If you're not aware, the FTC is creating a National "Do Not Call" registry. Here's the quote from their website:
Calendar for Implementation of the National "Do Not Call" Registry
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is creating a national "do not call" registry. Soon, the following will occur:
Telephone registration for the National "Do Not Call" Registry will be available to consumers coast-to-coast during July 2003. Online registration will be available nationwide on or around July 1. Telephone registration will open for consumers in states west of the Mississippi River—including Minnesota and Louisiana—on the same date. Telephone registration will be available one week later to the entire country.
In September, telemarketers and other sellers will have access to the registry. They will be required to scrub their call lists against the national "do not call" registry at least once every 90 days.
In October, the FTC and the States will start to enforce the national "do not call" registry provisions of the Amended Telemarketing Sales Rule. Violators are subject to a fine of up to $11,000 per violation. At this point, consumers on the registry should start to get fewer telemarketing calls.
The FTC's implementation schedule for the national "do not call" registry will be updated at www.ftc.gov/donotcall.
I can't wait until I can pick up my phone without having to monitor calls. Unfortunately, I have a feeling Telemarketers are going to find away around this problem. I haven't read the bill, but if it doesn't state so, it should state that before a Telemarketer can operate off a new list, that the list must be purged. I can just see some company opening up a new "business" every 89 days to get around this law if the bill doesn't explicitly state that new lists have to be purged before calling. Either that, or they simply will risk the fine—assuming nobody's going to bother taking them to court (after all not many people have the extra time or money to do this.)
Robi Sen has some more information on this subject over at his blog. He's actually the one who sent me the link to begin with.
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