Yesterday I received a marketing call from a company. They've called before and I've ignored them. They've called again and I've contacted them to say "no". They've called again and again and again. They run a supposed "opt in" market survey system. Clearly a lie or they would not have called the very first time. There is a scheme here for telephone subscribers to opt out of receiving unsolicited marketing calls and my line is listed as "do not contact"; still they contact.

Riled at this flagrant disregard of my right I called the company back and ranted at whomever answered the call (I later found out it was their IT director -- tough luck mate) and asked to be put through to the CEO. They wouldn't do so. With a little web search I found the names of several more directors so I emailed them in an attempt to get my number expunged from their list.

Then I called to say I wanted to talk about using their services for my own business. That got their attention. They called back for that. Thankfully the call came late in the day. By which time I had lodged a formal complaint about them with the government agency responsible for dealing with the prosecution of unsolicited business calls to people with whom companies do not already have a business relationship. I certainly do not have a business relationship with the bunch of idiots who have kept calling despite my attempts to exert my opt-in status ... by opting out. I have also reported them to another government department because their formal accounts suggest that the company is dormant (i.e. not trading) when it is clear that they are conducting commercial activity.

I told the IT Director that the number they had called in the morning was listed as "do not contact". Also that they were in breech of various government regulations concerning contact of people with whom they had had no previous business dealings. I insisted that they expunge my number from their lists as it should never have been on there in the first place.

Half and hour later while I am dealing with the government departments another bunch of these self-righteous marketeers phoned. They exhibited the same attitude. They had caught me at home so I must answer their questions. No I'm not. If a marketeer wants my opinion on anything they have to pay for it. And that does not mean being giving shopping vouchers for a store I never purchase from.

And to cap it all at the end of this hour some git came knocking on my door selling home improvements that my house clearly does not need. The improvements area obvious and visible to anyone just looking at the front of the building.

I've also contacted the trade association for telemarketing, they run the "do not contact" listing scheme. They are a toothless bunch.

It you're a) a tele-marketeer trying to conduct a "market survey" or b) a door-to-door salesman whose opening line is "I'm not selling anything" and you know which is my house don't bother phoning, don't bother knocking. I will not give you my time. You have no rights to it. You have not right to ask me anything at all. If you want my opinion knock on the door, ask to make an appointment, and how much you are willing to pay, treble or quadruple the figure and expect to be up-ed to a price commensurate with my professional rates then maybe possibly I will give you some of my time. But buddy you ain't getting it for free or for a few worthless scraps of paper.

¶ 3:14 pm