People use the internet to share and receive information. We all know, but perhaps sometimes forget, that if we perturb our prospective customer in either portion of the presentation, they are gone. Loyalty in the long distance industry is not something that many carriers can claim. I, personally speaking, do not want to cultivate that type of customer base. Oh, and it DOES cost the recipient money.
Time is money.
I'm sure people could put a price tag on time they designate for relaxation at home. This is a good argument for the email side. I scan my messages for content that interests me, and I can tell very quickly if I want to read it. No pressure from the pleasant sounding telemarketer or cheerful salesman, no guilt, and no vulgar abuse. So, what's the difference between these companies' practices and bulk-email practices.