AdCalls not such a great deal after all

2005/09/16 at 09:32:39 | Comments (17) | Trackbacks (0) | Trackback URI
Read more: VoIP

AdCalls, a new company which offers free PC-to-phone calling in exchange for viewing on-screen ads, may be doing other, more nefarious things, according to a report from Engadget.

The AdCalls software, similar in concept to Skype, lets PC users dial for free to any phone in the U.S. and Canada. However, there’s a catch. You have to view ads on screen during your calls. No big deal, and some would gladly take a few ads in order to call for free.

The problem comes when you actually make those calls. AdCalls points out in its Privacy Policy that it will capture the phone numbers you call, and market to them directly, or sell those numbers to third parties.

In other words, everyone you call is going to have a telemarketing nightmare. And they won’t like you very much after they find out the telemarketers got their number from your use of AdCalls.

If you’re going to sign up for VoIP, you should go with respectable companies who protect your privacy — and that of those you call.

17 Responses to AdCalls not such a great deal after all

17 Comments

Comment by ignorance is bliss | 2006/02/26 at 17:56:49

I guess somebody forgot to add the rest of the privacy policy section that explains the above:

Third Party Information. If you originate a telephone call or send an email message to a third party, you give us the third party’s contact information, such as email address. We complete the call and retain that person’s information to contact them later to solicit them to join our AdCalls service or for other purposes. AdCalls has a program where we solicit the names and addresses of people who may be interested in our services. We use the information received under that program to send potential users email invitations to join our service.

I’ve contacted the company for an explanation. It’s a “tell a friend” program so someone who wants to let others know about the free service can do so. I always am amazed with people who start digging at something without a simple check. Really, people. A couple minute call and I found out that none of these blogs mean squat. I advise others to do the same. I’ll probably download this and give it a try.

First off you do not know what you are talking about. AdCalls does not have the time or the manpower to call every single person that is dialed on a daily basis. That quote is misleading and only shows a portion of the statements for the user agreement. Tens of Thousands of people use that phone every day. It would take a thousand telemarketers to support that which AdCalls does not have. Here is a thought. Why don’t you actually do some research before you make any judgements. Anyone can type out some words that don’t mean didly squat. For instance “You suck as a journalistic writer”.

Why don’t you go to the adcalls privacy policy website and read it for yourself instead of letting ignorance guide you throughout life: dkheadlines.com/ntr/ac/privacy.htm
Comment by ignorance is bliss | 2006/02/26 at 18:02:56

Oh by the way, if you cared to read the comments left by informed consumers then you’d know i copied and pasted those 3 paragraphs. It just goes to show you how people will cry wolf at the site of a dog shaped silhouette rather than investigating to see for themselves whether it was indeed a wolf or Fido from across the street.
Comment by Michael Hampton | 2006/02/26 at 18:25:39

Okay, I’ll say it:

You suck as a journalistic writer.

Go read the paragraph from the privacy policy you pasted again, and realize that it doesn’t at all say what the AdCalls representative told the person whose text you pasted. It does indeed say exactly what I said in the first place: that AdCalls can and will contact anyone you ever call through the service, whether you like it or not.

If AdCalls isn’t going to do this, why does the privacy policy say they reserve the right to do it?
Comment by There is No Cure for Ignorance | 2006/04/21 at 09:54:24

Michael, I wonder where you came from and what you do for a living? Even though these paragraphs may state that, I agree with Ignorance is bliss. First off, NO ONE i have called on my dialer has EVER been solicited. Additionally our recruitment for Ad Calls does not come from people that operate the dialer.

We DO NOT solicit people from just a phone number, nor do we have a telemarketing division that does so. Thousands of Agency owners cant be wrong, neither can our Corporate Partners.

Remember all of the companies out there, that have a great product that no one else has, or has products that are incredibly successful? Well there will ALWAYS be people out there like YOU and others whom continue to bash companies like us when all you do is spend countless hours online writing crap like this, hating your job, your current life, and pretty much anything else that crosses your path.

Find another way to spend your time!
Comment by Michael Hampton | 2006/04/21 at 10:09:30

You still haven’t answered the question. If AdCalls isn’t going to solicit people that its customers call, why do they reserve the right to do so in the privacy policy?
Comment by Mark Nichols | 2006/04/26 at 16:59:51

If you don’t want to receive their calls if they ever do start trying to call everyone… Have you heard of the Do Not Call List? Also, If they decide to spam there are a ton of good free spam filtering programs like Spambayes. I have been in the computer business for over 5 years now and I think what they have is a good idea.
Comment by quote here | 2006/07/05 at 21:26:40

We complete the call and retain that personâ€™s information to contact them later to solicit them to join our AdCalls service or for other purposes.
Comment by JW Posner | 2006/10/13 at 11:21:11

I responded to a Adcall employment classified last month. They fail to mention that there is a $2,500.00 fee to set your self up as a “agency owner”. What do you get for your money? in a nutshell, nothing. The system is riddeled with flaws. This is an old business model with a new coat of paint. Classic MLM scam. And if your foolish enough to fall for all the hype you end up with out a protected territory and even have to pay for your marketing materials. Don’t quit your day job.(as many have). If the system is so attractive to business owners why havent I seen one offering the free service in thier newspaper ads. Open the newspaper, everyday a new CEO is on the way to prison.
Comment by troy | 2006/10/24 at 07:47:05

Hey JW…..

