National Do-Not-Call Set To Open Early Friday Morning
Posted: 7:30 a.m. EDT June 26, 2003
For all those angered by a barrage of telemarketing calls that happen just as dinner is on the table -- signing up for relief is just around the corner.
The
Federal Trade Commission is prepared to launch a national do-not-call list that will help people block many telemarketing calls.
The free service, first proposed last year, is set to begin registering at 12:01 a.m. Friday morning, Eastern time.
The FTC says consumers will be able to sign up at DoNotCall.gov by providing the phone number they want protected and an e-mail address so they can receive a confirmation message. The only identifying information kept will be the phone number.
Telephone registration at (888) 382-1222 will begin at the same time in states west of the Mississippi River, including Minnesota and Louisiana. Nationwide registration should be available about 10 days later.
The National "Do Not Call" Registry will give consumers a choice about the number of telemarketing calls they receive at home. Online registration will be available to consumers who have an e-mail account. To register by phone, consumers will need to call from the number they wish to register.
Telemarketers will be required to access the registry to "scrub" their calling lists beginning in September 2003, and consumers who place their phone numbers on the registry this summer should see a decrease in calls after Oct. 1, 2003.
The Federal Communications Commission is to vote Thursday on whether the industries whose calls it regulates, including airlines, banks and telephone companies, will also be subject to the FTC program.
Discuss Telemarketers
Copyright 2003 by TheIndyChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.