FTC tightens no-call rule for telemarketers
December 20, 2004
Businesses required to 'scrub' call lists every 31 days
Inman News
Beginning Jan. 1, 2005, the Federal Trade Commission's Telemarketing Sales Rule will require telemarketers to access the National Do Not Call Registry and purge newly registered numbers from their call lists every 31 days.
Since March 2004, the rule required telemarketers to "scrub" their lists quarterly.
Monthly updates for telemarketers will be available at https://telemarketing.donotcall.gov at no cost. Telemarketers are required annually to renew their subscriptions to the National Do Not Call Registry at a fee of $40 per area code, with a maximum fee of $11,000 for any entity accessing 280 area codes or more. Entities may access the first five area codes of data for free. The Do Not Call Web site for telemarketers will inform them when their subscription account numbers expire and give them renewal instructions.
To date, consumers have registered approximately 81 million telephone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry. Consumers may register home and cell phone numbers by visiting www.donotcall.gov or by calling 1-888-382-1222 from the telephone number they wish to register.
The FTC aims to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish (bilingual counselors are available to take complaints), or to get free information on any of 150 consumer topics, call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357), or use the complaint form at http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/complaint.htm. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
Copyright 2004 Inman News
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