Stop Telemarketers: Join The FTC National "Do Not Call" List

Recently, the Federal Trade Commission has begun registering telephone numbers for a national "do not call" list. This list creates a central, national registry of telephone numbers whose owners do not want to receive calls from telemarketers.

Registration is easy. You may either call the FTC at 1-888-382-1222 or visit the FTC's Do Not Call website. You can register up to three personal telephone numbers (including cell-phone numbers but not including business numbers) at one time, and the numbers stay registered for five years. The day after you register, the numbers are made available to telemarketers, who then have 90 days to remove your numbers from their call list.

Not all people who might call you are affected by this list. For example, political organizations, charities, and pollsters are all exempt from complying with the do not call list. Additionally, companies from which you have bought goods or services within the past 18 months may call you and try to sell you something else, unless you ask them to stop.

Enforcement of these no-call provisions will be done by the FTC. If you receive a call from a telemarketer more than 90 days after you have registered your telephone number, get either the name of the company or its telephone number and note the date of the call. With this information, you can file a complaint with the FTC, either by telephone or through its website. Companies that call restricted numbers can be fined by the FTC up to $11,000 per call for violations.

Finally, we can eat dinner in peace.

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