Do Not Assume Leads Purchased Are Legal To Call

[williamconley]

http://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-re ... d-millions

If you purchase leads from someone, it is STILL up to you to check the DNC (regardless of the claims of the person selling you the leads) or you could end up with a multi-million dollar settlement with the FTC and have to give up all your worldly possessions.

Just sayin'

[mflorell]

We've had that happen to more than one of our clients. A very good piece of advice William!

[boybawang]

also dont believe in sellers that they sell fresh leads as to there is no such thing as "fresh leads", also its recommended to subscribe to a scrubbing service

[williamconley]

i don't recommend a "scrubbing service" as that could lead the Call Center operator to believe they are somehow absolved of responsibility. The call center is always responsible for all mistakes. Best to have control over the entire process.

Also: AFTER you have your leads in Vicidial .. how will you get them scrubbed? (required every 30 days!) So you ... ? download them to your workstation, upload them to the "service", get the results and "apply" those results to Vicidial? Sounds unlikely to work out without any hitches. Honestly.

Scrub them yourself, right in the Vicidial List Table and then you KNOW you don't have anyone on the NDNC in your list. (Of course, we sell a product for this ... but it's not like it's rocket science!)

[geoff3dmg]

Yes we have a similar system here with the Telephone Preference Service here in the UK. I generally try and match against the TPS lists we have before we load the data into a list in ViciDIAL. I don't see the point in loading leads we can't dial on. However there has been situations where this hasn't been done (suppliers saying a list is TPS checked and it turns out it isn't etc). So I have done as William suggests. Infact, here's the SQLcode:

Code: Select all

select count(*) from tps.tps_latest as tps
inner join asterisk.vicidial_list as vl on tps.phone_number=vl.phone_number
where vl.list_id = "12345"

update asterisk.vicidial_list as vl
inner join tps.tps_latest as tps on tps.phone_number=vl.phone_number
set vl.status = "TPS"
where vl.list_id = "12345"

This works per list ID. Also be careful not to run it when the dialler database is busy, the query can be quite slow.

[williamconley]

The challenge with that in the US is that it is impossible to put all of the NDNC into a single table, and certainly impossible to run a join query against two tables with that many records in each.

We split the NDNC tables by area code and then run an "area code walk" process to check in sequence. This is also handy as it allows us to segregate the numbers the same way the NDNC does (and the client purchases NDNC lists in the same method). Which makes it possible to block dialing entirely on area codes the client does not own the NDNC for ... thus saving some hefty lawsuits. Not to mention this gives the client the ability to demonstrate compliance (without saying "but bob said he checked them" which inevitably results in a stupid-large fine).

And since this is a "one-stop-shop", the client doesn't need to pre-wash in any way OR take Bob's word for it. Nor does the client need to 'manipulate' the list(s). All they do is download a ZIP for each area code or state from the NDNC site, upload that ZIP (unchanged) to Vicidial monthly. Leads will not be dialed until scrubbed. NDNC leads will not be dialed ever. No matter how big the NDNC gets. Period.

[geoff3dmg]

That's understandable Wiliam. The TPS file for the whole of the UK is only ~20 million records.

[williamconley]

such a tiny country.