Signup Against Telemarketer Calls Starts Friday

Yahoo News ^ | 6/26/03 | Andy Sullivan

[Libloather]

Signup Against Telemarketer Calls Starts Friday
1 hour, 46 minutes ago
By Andy Sullivan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. households tired of unwanted telemarketing calls can begin registering on Friday for a national "do not call list" due to be launched by President Bush.

Telemarketers who call numbers on the list after Oct. 1 face penalties of up to $11,000 per call under the popular measure that Bush will kick off in a White House Rose Garden ceremony at 8:30 a.m. EDT.

The measure got a boost from the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday when the agency voted 5-0 to support the list announced by the Federal Trade Commission last year in response to consumer complaints.

The FCC's endorsement fills a number of gaps in the program, roping in banks, telephone companies, insurance companies and other heavy telemarketers who fall outside the FTC's jurisdiction.

"This is the most sweeping consumer-protection measure ever adopted by the Federal Communications Commission," FCC Chairman Michael Powell said.

Consumers will be able to sign up for the list through a toll-free number or on the Web. The FTC already maintains a home page for the list at http://www.ftc.gov/donotcall.

The list will be funded by telemarketers who can also be sued directly by consumers for damages of up to $500 per call.

Exceptions to the list will still remain. Nonprofit and political callers will not have to comply with the new rule, and businesses will be free to call customers for 18 months after a sale -- although they must honor consumer requests not to be called back.

Sales calls made within one state will fall under the new national rules, setting a baseline above which states can set tougher guidelines if they wish.

The FCC vote drew a mixed response from telemarketing groups that have lobbied furiously against the list and filed lawsuits that are pending to block its implementation.

The Direct Marketing Association said telemarketing companies would have an easier time complying with one national do-not-call list, rather than the dozens of state-specific registries.

The American Teleservices Association said the FCC bowed to political pressure to impose unconstitutional restrictions on the industry, and did not consider the 2 million telemarketers whose jobs will be put at risk.

"You don't know who's interested in an offer until they have an opportunity to hear it," said ATA Executive Director Tim Searcy. "It implies that consumers can make a choice prior to having a choice to make."

[Libloather]

...face penalties of up to $11,000 per call...

The loot should go to the disrupted household that's called after placing it's number on that list...

[templar]

"You don't know who's interested in an offer until they have an opportunity to hear it," said ATA Executive Director Tim Searcy. "It implies that consumers can make a choice prior to having a choice to make."

The coice as I under stand it, Tim, is to decline having offers being made in the first place. A choice that was previously not easily availble to the consumer.

[LibWhacker]

Nonprofit and political callers will not have to comply . . .

So who else will get this list? I guess all telemarketers will get it because they have to know whom not to call, correct?

Don't know about this . . . Think I'll wait.

[GATOR NAVY]

Just what I was going to say.

[tutstar]

ping

[TomGuy]

I bet that website crashes by noon with all the people trying to sign up.

Telemarketing ranks right down there with used car salesmen, lawyers, and bottom-feeder-mudsucking-catfish.

[WKB]

I signed up today for the State of Mississippi "no call" list and this is the repley I got.

This program is designed to reduce the number of calls residential subscribers receive from telemarketers. It will not eliminate all telemarketing calls. The following solicitors (telemarketers) are exempt from participating in the No Call program:

1) An entity that does not make the major sales presentation during the call,
2) An entity that does not try to complete the sale during the call,
3) An entity with no intent to complete the sale on the call, but arranges a face-to-face meeting with the consumer to complete the sale,
4) Mississippi licensed real estate agents,
5) Mississippi licensed motor vehicle dealers,
6) Mississippi licensed Insurance agents,
7) Registered securities brokers and investment advisors,
8) Registered charitable organizations or callers on their behalf that receive no compensation,
9) Newspapers,
10) Financial institutions with a physical location in Mississippi that are subject to supervision by an official state or federal agency,
11) Mississippi licensed funeral homes, and 12) Companies you have an established business relationship with or had a relationship with during the past six months.
Why Bother?

[AlaskaErik]

"You don't know who's interested in an offer until they have an opportunity to hear it," said ATA Executive Director Tim Searcy. "It implies that consumers can make a choice prior to having a choice to make."

I can't believe that these parasites won't give it up. I don't care what any telemarketer's pitch is...I don't want to hear about it...period! And that is my choice.

[Numbers Guy]

I signed up for the DMA no call list in February. I went from 5 "OUT OF AREA" telemarketing calls per day on my caller ID to maybe 1-2 per week. It's definitely worth a try. I did it via regular mail (not the $5 immediate online option), and calls started to be reduced a year later.

http://www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offtelephonedave

[Numbers Guy]

Correction, not "a year later". A "month later". Sheez, that was one hell of a mistake for me to make.

[DAnconia55]

Unconstitutional.

And anti-freedom as well.

[manic4organic]

OK, great. Now, how do I eliminate these freakin' "pop-under" ads I get online???

[Blue Screen of Death]

Texas started a no call list a year ago or so. It has reduced the annoying calls to my house by about 90%. Next lets go after spammers. Forget the $11,000 and go for slow death with public torture for the spam pukes.

[Libloather]

And anti-freedom as well.

Isn't there some sort of freedom not to be bothered by people whose services you do not seek, yet won't cough up their phone number just to make sure you can't call them?

[njmaugbill]

All these laws will be ruled unconstutitional when the newspapers, whose main way to sell, is to telemarket, sue for their first amendment rights.

Bill

[Libloather]

...when the newspapers, whose main way to sell, is to telemarket, sue for their first amendment rights.

Just as long as I can sue them for littering when they 'promote' themselves by spewing useless newsprint and plastic on my front lawn - even after I demand they stop.

[ETERNAL WARMING]

And anti-freedom as well.

Huh? I pay the phone bill. Why do they have the right to annoy me all night? I should have the right to say NO. When THEY pay my phone bill, I'll consider letting them annoy me.

[Revolting cat!]

These compromises that we like so much in this country are often bass ackward! I have to join a club in effect when I don't want to join the club? The head spins. Insanity legalized! Let the folks who do wish to receive unsolicited telephone calls from barely employable halfwits who can't pronounce their names sign up for call-me-I'm-lonely lists!
I don't want no calls and ! don't want to be on no lists, is that clear?

[ETERNAL WARMING]

"You don't know who's interested in an offer until they have an opportunity to hear it,"

BS. If I want it, I'll find it, and all without my dinner being interrupted. :0)

And my sleep, I might add. I live in the West. About once every three months, I'm woken by the phone ringing between 4:00 and 5:00 in the morning. It's telemarketers who have forgotten to turn off their ^&^^%%$ auto-dialing machines! THAT is upsetting! You always imagine some dire tragedy and it's one of those *&*(&& machines!

[Libloather]

I don't want no calls and ! don't want to be on no lists, is that clear?

The BIG question - would you ever buy anything over the phone?

My answer is always - no...