WASHINGTON – Government officials are preparing to disseminate a list of off-limits numbers to telemarketers and encouraged consumers to sign up for the list before Labor Day if they wish to see a quick decline in unwanted sales calls.
Individuals irritated by telemarketing calls have placed some 41.7 million home and cell phone numbers on a national "do-not-call" list that will become effective in October, the Federal Trade Commission said.
Telemarketers will be able to check the list starting Tuesday, Sept. 2, to ensure they do not call those numbers. As of Oct. 1, those who ignore the list face consumer lawsuits and penalties of up to $11,000 per call.
The head of the Federal Communication Commission's consumer affairs bureau encouraged consumers to sign up for the list by Sunday night if they want to see a decline in telemarketing calls by October. Those who sign up after Sunday will have to wait an additional three months before telemarketers stop calling them, K. Dane Snowden said.
"Individuals want to have some control over the telephone calls coming into their homes every day," Snowden said.
The list is free to consumers, who can register by calling 888/382-1222 or logging on to http://www.donotcall.gov. Telemarketers will pay up to $7,375 annually to access the list.
Source: Reuters