Germany shuts down robotic phone callers

A new German law against cold calling of private persons came into effect August 4, 2009, and now the [url=http://www.bundesnetzagentur.de/]Bundesnetzagentur (Federal Network Agency) is shutting down violators' phone lines.

• [url=http://www.zdnet.de/news/wirtschaft_telekommunikation_gesetz_gegen_unerwuenschte_telefonwerbung_tritt_heute_in_kraft_story-39001023-41500957-1.htm]Gesetz gegen unerwünschte Telefonwerbung tritt heute in Kraft
  
• [url=http://www.zdnet.de/news/wirtschaft_unternehmen_business_bundesnetzagentur_geht_gegen_massenanrufe_durch__predictive_dialer__vor_story-39001020-41503023-1.htm]Bundesnetzagentur geht gegen Massenanrufe durch "Predictive Dialer" vor
  

Automated computer phone calls are the particular culprit. Those're the ones that let your phone ring a few times and then aren't there when you pick up -- and they never leave a message. Some people had 70 calls a day. They're used by callcenters so that the workers don't have to do the dialing themselves: the machines dial several numbers at once, and as soon as anyone picks up, the other calls cancel themselves.

If you're getting cold called (even if the caller says s/he got your number from "a friend" or "a colleague"!) note the date, time, number and name of the caller and report it to the Bundesnetzagentur:

Or if it's a financial advisor doing it, you can report it to Toytown's Starshollow, who is currently pursuing a legal suit against a particular company who engages in cold calling.

Companies are also not allowed to suppress their phone numbers and hide them from your caller ID. Google those numbers before calling -- if you want to call at all. Some legitimate businesses currently still call without leaving a message, but probably not for very much longer.

Related topics on TT:

• Cold calling by financial advisors in Germany: Update: Legal proceedings now commencing -- by our financial services advertiser Starshollow
  
• Calls from Strange Numbers
  
• Weird incoming call number displayed: What does it mean?
  
• Unsolicited telephone calls and junk mail: The legalities in Germany
  
• Warning: 0137 phone scam: Don't return calls from these numbers
  
• Robot telephone calls: Anyone else get them?
  
• Telephone cold callers, how best to stop them: Especially those computerised ones
  

Also: the new law includes a provision that long-term contracts are only valid and binding when confirmed in writing or by email. So if anyone thinks they sold you a contract over the phone -- they didn't.

We are now getting calls from someone about taking part in some lottery type game and they say they are going to take €55 from our account in November. The caller always asks for the lady of the house and refuses to give information about themselves and hangs up when asked, but they continue to call back. This has taken place a couple days in a row now and they hide their phone number too. Arrggghhh!

That sounds so annoying Eurovol. I hate it when people withold their numbers!

Hey, what about people in sales who hae to call companies for the first time to talk about a genuine and legitimate product or business?

Hint: