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For Release:
August 26, 2003
41.7 Million Telephone
Numbers Registered on Do Not Call List
Data Transfer By 14 States
Increases Number By 9 Million
Nine million additional consumer telephone
numbers were transferred recently from state do not call lists
to the National Do Not Call Registry, bringing the total number
of telephone numbers registered to 41.7 million. Consumers
who add their telephone numbers to the National Do Not Call
Registry by midnight on Sunday, August 31, 2003, should experience
a significant reduction in unwanted telemarketing calls beginning
October 1, 2003. Telemarketers will be permitted to purchase
the registry as of September 1 and compliance with the list
is required as of October 1. Consumers may continue to register
after August 31, but will not see a reduction in unwanted
calls until 90 days after their registration. A chart showing
the registrations for each state is available at http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2003/08/030825drs.htm.
The FTC reminds consumers that not all
telemarketing calls will end on October 1. Consumers may still
receive calls for 18 months from businesses from which they
have made a purchase or payment. If a consumer has requested
information from a company, that company may call them for
three months. Charities, political organizations, and organizations
conducting surveys are not covered by the Do Not Call provisions.
The FTC also reminds consumers that the
Do Not Call Internet registration is a two-step process that
requires consumers to enter the phone number they wish to
register and their email address, and then confirm their registration
by clicking on a link in the e-mail from the National Do Not
Call Registry to confirm their registration.
The FTC advises all consumers who registered
at donotcall.gov, and who do not remember clicking on a link
in an e-mail they received from the site, to return to the
National Registry and verify whether their number is registered.
Consumers may verify their numbers either on the Internet
at donotcall.gov or by using the toll-free number: 1-888-382-1222
(TTY 1-866-290-4236). When using the telephone, consumers
must call from the number they wish to verify.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Cathy MacFarlane
Office of Public Affairs
202-326-2710
(http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2003/08/dnc1wk.htm)
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