Guess who the Federal government has tapped to run the national “do not call” list? The subject of the most telemarketing complaints, of course. AT&T. From tomorrow’s Washington Post:
AT&T’s technology and low bid helped one of its subsidiaries win the 10-year, multimillion-dollar contract — even though federal records show that AT&T has drawn the most consumer complaints for telemarketing practices in recent years.
More than one-fifth of the complaints lodged against AT&T were allegations that AT&T did not honor requests to be placed on the company’s do-not-call list, the same sort of list that AT&T’s Government Solutions subsidiary is being asked to run on a national level.
And what makes the whole thing even more interesting:
For now, AT&T is not required to observe the national do-not-call list because telecommunications companies are regulated by the FCC, not the FTC. The FCC is reviewing its telemarketing rules to see if it they should be revised to make telephone companies subject to the same rules as most other firms.
Does that make you wonder what the point of the list is? You’ll still get calls from phone companies. And they’re the ones who know your phone number even if it’s unlisted!