You obviously don’t understand the concept or have never been in sales. You get the opportunity to sell this service to business owners who want to capture information and build a database on “their customers”, for your $2,500. The reason you don’t see it in company ads is that it is a reward or gift for their existing clientel. Would you offer a free gift to someone who has never used your product or service! Protected territorys allow those who can’t sell waste valuable potential customers. With every new technology or business plan, i.e. google, ebay, yahoo there are nay sayers such as yourself who just dont understand the concept and try to make others think you know what you are talking about.
Open your eyes and think outside the box, or better yet stay where you are in your log cabin with your horse and buggy outside and enjoy listening to your radio. Btw I don’t work for AdCalls and unlike you don’t get my info from the newspaper…..lol
Comment by troy | 2006/10/24 at 07:53:42

Oh yeah blogging on a site that sells a competitors product AND one who actually quotes Engadget as a source is quite humorous……lets just say smells alot like our election year campaign ads…..
Comment by JW Posner | 2006/11/08 at 14:50:01

Hello: Pin Head Troy. I actually live in a million dollar home on Chicago’s North Shore and the biggest decision I face on a daily basis is which of my six vintage or new BMWs I will drive to my office. I,m a former marketing President for one of the largest advertising agencies in the world and have spent over twenty five very rewarding years in sales and media. I currently own and operate six high end jewelry stores in three states. Adcalls is a scam that will take advantage of many hundreds if not thousands of well intended people. Why offer a perk to an establised client? who if indeed is a happy customer already? The object of business is to attract new customers. Or did you miss that day at your junior high school business class. I have had several very dissapointed sales reps call me from Adcalls who once they came out of the ether, regretted getting involved. by the way you can build a “data base” on customers with a $99.00 piece of software. You should try reading the papers, assuming you can read.
Comment by ivautt | 2007/05/12 at 19:28:27

Hi My Name Is ivaqfr.
Comment by Frank Gattoi | 2007/06/26 at 09:01:32

Everyone can be anyone they want to be on the Internet. I’m writing this from my Lear jet. I have been calling for nearly to years on my Adcalls dialer. That represents well over 1000 people that I’ve called. Not one of them has had one single complaint or been bothered by any advertisers or telemarketers. People are always going to write negative remarks of this kind, it is incumbent upon people looking for true value and opportunity to do their own due diligence and not rely on comments such as the one made by this uninformed, negative person. Do as I and thousands of others have done, download the dialer and use it. End of story.
Comment by L Blake | 2007/07/16 at 19:26:42

In response to your clame of riches and fame: Bull crap. If you were that rich, you would not be posting here. If you knew anything about business, you would understand that keeping your present clientele takes priority over whipping up new customers. Obviously you don’t know anything about business. Therefore, I don’t believe for a New York minute that you own anything past your log cabin. Moreover, if you knew anything about marketing, you would not be talking about “MLM scam.” What a joke! AdCalls is legit. I know. I spent many hours investigating them from my mansion high in the Swiss Alps, when I wasn’t cruising in my private helecoper. ROTF!!
Comment by L Blake | 2007/07/16 at 19:27:59

This was aimed at JW Posner, not Frank, BTW.
Comment by Nauman | 2007/08/24 at 04:36:42

JW Posner just died in a road accident riding his 6th vintage.
Comment by fear of loss | 2007/10/10 at 18:37:02

I am a retired business owner. I hate it. I must be building something, be an asset. I just happened upon this dribble,however. I am no one special. Hell I didn’t even get my ged untill I was serving a year. I have however been blessed with the gift to make money.
I can and have turned dead business around. my thoughts on all of this is, 1)Allways leave something on the plate for the other guy. 2)make SURE that the business owner the customer aswell as yourself win.
3) Under promise and over deliver and no mater what always , always keep your word. 4) Use all that you have learned. features and benifits, fear of loss and so on. Just remember that every customer represents an anual income and if keep happy residule my favorite word. There is a universal prinsable that can not be changed that is you reep what you soe good or bad!
Now I well be like Henry Ford my spelling sucks but I can pay people to look those up for me ie the modern version computer spell check. Just a few thoughts from a grandmother. God Bless you all you all have a right to see thing the way you chose to.