Get free VoIP calling from AdCalls, lose all your friends

Telemarketers are very clever folks. Just because they got slammed with the National Do-Not-Call list doesn't mean they're packing up their phones to go spamming or phishing. Instead, they are finding innovative ways to trick people into joining an opt-in list. Their latest attempt comes in the form of AdCalls, a Skype-like service that promises free long-distance calls from a PC while you watch ads scroll across the app's interface. Too good to be true, you say. You're damn right it is. Apparently by accepting AdCalls' end-user agreement, you give them permission to compile every number you dial and sell them to advertisers. From AdCalls' Privacy Policy:

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.

Other purposes, eh?  Very nefarious indeed; we wouldn't put it past these guys to break you off all sorts of nasty spyware too. Imagine the fun you'll have when all your buddies start getting barraged with credit card offers and they discover your dirty little secret. Et tu, Brutus?

[Thanks, FSK1138]

[Big Picnic @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

So uh, if it is in fact legal for them to get around the do-not-call list in this manner, why don't they simply sign up their own stoolie and start calling every single number they can themselves? Or just make all their telemarketing calls from their own software?

[Rex @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

That's really dumb. If I call someone, I can't in doing so give a company permission to call that person, the person I'm calling has to do that. That's what makes sense to me anyway. I'm guessing these guys could get in legal trouble for this.

[Aaron @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Reminds me of the epidemic.com debacle, and I imagine it will suffer a similar fate. There is a limit to people's cheapness.

[trevor @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

seems illegal. i mean in the way that you don't have the right to contract on the behalf of somebody else. how can you give this company the right to use your friend's phone number if they are in the do-not-call registry?

[Bob @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Part of the DNC list states that even if you are on the list, If a merketer has an established relationship with you then they can call you even if you are on the DNC list. So I could see them using this to get your address or home phone, then start bugging you during dinner again because they have established a "Relationship" with you.

[Franks and Beans @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Notice she has a hotmail an msn email account? real professional, lol. I never used this service, nor has anyone contacted me through this service, but just to be a douche, I filed a report with the ftc: https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/wsolcq$solcq.actionview

[Whisky @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Its funny how.. Downloadsquad blog recommend this application..

[Big Picnic @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

*** So I could see them using this to get your address or home phone, then start bugging you during dinner again because they have established a "Relationship" with you.***

Except that "relationship" imples some sort of mutual consent. The unsuspecting friend who recieved the ADcall never consented to any "relationship." And when only one party is aware of the "relationship" its known as "stalking."

[Big Picnic @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

*** So I could see them using this to get your address or home phone, then start bugging you during dinner again because they have established a "Relationship" with you.***

Except that "relationship" imples some sort of mutual consent. The unsuspecting friend who recieved the ADcall never consented to any "relationship." And when only one party is aware of the "relationship" its known as "stalking."

[Aaron @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Reminds me of the epidemic.com debacle, and I imagine it will suffer a similar fate. There is a limit to people's cheapness.

[Tweaq @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

hmmm any hackers/crackers wanna take a shot at this. seems like there would be a way to "block" them from getting your infos

[Tweaq @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

also i would need friends to lose. :( lol

[TC @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

I hereby give permission for Adcall to use my ex's debit cards, don't worry about checking it over with her or anything.

[Eli Stoughton @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Why would anyone use this when they can just use VoipBuster?

[Urza @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Hehe...I wonder if you could use it to call expensive 800 numbers.
Phone sex anyone?
Or those progs that have you call some phone number to pay for things...though I'm not sure if you could do that...
wonder if they block that though...

[G. Snyder @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Or you could just read the flippin' EULA

[Maurs @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

And to think I used to _avoid_ calling people I disliked!

[Matthew Lewis @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

But isn't VoipBuster only one minute free?

[Peter @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

yes, its either one minute or a minute and a half...my call to order chinese food got cut off without me realizing it only gave you a limited call time...in addition, i believe you can only make calls to landlines with voipbuster...what a shame. i kinda miss the days when msn messenger had free calls all over north america

[Rex @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

#18: if you pay nothing, then you get unlimited 1 minute durration calls. If you pay 1 euro (about $1.25 US) you get unlimited calls. Period. Forever. (Or as long as they keep it up.) Not 1 euro per call or per month or per minute or per hour. Per forever. So... pretty much free. I've used VOIPBuster quite a bit, and it works great. You can pay with freekin paypal, so you don't even have to give them your credit card number. To me, even if it had been a scam, $1.25 with very little risk seemed like a good gamble. And it works perfectly.

[john cranford @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

I have set this program up on my tablet pc (via wifi) and a old 266mhz win98 laptop so my teenage daughter stops tieing up the home phone line, works well for free calls and long distance, and i feel no guilt for these unsuspecting kids parents getting sales calls, they should have got there kids there own pcs years ago, so their kids could have IM'ed to there little hearts content, and man am i gonna save on my teens overage charges on her cell this month. VoipBuster is the next program ill try thanks Eli Stoughton for mentioning it.

[Eli Stoughton @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

I second everything that #20 said. And on another note, I'm getting all my calls to U.S. mobile lines for free as well. I haven't had any problems with VoipBuster whatsoever. And it is totally legit.

[Rob @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

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.

[Larry @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

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. If I hear or see someone getting blasted with garbage THEN I'll write the ftc (duh).

[Clark Jensen @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

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".

[MyAdCallsRep @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

This is a GREAT MLM opportunity! Not only can I give this away to all my friends and family FOR FREE, but I can also get them to sign up in my AdCalls business and make money. Who really cares if anyone telemarkets to them, as long as I make money. You don't even have to use the dialer to make money - This is a GREAT sign up program because everybody can give away "FREE lng dstance" PLUS - this technology is many years behind and has many available cracks like taking out the 10 minute limit or having not to download the ads. Check out www.downloads.com - someone even made it part of their program. My advice to all is take advantage of everything negative about this program and use it for what it is. "Another way to get paid from your friends and family without having to pay them back." Try it! (just not on your own computer)