Handling telephone sales calls.

Some people like to receive sales calls by phone. Others are uncomfortable with the idea of buying products and services that way. No matter how you feel about these calls, you can take advantage of these suggestions.

• Always be sure you know exactly who is calling and what company they represent.

• If you want to know more, ask the caller to mail you information that you can review at your convenience.

• Be very careful about giving credit card information to callers.

• If you are not interested in what the caller is selling, just interrupt and say so. After all, it's your phone and your time.

• If you don't want any more calls from that company, ask the caller to take your name off their list.

If you want to get fewer telephone sales calls from national companies, write to:

Telephone Preference Service
Direct Marketing Assoc., Inc.
P.O. Box 9014
Farmingdale, NY 11735

Telephone sales call restrictions.

New York State General Business Law, Section 399-p, forbids certain practices relating to telephone sales calls and the use of automatic dialers. In general, under the law persons making telephone sales calls to consumers must identify the individual or business on whose behalf the call is being made as well as the purpose of the call.

Automatic dialing devices must provide similar information and, in most cases, the address of the individual or business. The automatic device must disconnect immediately from the telephone line when either the called or calling party hangs up. Further, telephone solicitors also must take steps to prevent future calls to consumers who specifically ask not to be called again.

Telemarketers and most users of automatic dialers may not place calls to emergency telephone lines, to law enforcement agencies, or to certain types of health care facilities (such as hospitals and nursing homes). Lawsuits may be filed by the Attorney General or by any person who receives a call in violation of certain of the restrictions mentioned above.