FTC Lays The Smack Down On Pre-Recorded Phone Calls

I'm of the mind that if you can't pay some pimply 16-year-old $5.25 an hour to irritate the piss out of people during dinner hours calling random numbers to try and sell your product, you just shouldn't try. Automated phone calls, or Robocalls, that feature a pre-recorded message have to work even less than an idiot hassling you, right?

Even if only a few idiots do "Press 1 Now!," the FTC has decided that pre-recorded phone messages just aren't cool anymore, and will begin regulation to stifle them all together this year. Starting in December of this year, telemarketers that use pre-recorded messages will have to include a key press or voice opt-out option in the message. Then by September 2009, the only Robocalls you'll be getting are calls you specifically opt in for, like the Aeris chick from GameStop when you pre-order a game. None of this pre-existing business relationship BS, just plain and simple. Oh, and non-profits can still do it, if you're a member or if you've previously donated. And politicians are exempt…

Of course, none of this really matters to many of us that only have cell phones and no home phone connection, as our phone numbers are still protected from random telemarketing… at least for now. I'm pretty sure at this point I may never have a home phone again simply because of telemarketing. I mean, I like the idea of a home phone, but the last time I had a home phone, I received anywhere from 5-6 telemarketing calls a day. That's after I had blocked many, many telemarketing numbers already. And, I had only had the phone number for less than a year.

Maybe I'd be more interested or sympathetic if the pre-recorded messages had some hunky sounding dude instead of the traditional sultry lady. As soon as I hear that "Hi…" that really means "I want to jump your bones…" come through the phone as if there is a smoky, lusty female on the other end, I immediately hang up. Just a habit. But if there were some delicious sounding man-ish baritone on the other end, I might be a bit more enticed by the new-and-improved blah, blah, blah they're trying to sell...

FTC all but bans robocalls [CNET]