Do Not Call List About To Expire
Do Not Call List Expiring Next Summer
Currently, 149 million phone numbers are on the federal Do Not Call list. The feds can’t claim total success. There are still telemarketers out there skirting, bending and outright ignoring the law. The Federal Trade Commission has brought more than two dozen enforcement actions against companies large and small. The Federal Communications Commission has issued dozens of citations regarding violations and announced consent decrees with several companies, including T-Mobile and AT&T. The Do Not Call list doesn’t apply to:
- Charities
- Polticians
- Surveys
- Companies Who Had Prior Business Relationship With You
There’s little doubt that the federal Do Not Call list has made dinnertimes much quieter across the nation.
There’s just one problem: Registration of your number on the Do Not Call list isn’t permanent. After five years, the ban on calling your number is lifted unless you renew your registration. FTC spokesman Mitch Katz recommends waiting until next summer to renewing the registration, “By renewing now, you shave at least a year off the protection time you’d otherwise get. If you were one of the early sign-ups, as I was, you’d get protection until summer 2013 if you renew in 2008, when the current five-year period expires. By renewing this year, I’d be protected only until 2012.” Then again, you might not care, particularly if the penalty for forgetting to renew is having to talk to some jerk about time shares.
