Help me stop the bastards
September 28, 2010 4:43 PM   Subscribe

Something called "IRS Tax Relief Helpline" sends me junk text messages every day from a different number. How do I get them to stop?

I want them to stop because I don't have a text plan and each text costs me money. Today the text came from the number 817-682-4161. I called the 800 number in the text, 800-730-7786. I left my name and number indicating interest in their product. When they return my call, what questions do I ask, or what do I say, to make them stop texting me?

Does the National Do Not Call Registry apply? How can I get their business name and address? I am really pissed off.
posted by vincele to Grab Bag (7 answers total)
 
Response by poster: I should add that neither number appears in reverse phone number databases, nor did a quick google search of "IRS Tax Relief Helpline" search turn anything up. Maybe someone will have better luck and a cooler head than I.
posted by vincele at 4:45 PM on September 28, 2010


Best answer: You are probably SOL. A reputable company that cared about the Do Not Call List would not have spammed you via text. A legit marketer would remove you from texts if you reply with "STOP" to the message if you wish to stop getting messages. If the number is new every time, the texts are probably going through gateways or the return number is spoofed to evade getting caught.

You may wish to call your cellphone carrier and complain and get a credit for the unwanted texts. There are probably thousands of people getting the message and they could do a better job of tracking it down and stopping it than you can.
posted by birdherder at 5:13 PM on September 28, 2010 [1 favorite]


Best answer: I left my name and number indicating interest in their product.

Bad move. This could get them off the hook, because now you're a prospective customer.

I would start with the carrier, myself. I wonder if this is a variant name for American Tax Relief, a big junk mail violator.
posted by dhartung at 7:14 PM on September 28, 2010 [1 favorite]


Best answer: According to the National Do Not Call Registry FAQ, you haven't established a 'business relationship' with the company - they solicited your business and you simply responded. That's specifically covered in the FTC's rules.

Regardless of the DNC list, telemarketers are prohibited from using automated call programs or software to call a cell phone. However, I scoured the FTC site and couldn't find any information about text messaging and the DNC list. The info is scattered across three or four different sites, so it's possible I simply misssed it.

I nth the suggestion to contact your wireless carrier. And you can file an FTC complaint too, if your cell number is registered on the DNC list. Just go to donotcall.gov and click on 'file a complaint'. Why not give it a shot? You don't have anything to lose. Good luck. :-)
posted by lambchop1 at 10:55 PM on September 28, 2010 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Thanks everybody. I should clarify I left my name and number but I didn't say anything more that. If they call back I'll try to get the name of the company, real phone number and the state they are incorportated in. The recording I listened to sounded very amateur and since I can usually talk over telemarketers I'm hoping I can get some information out of them. Then I'll take that to AT&T wireless and file an FTC complaint. I hadn't thought about either of those routes. I'll post an update.
posted by vincele at 4:56 AM on September 29, 2010


I filed a complaint about something similar and the response I received from the FTC clearly stated that text messages are not covered by either the Do Not Call Registry or any laws against automated dialers. The website for making the complaint was not clear at all about this but the verbiage in the followup letter was much better. I would still file a complaint, just to keep this on the FTC's radar.
posted by bcwinters at 8:03 AM on September 29, 2010


You might consider changing your number. If the harassment gets bad enough, I think that AT&T can do it for you without the usual charge.

Also, google voice helps filter things out. It might also help with texts - take a look.
posted by Citrus at 9:24 AM on September 29, 2010


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