How to Handle Annoyance Calls

Silent, Hang-up, or Telemarketing Calls

If you are receiving silent or hang up calls between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., it is possible these calls are from telemarketers. Many of these calls will display on Caller ID as UNKNOWN or OUT OF AREA. These calls may be annoying but they are legal and legitimate attempts to sell products or services to prospective customers. Telemarketers generally dial telephone numbers by using automatic dialing machines. These machines dial more numbers than there are sales representatives available to speak with prospective customers. For example, if your number is dialed and a sales representative is not available to speak to you when you answer, the automatic dialer will hang up. In this situation, your number is then reprogrammed to be called again at a later time. It is possible for you to receive numerous calls from many different telemarketing sources.

ABOUT THE NORTH CAROLINA LAW

North Carolina has a law that will help residential customers handle telemarketing calls. It says that:

1. The telemarketer must clearly identify himself and the business or entity he represents at the beginning of each call.
2. No telemarketer may call your home after 9 p.m. or before 8 a.m.
3. No telemarketer may knowingly use any method to block the display of his number on your Caller ID box.

This law does not apply to telemarketing calls made by or on behalf of tax-exempt, nonprofit organizations or to telemarketing calls made to business customers.

HOW TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CALLS PLACED TO YOUR HOME

If you receive a telemarketing call, you can ask to have your name and number removed from the telemarketer's calling list and placed on his DO NOT CALL LIST, and the telemarketer must comply. Your request should stop all calls from the person or business who placed the call, but you will have to make this request with each telemarketer for each voice phone line in your home. You may also contact the Telephone Preference Service of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). The DMA commercially publishes and markets lists of residential consumers who do not wish to receive calls at their homes from telemarketers. Many telemarketers subscribe to these lists. You can request in writing that your name be added to the list - it may reduce the number of telemarketing calls you receive at your home. When writing, please include your name, home address, home telephone number (with area code) and your signature to ensure that your request is handled properly. There is no charge for this service. The address is: Telephone Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 9014, Farmingdale, NY 11736.

WHAT YOU CAN DO IF YOU CONTINUE TO RECEIVE CALLS AT YOUR HOME

You should hang up the phone immediately. Do not talk to telemarketers if you don't want their calls.

1. North Carolina Attorney General, State of NC, Department of Justice. Consumer Protection; P.O. Box 629, Raleigh. NC 27802, or call 919-716-6000.
2. Federal Communications Commission, Consumer Information Bureau, Complaints, 445 12th Street SW, Washington. DC 20554, or call 1-888-225-5322.
3. Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Response Center, Drop H 285, 6th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington. DC 20580, or call 1-800-382-4357.

If you have received more than one call within any 12-month period from the same telemarketer in violation of the law, you can sue that telemarketer on your own or with an attorney in small claims court. You may be entitled to $500 in damages for each violation and attorneys' fees.

Receiving harassing, obscene, threatening, computer, or fax machine calls

We recommend you consider subscribing to one of the several optional features listed below to remedy your situation. These features can be added to your phone online or by calling a customer service representative. See Call Management Features for more information on these services.

Call Tracing

Now you can stop wasting time and resources on unwanted callers with Call Tracing. Call Tracing gives you the best weapon available for tracking down and ending annoying calls. Call Tracing is inexpensive and easy to use. Tracing a call is simply a matter of dialing a short code. After three confirmed traces of the same number, you may inform the law enforcement authorities to take the appropriate action to end the annoying calls.

Call Screening

Call Block takes control of your telephone away from callers and puts it where it belongs-in your hands. Simply hang up on an annoying phone call and use Call Block to prevent that number from getting through again. With Call Block, you can create a list of up to six telephone numbers you want to block. Callers from those numbers never reach you; instead, they reach a prerecorded message telling them that Call Block has been activated. Your phone doesn't even ring.

Caller ID

Caller ID displays the name and number of the person calling you on a special display unit or screen phone. Caller ID can identify the source of annoying or harassing calls and allow you to screen unwanted calls.

Call Return

Don't miss a call just because you can't get to the phone. Call Return allows you to call back the number that just called you, simply by dialing a code. That means you can finish your task at hand without missing that important call. Just press *69, and you can be automatically connected to the number that just called.

Inquiring about Telephone Numbers or Information

ATMC does not provide additional information regarding telephone numbers obtained from your Caller ID or Call Return service. Nor can we resolve your harassing communications problems with the information you have obtained through these services.

Wiretap or Listening Device

If you suspect an illegal wiretap or listening device on your telephone, report this to our repair department.

Activated the Call Trace *57 Feature

The calls you have successfully traced using the *57 Call trace feature, will be added to your file. It is necessary for you to contact us after each call you trace. You will be notified when three or more calls have been traced back to the same telephone number. ATMC does not take deterrent action on your behalf. However, we will release your trace information to law enforcement agencies for further investigation.