"Do Not Call" List Could Become Permanent

Thu Sep 13, 2007 12:31PM EDT

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You know and love the Do Not Call list. It may not be perfect, and it seems powerless to stop the automated calls I get from some company promising a great price on cleaning my carpets (and they'll clean the hallway for free!!!), but it's the best thing we have for getting rid of telemarketing nuisance.

The catch with Do Not Call (and it's a small one) is that your registration expires after five years. For the millions of people who signed up when it was rolled out in June 2003, that means their phone numbers (to the tune of 50 million of them) will abruptly be taken off the list in June 2008, without warning. You can, of course, re-register, but I expect many will have long since forgotten that they need to do so.

Good news: A bill introduced in the House on Monday would make Do Not Call entries permanent, eliminating the need to re-register phone numbers. Why is permanence a good thing? Best quote, courtesy of bill sponsor Mike Doyle: "I suspect very few people are saying, 'Gee, I really miss getting those telemarketing calls at dinner time – I wish the government would take me off the do not call list.'"

More news as it develops, but overall it sounds like legislation I can really get behind. To find out when your Do Not Call entry expires, visit the Verify section of the DNC website. To renew your registration (and there's no reason not to do so), visit the Register page. Assuming the bill doesn't make it into law in a timely fashion, make sure you do so before your five years runs out!

LINK: Bill Would Make 'Do Not Call' List Permanent 

Comments on "Do Not Call" List Could Become Permanent

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  • 6 Posted by s2kreno on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:59PM EDT Report Abuse

    Definitely support this legislation. I wish the phone companies would have some function like a spam key on email - when you get a "spam" call you could push a button and block that number forever! I get sick of telling people to stop calling me and being ignored. And yes I'm on the list, but apparently if you do business with someone once or make an inquiry once they have the right to bug you forever....not nice :[

  • 7 Posted by dewaltdakota on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:42PM EDT Report Abuse

    I wish they would expand it, to include an option for keeping political organizations and charities from calling. I swear, I never received as many calls from them, until I added my number to the do not call list. They must use the list as a "hey, these are confirmed, active numbers ... let's call them!" list.

  • 8 Posted by perkins1375 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:07PM EDT Report Abuse

    I love how everyone misses the point here. Was Walmart calling you? What about Home Depot? No...it was smaller, locally owned business that can't afford television ad and branding campaigns. Now the big guys don't have to worry about that little bit of the market they were sharing. The fact that did'nt get tossed around is that usually these telemarketing firms that were put out of business were the leading employer of the disabled and single mothers. re: Unskilled labor that was kicked back into the work force at HALF the income or onto unemployemt and welfare roles. How many people out of work and out of business in the name of our convenience.

  • 9 Posted by tef43too on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:59PM EDT Report Abuse

    Do Not Call should expand to also prohibit charities, surveys and political calls. They are just as annoying, just as intrusive, and shold be just as illegal.

  • 10 Posted by familysleuth007 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:58PM EDT Report Abuse

    Now if they would just include political call in the DoNotCall catagories I would be supremely happy. Normally we get maybe one call a day and some days the phone doesn't ring at all until election time rolls around. Then it rings off the hook, 20 or 30 times a day!!

  • 11 Posted by janstiffler on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:28PM EDT Report Abuse

    Thanks so much for the input and the info on The Do Not Call List!!! I WANT to get on it right now!!!!

  • 12 Posted by wendyjean2001 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:42PM EDT Report Abuse

    I think some type of text message or email to those registered when their time on the list is about to expire would be a great thing. I am not sure who would coordinate that, but in this technological world, it would seem that a computer programmer could figure this out.

  • 13 Posted by dds3166 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    THE NEXT TIME A TELEMARKETER CALL JUST SAY HOLD ON A MINUTE AND PUT THE PHONE DOWN THIS WASTE THERE TIME!!!!!!!

  • 14 Posted by wcrosby2004 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:42PM EDT Report Abuse

    I wish they could outlaw spam emails. I'm tired of winning some lottery or being offered some 500k grant....hardy..hah..ha

  • 15 Posted by mrmichigan25508 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:28PM EDT Report Abuse

    the do not call registry is the best way to keep telemarketers from annoying you i just re-signed for another 5 years and my registration expires in 2012.who ever thought of this i would like to shake there hand and give them a pat on the back..now the do not call registry now that's cool...

