How can I get my number off telemarketing lists?

- Agent-99

Posted on Jun 22, 2011 in Other stuff, Tech & internet

phone phone numbers sales telemarketers

If I have to get up from dinner one more time just to yell “NO” into the phone at someone, I might snap. Help! How can I get my phone number taken off telemarketers’ lists?

Dialing for distraction

Yeah, we’ve all been there. You’re about to sit down to dinner with your family, the one time you get to see everyone in one place all day long and…

*ringring*
“Hello?”
“Hi, would you be interested in a timeshare in Afghanis-”
*click*

Telemarkers are quite possibly the most annoying thing known to humankind. Here’s how you can get rid of them:

The National Do Not Call Registry: Started in June 2003, the Federal Trade Commission’s DNCR allows you to register your phone number with them. In turn, telemarketers must check the list a minimum of every 90 days. Any number on the list, they must remove from their call list, or they can face fines.

You can easily register either by calling 1-888-382-1222 from the phone you wish to register, or by going to donotcall.gov and registering there. (It even works with cell phones.) NOTE: Some non-profit agencies are exempt from the Do Not Call Registry, so this will not block all unsolicited calls, but it will certainly cut down on them.

The Direct Marketing Association: The DMA maintains their own national do-not-call list, and has done so since 1985 with the belief that telemarketers waste time and money by calling people who do not wish to be called. To register, you can send a signed letter or postcard with your name, address and phone number to:

DMA Telephone Preference Service
PO Box 1559
Carmel, NY 10512

Individual request: Even after signing up for these two lists, you may still continue to get unsolicited calls here and there. Ask the telemarketer to put you on the company’s internal do-not-call list. If it is an automated call, listen to the message to obtain the company’s address or phone number, then contact them directly and ask to be placed on the do-not-call list.

Also worth mentioning — those political robocalls you start getting around November every year? Those are exempt from the FTC DNCR. That’s okay, you can do something about those, too:

StopPoliticalCalls.org: A non-profit, non-partisan voter advocacy organization that will securely collect your contact information, then send it to all political parties, candidates, political action committees, and other organizations that make political robocalls and ensure that they are told you no longer wish to recieve those calls. Click the link for more information and to register.

Keep in mind all of these solutions will take about three months or so to fully take effect, but once they do… enjoy your nice, quiet dinner!

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