Ramsey County

Making $ense of Dollars and Cents

June 2, 2008

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE NATIONAL DO NOT CALL REGISTRY

           Since June of 2003, the National Do Not Call Registry has accepted registrations from phone owners who wanted a few less calls coming into their home or personal cell phone.  The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched the National Do Not Call Registry to give Americans a choice about getting telemarketing calls at home. According to a recent Harris Interactive poll, 92 percent of people who reported placing a number on the registry said they are receiving fewer calls; a total of 78 percent said they’re getting “far fewer calls” or none at all.

          If you put your number on the National Do Not Call Registry, and you’re still getting telemarketing sales calls, the Federal Trade Commission recommends that you check to see that your number is actually on the registry. You can verify that your number is on the registry two ways: online at DONOTCALL.GOV (click on “Verify A Registration”), or by calling 1-888-382-1222 (TTY 1-866-290-4236) from the phone number you wish to verify.

          You also can add your number to the registry using the same Web site or phone number (be sure to call from the number you want to register). If you register online, you will receive an email from donotcall.gov as part of the confirmation process. You will need to click on the link in this email within 72 hours after you receive it. If you don’t click on the link in the email, the number you attempted to register will not be added to the registry, and telemarketers may continue to call.

          Once your number has been on the registry for 31 days, most telemarketing calls will stop.

           Once your number has been on the Registry for 31 days, you still may get calls from, or on behalf of:

          -Political organizations, charities, and pollsters

          - Companies with whom you have an existing business relationship

          - Companies you’ve given permission to call

          -  A company may call you for 18 months after you make a purchase or three months after you submit an inquiry or application. If you ask a company for information about their product, it may call for three months.

          If you receive calls from a company you do not have a relationship with — or from a company you have told not to call you — report it. Jot down the name and number of the caller, and the date and time of the call.

          - To report phone fraud, visit FTC.gov or call 1-877-FTC-HELP.

          - To report violations of the National Do Not Call Registry, visit DoNotCall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222.

          Your complaint will be entered into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a database that is used by law enforcement agencies across the country and around the world. It can help them track down scam artists, detect patterns in their calls, find other victims, and ultimately, stop the fraud.

          Registrations on the Do Not Call Registry do not expire. Your number is on the Do Not Call list until you take it off, or your number is disconnected and re-assigned to someone else.

          The Do Not Call law requires telemarketers to search the registry every 31 days and avoid calling any phone numbers that are on the registry. A telemarketer who disregards the National Do Not Call Registry could be fined up to $11,000 for each call.

          Carefully read any questionnaires or surveys you submit; they may be an attempt to establish a business relationship. Also be careful to read anything you sign, such as sweepstakes forms or requests for "free" products; they may be attempts to get your written permission.

          If you change your mind about being on the National Do Not Call Registry – and some people do - you can delete your phone number only by calling toll-free 1-888-382-1222 from the telephone number you want to delete. After you contact the registry to delete it, it will be removed from the National Do Not Call Registry by the next day.

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524 4th Ave NE #5, 2nd Floor Ramsey County Courthouse
Devils Lake  ND  58301
701-662-7027
email - ramsey@ndsuext.nodak.edu