The Albany Times-Union reports that an ESCO, or agent on the ESCO's behalf, is using a form of telemarketing wherein the sales call will ring for half of a ring, and then proceeds to voicemail

The Times-Union suggests such a tactic may be meant to not run afoul of federal prohibitions on sales calls that go to voicemail without ringing at all (ringless voicemails).

The Times-Union did not specify whether the phone number to which the sales call was made was associated with a business or resident.

Regardless of legality, however, it's not a type of sales we'd recommend being engaged in given the current evidentiary hearing process in New York. The Times-Union reports, in what is not reported as verbatim (no quotes), that the voicemail encourages customers to call back to see if they are eligible to save on the utility bill. While such a message itself may not be problematic, we don't think a form of marketing that, at best, can be described as a nuisance will convince the PSC that ESCOs are an indispensable part of the market.

See the Albany Times-Union for the story, including the alleged identity of the ESCO