FTC Moves up "Do Not Call" List Registration

tbase writes "AdAge.com has an article about the new FTC "Do-Not-Call" List which will be opening for registrations earlier than previously announced. The FTC Press Release says online registration will be available "on or around July 1." and that "Companies will face an $11,000 fine for each telemarketing call that violates the FTC's new consumer-protection provisions.""

Re:Do-Not-Mail

[missing000]

Yes. [dmaconsumers.org]

It will cost you 5$ however.
Next time, google. [google.com]

Nice!

[nherc]

I can't wait for this to go live... then I can disable my $5/month Telemarketer block via the phone co. It's only about 90% effective.

BTW, here is the FTC's current attempts at curtailing E-mail SPAM [ftc.gov] .

It really is amazing the amount of trouble and money we all have to go through to rid ourselve of this plague of unwanted advertsing. Seems like it should be illegal, don't it?

Too Bad Enforcement isn't moved up...

[Fallen Kell]

Enforcement will still only begin in October, and even then with the way it is written, the telemarketers will not need to actually look at the list until January 2004, as they only need to check against the list once every 3 months.

Re:Do-Not-Mail

[Lord Dimwit Flathead]

It only costs $5 to submit it online. If you hit the "Register by Mail" button you can print out the form and mail it in for the cost of a stamp and envelope.

State's lists...

[pergamon]

I sure hope this is as effective as the one that Indiana has had in place for a couple years now, which apparently will go away when the federal list becomes active. I haven't gotten a single telemarketing call since I was put on the Indiana list...

Re:Useless

[derch]

Add a line to your answering machine message telling solicitors to put you on their 'Do Not Call' list. I did it a month ago and the number of calls and messages has gone from four or five a day, sometimes four or five on hour, to one every two or three days.

Re:My Problem with This

[anthony_dipierro]

If they don't follow the law now, why will they follow it in the future.

Because this law is much easier to enforce. Either your number is on the list, or it isn't. There's no "hang up before someone asks to be put on the list." There's no argument about whether or not you're on the list. There's no playing games with different companies selling information to each other. There's no questions of jurisdiction with calls made across state lines. All companies are affected.

From an enforcement standpoint, if you get a call (after three months or whatever it takes for them to read it), you report it.

Try calls at 11 pm or later

[bildstorm]

The problem with a lot of telemarketers is that they call at all kinds of odd hours. I mean, if you have friends and family that live carboard cut-out lives and there are never emergencies, you can screen all your calls and be sure to not be woken up. However, I have friends all aroudn the world, and once in a while, they need me at 2 am or so.

The big issue for me has been the recycling of numbers and fax spammers calling them at any time of night. Combine that with telemarketing calls that are at bad hours because some idiot on the wrong coast pulled up the wrong list, and you're starting to get irked.

Re:My Problem with This

[deblau]

Also, beware of the following: After this law takes effect, people will be out to get you to put your phone number on all sorts of things (product registration, checks, etc.) because the fine print will say that by giving your phone number, you waive your DNC status with them and their partners.

Sorry. I can't waive my First Amendment rights in a civil contract. I can't waive FCC law through a contract, either. Anyone dumb enough to think that their fine print will get them out of trouble with the FCC deserves the lawsuit I file against them.

Re:Why $11,000?

[StarFace]

It will cost money for the companies to stay up to date on the no call list. While a smaller fine will keep the smaller businesses in line, the larger businesses would soon discover that it is cheaper to spend a little less time keeping up with the list and make the occasional mistake. With a much larger fine like this, it would discourage slacking off in even the larger marketing companies and departments.

that right already exists

[DiveX]

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 already provides a private right of action where you can collect $500 per violation with there often being more than one violation per call.

Gigantic Loopholes

[Mr. No Skills]

There are several groups that don't have to abide:

Long Distance, Airlines, and Insurance companies that are regulated by states and not Fed.

Organizations you have an "established business relationship" with.

Companies you've made an inquiry to or sent an application to (for three months).

Charities

Political parties.

Between the shake down by the local Police charities, all those contractors with some nebulous relationship to Sears or my mortgage company, the annual cycles of recorded messages by political candidates, and the phone companies checking to see if I want to switch, its unlikely that I will see any reduction in calls.

Re:How about a do not spam list?

[Drachemorder]

"I can always waste the telemarketer's time (let them go thru their entire pitch and then say something like "What's that? Could you speak up a little?") and cost the telemarketing company money."

I save the time. I just put the phone down and let them talk to empty air, and then eventually hang up the phone when it starts making the "Hey stupid, you left your phone off the hook" sound.

Re:I want on a "Please Call Me" list

[rherbert]

For those of you wondering what this number is, it's the time of day number at NIST.

Re:Nice!

[Amazing Quantum Man]

FTC's current attempts at curtailing E-mail SPAM.

Please, don't refer to email spam in all caps. SPAM(tm) is a trademark of Hormel Foods, who have been quite good-natured [spam.com] about the use of the term to describe bulk email.

Re:Come on, the religious nuts are FUN!

[Anonymous Coward]

Of course, if either of you knew jack about the Bible, you'd know that Daniel wasn't a Christian, since he lived about 600 years before Jesus was born.

The first century Christians were frequently the victims in Roman entertainment venues. Being torn apart by beasts was just one of the ways they could've been killed. Sometimes they were forced into gladiatorial matches. Untrained and unwilling to fight, the Christians were mincemeat within minutes.

And as for all of the people that say "do this-or-that to freak out or otherwise ensure that JWs will never come back," all I have to say is, "HAH!" It doesn't work. As a JW, I can tell you that it will never work.

We check out territories from a library maintained by the local congregation. The territory I check out this week may have been checked out by someone else last week, worked through, then turned back in. I won't know that you've come to the door naked or with a fake knife or any other stunt you've done. The only surefire way of getting us to stop calling at your door is to *ask us not to come back.* We maintain "Do Not Call" lists with every territory in that library, and we respect those DNC lists. Once a year(at the most frequent, usually more like every 2 or 3 years), someone will check back to make sure you haven't moved or that you haven't changed your mind.

I don't know about other faiths that go from door to door, but I know with Jehovah's Witnesses, a do-not-call list is a non-issue. Just ask. And note that "I'm not interested" or "I have my own religion" is not the same thing as "Don't call back at my house. Write it down. Go away."

Before you sign up - check the exceptions

[stinky wizzleteats]

Section 310.6 in the original rule has a page or so of exception clauses, and they are cross-referencing and unclear, but charitible organizations such as religions and your local FoP chapter will be exempt. If these exceptions are anything like the exceptions in my state's do-not-call list, signing up will just put you in EVERYONE's marketing database.

Ironic Banner Ads

[BigT]

The banner ad I received at the top of the comments page was for telemarketing services and lists. I find this highly amusing.

Re:How about a do not spam list?

[arivanov]

You will fail anyway.

Action plan:

1. Found a company on the Cayman Islands.
2. Buy some call origination in the US and a voice over IP trunk to your call droid center located in India.
3. Telemarket as much as you like. All they can do is force your telco to close your lines. You are out of FTC jurisdiction.

All familiarity with existing chinese SPAM is only superficial ;-)