Telemarketing in Serbia

Sucks, just like it sucks anywhere else. The good side of it is that the same tricks work.

First off, there is no donotcallme.org list of any kind. You can't opt out. But then, you don't need to: the new Consumer protection law of 2008, article 41, says "Zabranjeno je neposredno oglašavanje telefonom, faksom ili elektronskom poštom, bez prethodnog pristanka potrošača." - direct advertising by phone, fax or email, without consumer having approved, is forbidden. Period. If it comes to that, you can always ask when did they get your approval, and then look up the amount (fine is from 300.000 to 2.000.000 RSD, depending on how stubborn they get).

So far, nothing much, I had less than ten such calls in these months since returning from the US, with only one advertiser (an insurance) being so stupid to call twice.

There's enterntainment in it sometimes. They are doing something wrong, so you have full rights to mock them, chide them, or apply irony to any degree the poor sods with headsets may deserve (in your opinion). The pearl for today:

- Good afternoon. Apartment ....ich?
(No, my name is not Apartment, but let's play)
- Yes.
- Mister (my actual first name here), this is the Center for prevention of health
- Prevention of health? How can health be prevented? Interesting idea... how is that done?
- Hehe... well, I mean, er...
- GOOD BYE. (click)

To give them some credit, "prevencija" and "preventiva" are general terms to describe the set of all things done in way of prevention - and it implies prevention of disease, as opposed to waiting for it to happen and then curing it. But it was always prevention of disease.

Except that whoever dreamed up the name of this outfit has thought only so far as how important would putting big words together make them sound. The actual meaning of the words was not considered, obviously.