Don't Forget to Renew Your DoNotCall.org Listing!

Around five years ago the government launched a website called www.donotcall.gov, in which you could submit your telephone number to avoid being called by telemarketers. What people have forgotten is that the submission is only good for five years. Therefore if you submitted your number when the website first was created, it is time to resubmit your number. Otherwise, your number will be available to start receiving phone calls again this year.

Remember that telemarketers have 31 days from when you submit the number to stop calling you. Organizations engaged in charitable, political or survey work are exempt. Companies that have an established business relationship with a customer also may call for up to 18 months after the last purchase, payment or delivery.

According to Yahoo News, in the first week of the program back in June of 2003 people signed up 18 million numbers. The registry now has more than 149 million phone numbers.

Also according to Yahoo News, while polls have shown consumers reporting far fewer unwanted phone calls, some telemarketers continue to violate the law. Since the registry began, the government has filed cases against more than 30 companies, resulting in $8.8 million in civil penalties and $8.6 million in redress to consumers and forfeitures.

There has been an urban legend going around that cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketers, and that these numbers now need to be added to the list. This is not true - Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations prohibit telemarketers from using automated dialers to call cell phone numbers. Automated dialers are standard in the industry, so most telemarketers are barred from calling consumers on their cell phones without their consent. For more information on this false email and its claims see the article, 'The Truth About Cell Phones and and the Do Not Call Registry."

To submit or resubmit your number, go to www.donotcall.gov. Make sure that you use a valid email address when you submit your number, and that you actually click on the link in the email they send you. Otherwise, your number will not be added to the list.

- Presario