thog94
07-06-2003, 08:14 PM
I hadn't seen this or anything else like it posted before. For those of you who are interested. I've already signed up...
Bush Opens Anti-Telemarketing List for Registration
Updated 10:20 AM ET June 27, 2003
By Andy Sullivan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Folks frazzled by unwanted telephone sales pitches started signing up on Friday for a free, national "do not call list" that will prevent most telemarketers from calling them at home.
The Federal Trade Commission's do-not-call list, which will take effect in October, should help Americans enjoy their private time without unwanted interruptions, President Bush said a few hours after the list was opened up for registration.
"When Americans are sitting down to dinner or a parent is reading to his or her child, the last thing they need is a call from a stranger with a sales pitch," Bush said in a White House Rose Garden ceremony.
Consumers can sign up for the list by logging on to http://donotcall.gov or calling 1-888-382-1222.
Telemarketers who call numbers on the list after Oct. 1 will face
penalties of up to $11,000 per call, as well as possible lawsuits from consumers and state enforcers.
At least 25 states have already set up do-not-call lists of their own, which have proven popular with consumers seeking to stem an ever-increasing tide of sales calls. In Minnesota, for example, roughly half of the state's 2.2 million residential lines have subscribed. Initial response to the national list was strong as Americans signed up at a rate of 108 numbers per second after it was opened at midnight, Bush said.
FTC officials ultimately expect 60 million households to sign up,
prompting them to offer telephone registration on a geographic basis to avoid overloading the system. Residents living in states west of the Mississippi River, including Louisiana and Minnesota, will be able to sign up by phone starting Friday. Those living east of the Mississippi will not be able to sign up by phone until July 7, though they will be able to sign up through the Web site on Friday.
Bush Opens Anti-Telemarketing List for Registration
Updated 10:20 AM ET June 27, 2003
By Andy Sullivan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Folks frazzled by unwanted telephone sales pitches started signing up on Friday for a free, national "do not call list" that will prevent most telemarketers from calling them at home.
The Federal Trade Commission's do-not-call list, which will take effect in October, should help Americans enjoy their private time without unwanted interruptions, President Bush said a few hours after the list was opened up for registration.
"When Americans are sitting down to dinner or a parent is reading to his or her child, the last thing they need is a call from a stranger with a sales pitch," Bush said in a White House Rose Garden ceremony.
Consumers can sign up for the list by logging on to http://donotcall.gov or calling 1-888-382-1222.
Telemarketers who call numbers on the list after Oct. 1 will face
penalties of up to $11,000 per call, as well as possible lawsuits from consumers and state enforcers.
At least 25 states have already set up do-not-call lists of their own, which have proven popular with consumers seeking to stem an ever-increasing tide of sales calls. In Minnesota, for example, roughly half of the state's 2.2 million residential lines have subscribed. Initial response to the national list was strong as Americans signed up at a rate of 108 numbers per second after it was opened at midnight, Bush said.
FTC officials ultimately expect 60 million households to sign up,
prompting them to offer telephone registration on a geographic basis to avoid overloading the system. Residents living in states west of the Mississippi River, including Louisiana and Minnesota, will be able to sign up by phone starting Friday. Those living east of the Mississippi will not be able to sign up by phone until July 7, though they will be able to sign up through the Web site on Friday.