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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!hao!nbires!opus!rcd
From: rcd@opus.UUCP (Dick Dunn)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: (Autodialing) Telephone advertising
Message-ID: <204@opus.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 4-Nov-85 05:54:46 EST
Article-I.D.: opus.204
Posted: Mon Nov  4 05:54:46 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 5-Nov-85 07:24:34 EST
References: <328@aoa.UUCP> <76@birtch.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: NBI,Inc, Boulder CO
Lines: 31

> > >A particularly insidious kind of sales call now appearing in several
> > >cities is one which is initiated by computer,...
> > ...
> > These machines are especially obnoxious since they refuse to release your
> > phone line until they are done with you. 
> ...
> I agree.  One of these machines called the number where I work (my boss
> had a private line to his office, and he was away).  It started the
> recording, and I hung up.  IT CALLED BACK!!  and started the recording
> over again.  Again, I hung up, and, yes, it called back.  The thing
> would not let me (the phone line) go until it had played the whole
> message (about two minutes worth).

I'm curious about law relating to this.  In Colorado, at least, there's a
law somehow to the effect that it is illegal to refuse to release a phone
line to someone who needs the phone for an emergency (and similarly, to
claim that there is an emergency if there isn't).  The law was created to
deal with party lines, but I don't know the wording and I would expect that
it would apply to someone tying up your phone so that you couldn't call
out.

This would make a dandy legal issue--I'd think that these magic nuisance
machines would become VERY unpopular after the first time a company using
one was held liable for wrongful death or whatever by blocking an emergency
call.

The discussion of automatic ad phoning machines comes up periodically in
this group.  Anyone know of any legal action against them?
-- 
Dick Dunn	{hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd		(303)444-5710 x3086
   ...Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity.