News Canada
Nearly a decade since Canada’s national Do Not Call List (DNCL) was launched, this consumer protection measure against unwanted calls is falling short of public expectations.
According to a national survey conducted by Leger, Canadians are coping creatively with the rising volume of annoying calls they field on their mobile and home phones.
The research also revealed that 63 per cent of those polled say most calls to their home phone line are unwanted. Further, more than half of mobile phone users reported that they are receiving more undesirable telemarketing calls than they did a year ago.
Unfortunately, the much-anticipated DNCL, introduced by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunication Commission (CRTC) in 2008, has not resolved the country’s growing issue of telemarketing calls.
The survey found that 62 per cent of Canadians do not believe the registry is effective at reducing unwanted calls, and more than a quarter of those who registered say it has not lowered the number of unwanted calls they receive at all.
Considering their frustration with unwelcome calls, the survey discovered that Canadians have adopted creative coping mechanisms to handle pesky telemarketers.
For example, 49 per cent of mobile phone users depend on Caller ID so they can ignore unwanted calls or let them go straight to voicemail.
Another 52 per cent answer their phone. but hang up as soon as they realize it is an unwanted call. More than a quarter of Canadians admit they are forced to ignore incoming calls during peak telemarketing hours, but check their messages later.
These tactics may prove less effective today than in the past, since experts point out that telemarketers often use “spoofing” technology, by which they mask or falsify the information that appears on a Caller ID service.
Whatever the reason telemarketing calls are sneaking through, Canadians are clearly annoyed, with 95 per cent stating they find the calls disturbing. With a quarter of exasperated consumers reporting that they have considered changing their phone number to eliminate the problem, it is clear that Canadians are grasping at ways to end the barrage of bothersome calls.
The CRTC has listened, and as of November 2016, has urged all phone providers to develop technical solutions that better protect their customers.
There are tested and proven tools available in Canada today, that can help eliminate unwanted calls. With this innovative technology within reach, it is now up to consumers to select a phone provider that will help them take control of their calls.