  • 16 Posted by frogtown49 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:03PM EDT Report Abuse

    I've taken the time to post all my numbers for a very good reason! I don't want the nuisance calls now and never will. I call when I want or need something, that's what the yellow pages are for! Don't call me, I'll call you. We get enough phone calls on a daily basis without getting the unsolicitated and unwanted calls. I shouldn't have to pay extra monthly for unlisted/unpublished phone number because some fool can't no for an anwer. I've actually had a telemarketer say to me after my telling that person no several times "Ma'm, you don't understand", I understand perfectly that I'm telling them no and they won't give up. I end up hanging up and I don't like to do that, it's not my nature to be rude. The do not call list has been the perfect answer for me and to many others I know. I'll keep reregistering until my dying breath! Like I said, when I need you, I'll call you.

  • 17 Posted by dunebahabuggy49 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    Please, make is so!!! if u live in a house with someone dying of cancer, the phone ringing with some moron trying to sell u something u don't want or need, its awful, plus it disturbes ur luv one, so please make it permanant!!!!!!!!!!!!!! b-lady

  • 18 Posted by jareth_2005 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:28PM EDT Report Abuse

    I just got a new cell phone and signed up. I think it should be permanent. With a cell phone, they could run up someones minutes as well.

  • 19 Posted by aka_effie on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:48PM EDT Report Abuse

    SNEAKY FOLKS! I have put my cell phones and my home phone on the Do Not Call list. I believe it was for all 800/888#'s. SO now these companies are calling from actual area codes. They are only recordings so you cannot answer and tell them to STOP calling me. You have to call that long distanct # to do that. Perhaps the 'live' telemarketers got tired of getting chewed out! I wish they would ban these folks all together, get a job at McD's instead, at least that place makes some folks happy. Thanks!!!!!

  • 20 Posted by fivekidsandadog on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:00PM EDT Report Abuse

    If they only go out five years 2012 is the best you can hope for in 2007.

  • 21 Posted by sweet_t_girl65 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:52PM EDT Report Abuse

    I want them to add political messages and those annoying charity calls to the list of entities that must respect the list. Giving to a charity should be because you want to, not because you were hounded into it. They are every bit as annoying and just as pushy.

  • 22 Posted by blkjet77 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:09PM EDT Report Abuse

    I am laughing too. people complain about getting calls during dinner, family time, etc. WHY NOT JUST TURN YOUR RINGER OFF WHEN YOU DON'T WANT TO BE BOTHERED????

  • 23 Posted by cyzre on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:33PM EDT Report Abuse

    That is all great, but what if a party moves and releases their phone number then someone else gets the number - will that number go off the do not call list? What if the new owner of the phone number does NOT want to be on the do not call list? I know many are saying, "Why would anyone want to be called by telemarketers?" Yet, some of do find SOME of those telemarketing calls interesting, useful, and not really a bother at all. All it takes if you don't want the call is to hang up the phone. If you don't want to be disturbed at dinner, unplug the phone or turn off the ringer and turn it back on after dinner. What if your friends are trying to call then? Do you really want to talk to your friende during dinner? What if it is an emergency? How long would you have thephone off for dinner? The average American household doesn't sit down together at dinner anyway - those that do usually spend 15 minutes or less. Voice mail works wonders. If you are really worried about emergency calls get a pager for emergency calls only! So you will know, no, I am not a telemarketer, but I did spend some time as one in my past. I find most telemarketing calls short and to the point and once in a while they have information of which I was not aware. Yes, I have purchased ites from telemarketers, and set appointments with telemarketers. Could I have found out about those things other ways? possibly, but if I didn't know to look for them - how would I find them? Already this post is too long! Good luck and God Bless!

  • 24 Posted by declaude on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:40PM EDT Report Abuse

    HAHAHA!!! You guys are hilarious. There are so many "Do Not" lists I would LOVE to create... do not spam e-mail, do not drive slow in the fast lane, etc. As for the spam cell phone calls, you are supposedly able to register that number on the national do not call list as well. Funny thing is, there's a big disclaimer about how it's untrue that cell phones will start being bombarded with telemarketers... YEAH RIGHT!!!

  • 25 Posted by sjramsdale on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:25PM EDT Report Abuse

    To anybody who hates junk mail. This won't take care of all the garbage, but it gives me great joy! If there's a postage paid envelope inside, remove any information that could identify you as the receipient, put it in the envelope and mail it (free) back to the sender.

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