition Bureau of Industry Canada at:

Toll-free telephone: 1-800-348-5358
e-mail: compbureau@ic.gc.ca
Website: http://competition.ic.gc.ca

Additionally, the site includes links to many other resources for Canadian
residents, including:

Better Business Bureau On-line complaints

CBC Marketplace Scam Alert

Canadian Marketing Association Do not call service

Industry Canada On-line Complaints

Industry Canada Take the Industry Canada Fraud Quiz !

Internet Fraud Complaint Center - Federal Bureau of Investigation and
National White Collar Crime Center

Junkbusters

Ontario Securities Commission - Investor Alert

Canadian Consumer Information Gateway
TSR 48

Also see CRTC DO NOT CALL Registry.