WHY THEY ARE CALLING AGAIN?
August 2007
Lately I have noticed that I have been getting an increasing number of those bothersome telemarketing calls at all hours of the day and night. What’s troubling about this is that I registered for the “National Do Not Call Registry” when I moved into my new apartment about one year ago. So what happened and more importantly, why am I getting three to five telemarketing calls per day?
Well as it turns out I went to the National Do Not Call Registry web site at www.donotcall.gov and found out that the numbers I had registered were for some reason dropped from the system, but more on that in a moment.
The National Do Not Call Registry was set up by the Federal Trade Commission back in 2003. Its goal was to alert telemarketers to people who wished not to be called. The FTC literally has millions and millions of numbers in its data base. Telemarketers covered by the National Do Not Call Registry have up to 31 days from the date you register to stop calling you. Your registration is supposed to be good for five years and is effective 24 hours after you register online.
That’s how things are supposed to work but since we are dealing with a huge governmental agency (AKA Bureaucracy) and computers, things do not always work out as planned. So being the intrepid reporter I am trying to be, I thought I would call the FTC and get some official comment. Easier said than done. I called their media center in Washington but was told that since “Lee Reports” is not a recognized member of the media (at least not yet) I would have to call their help line to find out why my number was apparently dropped from the system.
After being switched around a few times I was told that sometimes numbers are just dropped from the system through computer glitches. I was advised that it would be a good idea to check to see if I were registered every six to twelve months even though the registration is supposed to be good for five years. Just another example of our tax dollars at work!
According to the FTC’s own website, just registering for the Do Not Call Registry down not guarantee that those dinnertime calls will stop. However, placing your number on the National Do Not Call Registry will stop most telemarketing calls, but not all. Due to limitations in the jurisdiction of the FTC and FCC, calls from, or on behalf of, political organizations, charities, and telephone surveyors would still be permitted, as would calls from companies with which you have an existing business relationship, or those to whom you’ve provided express agreement in writing to receive their calls. In addition calls from registered charities and political organizations are not covered by the registry.
If you buy a product from a company and fill out the product’s registration card, that company is permitted to call you because it is deemed that since you purchased a product from that company, you have a business relationship with them. That company may call you for up to 18 months after your last purchase or delivery from it, or your last payment to it, unless you ask the company not to call again. In that case, the company must honor your request not to call. If they subsequently call you again, they may be subject to a fine of up to $11,000.
So the bottom line is to visit www.donotcall.gov to verify the status of your registration, especially if you notice a pick up in unwanted telemarketing calls. If you do not have access to email then you call the FTC at 1-888-382-1222. You can also report violations on the same site. If you still have questions the FTC has a very comprehensive list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt107.shtm .
Lee Degenstein has covered the financial markets for print and broadcast media for more than 15 years. Mr. Degenstein was also the news director and morning anchor at two major radio stations in New Jersey. He has been a reporter/contributor to United Press International, The Associated Press, The Mutual Broadcasting System and New York 1 News. A winner of the Associated Press award for 'best business story' he lives and works in New York City. Mr. Degenstein can be reached by email at: lee723@verizon.net
© Copyright 2007, Lee Degenstein.
All rights reserved
www.leereports.blogspot.com
Lately I have noticed that I have been getting an increasing number of those bothersome telemarketing calls at all hours of the day and night. What’s troubling about this is that I registered for the “National Do Not Call Registry” when I moved into my new apartment about one year ago. So what happened and more importantly, why am I getting three to five telemarketing calls per day?
Well as it turns out I went to the National Do Not Call Registry web site at www.donotcall.gov and found out that the numbers I had registered were for some reason dropped from the system, but more on that in a moment.
The National Do Not Call Registry was set up by the Federal Trade Commission back in 2003. Its goal was to alert telemarketers to people who wished not to be called. The FTC literally has millions and millions of numbers in its data base. Telemarketers covered by the National Do Not Call Registry have up to 31 days from the date you register to stop calling you. Your registration is supposed to be good for five years and is effective 24 hours after you register online.
That’s how things are supposed to work but since we are dealing with a huge governmental agency (AKA Bureaucracy) and computers, things do not always work out as planned. So being the intrepid reporter I am trying to be, I thought I would call the FTC and get some official comment. Easier said than done. I called their media center in Washington but was told that since “Lee Reports” is not a recognized member of the media (at least not yet) I would have to call their help line to find out why my number was apparently dropped from the system.
After being switched around a few times I was told that sometimes numbers are just dropped from the system through computer glitches. I was advised that it would be a good idea to check to see if I were registered every six to twelve months even though the registration is supposed to be good for five years. Just another example of our tax dollars at work!
According to the FTC’s own website, just registering for the Do Not Call Registry down not guarantee that those dinnertime calls will stop. However, placing your number on the National Do Not Call Registry will stop most telemarketing calls, but not all. Due to limitations in the jurisdiction of the FTC and FCC, calls from, or on behalf of, political organizations, charities, and telephone surveyors would still be permitted, as would calls from companies with which you have an existing business relationship, or those to whom you’ve provided express agreement in writing to receive their calls. In addition calls from registered charities and political organizations are not covered by the registry.
If you buy a product from a company and fill out the product’s registration card, that company is permitted to call you because it is deemed that since you purchased a product from that company, you have a business relationship with them. That company may call you for up to 18 months after your last purchase or delivery from it, or your last payment to it, unless you ask the company not to call again. In that case, the company must honor your request not to call. If they subsequently call you again, they may be subject to a fine of up to $11,000.
So the bottom line is to visit www.donotcall.gov to verify the status of your registration, especially if you notice a pick up in unwanted telemarketing calls. If you do not have access to email then you call the FTC at 1-888-382-1222. You can also report violations on the same site. If you still have questions the FTC has a very comprehensive list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt107.shtm .
Lee Degenstein has covered the financial markets for print and broadcast media for more than 15 years. Mr. Degenstein was also the news director and morning anchor at two major radio stations in New Jersey. He has been a reporter/contributor to United Press International, The Associated Press, The Mutual Broadcasting System and New York 1 News. A winner of the Associated Press award for 'best business story' he lives and works in New York City. Mr. Degenstein can be reached by email at: lee723@verizon.net
© Copyright 2007, Lee Degenstein.
All rights reserved
www.leereports.blogspot.com
posted by Lee Degenstein | 8:34 AM
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