41 Million Sign Up for National Do-Not-Call List

ejbst25 writes "The first wave of the do not call registry sign up ends 8/31. There is plenty of news coverage but they say there is already over 41 million numbers registered."

Cell Phone Number

[gsparrow]

Can telemarketers call your cell phone number? Do you need to put your cell number on the do not call list or is it already protected since you pay on a time basis?

Do-Not-Spam

[BJZQ8]

Who's up for a nationwide do-not-spam list?

Do not patronize

[Offwhite98]

My guess is the people who are not on the lists will now get more calls because there is a smaller pool of numbers to use. In that case, I would like to see a "Do not patronize" list for companies that bother people at home with sales pitches. If a company wants to get their word out, they will have to learn to use advertising and not my home phone.

In other news

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

The government has managed in a surprisingly small amount of time to compile a database linking phone numbers and email addresses with 41M entries.

I'm sure it'll be used only for opt-in telemarketting. I mean, what else could be done [whitehouse.gov] with such a database?

Re:Do-Not-Spam

[The Old Burke]

Actually the government just did this.
From the donotcall.gov registartion page:

Your email address MUST be correct to process your registration.

This list is The list to get their hands on for spammers. 41m real email-addresse!!
Wonder how long it takes before some enterprising governmental employee "accidentaly" copied the A part of the list and oooppps burnt it on a CD-ROM and ooopps put it in a shippment to Baton Rouge....

Actually, IMHO the government should forsee this and grabbing the oppurtunity. This list could bring in a lot of money if used or sold in the right way. This money could in turn be given back as tax cuts that boosts the economy or the money could be used in the fight aginst spam/terror and/or drugs.

Great source of telephone numbers

[W33dz]

I can't help but wonder how long it will take before some offshore telemarketing company uses this lovely list as a source for valid numbers? Yes, yes, it will be illegal. No, no, the man in Malaysia doesn't care, and the company selling the goods has deniability because the marketing is outsourced. FWIW, I signed up last month.

Re:Cell Phone Number

[Surreal_Streaker]

Can telemarketers call your cell phone number? Do you need to put your cell number on the do not call list or is it already protected since you pay on a time basis?

Do you currently get telemarketing calls to your cell phone?
If not, what benifit do you expect from registering your phone number?
Have you considered that there might be a downside to registering?

Good way for phone company to make money

[mfrank]

One of the phone companies needs to come up with a service where if you get an unwanted call, you can press *38 (star-F-U) and the caller gets billed a dollar. They'd make a fortune.

Charity begins on the phone...

[jefu]

I've said a couple times that I expect soon for the telemarketers to make deals with charities, so that they'll be calling on behalf of the charity but selling the same old crap. That way they'll be immune to the do-not-call list.

I've been told I'm far too cynical about that though and that it will never happen. If I were a betting human though I'd place a bet on it and I'd say it will be about October that you'll start getting the calls from them.

Then they'll figure out how to use the "existing business relationship angle" and the do not call registry will be worth all the paper its EULA is printed on.

Re:This would be great if it worked

[El]

This sounds like the Oregon Department of Agriculture. Operating on the "it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission" they came out and set up an insect trap on my property (never mind the 6 "no trespassing" signs) with a "call this number to have the trap removed" message on the side. Of course, every time I called the number, it told me "this voice mail box is full and cannot record any more messages!" Arrghh!!! If you think the State feels any obligation to look out for your rights as an individual, you're delusional.

Re:This is a horrible idea

[raygundan]

You have got to be kidding. I have, over the last 8 to 10 years, asked to be added to the do-not-call list of EVERY TELEMARKETER who called my house when I was home to answer. I *STILL* got 3 or 4 calls a day from telemarketers during the evening hours when I was home. Suing? Yeah, right. You folks may be required by law to identify yourselves, but just TRY to prove which calling center called you from the end of the average telephone user. Centers call on the behalf of multiple companies, and we have no idea which center you're calling from. If I ask who you are, you fuckers hang up. You block my goddamn caller ID. I go right back on your lists every time I move, and you seem to have a hard time finding where you put that darned list in the first place-- because NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I ASK TO BE REMOVED, my average daily number of telemarketing calls DOES NOT CHANGE. If centers are actually no longer calling, they must be notifying other centers to pick up the slack, or closing down and moving to a new office every 3 months so they can pitch the list and be a "new call center".

The only thing that stopped it was my state's do-not-call list. This new DNC list adds another level of federal fun to the overwhelming national sentiment that telemarketing sucks poop right out of a hose attached to the collective asses of every cow in North America. Don't freaking call me. And don't take jobs that violate your principles, especially if you "don't care if they shut down tomorrow."

No, we couldn't have stopped it "a long time ago". We tried and tried. Now, the law has been changed, and we have a reasonable recourse. Don't like it? Well, golly-gosh-dangit-- too bad.

Fscking exemption for broadcasters

[Anonymous Coward]

Cellphone numbers can be added to the DNC list.

BUT... in a recent order [fcc.gov] this is what the FCC said in paragraph 145:

The Commission sought comment on calls made by radio stations or television broadcasters that encourage telephone subscribers to tune in at a particular time for a chance to win a prize or similar opportunity. . . . We conclude that if the purpose of the message is merely to invite a consumer to listen to or view a broadcast, such message is permitted under the current rules as a commercial call that "does not include the transmission of any unsolicited advertisement" and under the amended rules as "a commercial call that does not include or introduce an unsolicited advertisement or constitute a telephone solicitation."

Since the National DNC list only applies to "telephone solicitations" and the junk fax prohibition only applies to "unsolicited advertisements" ... Calls and faxes promoting radio and TV brodcasts are exempt!

So you will soon find yourselves innundated with Norm MacDonald and others calling you incessently to "watch the Norm MacDonald Show on ABC" and you won't be able to stop them.

Some people are trying to get the FCC to close this loophole, and the FCC has asked for additional comments to be submitted... so submit yours [tcpalaw.com] .