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FTC Moves up "Do Not Call" List Registration

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the finally-phase-2-explained dept.

tbase writes "AdAge.com has an article about the new FTC "Do-Not-Call" List which will be opening for registrations earlier than previously announced. The FTC Press Release says online registration will be available "on or around July 1." and that "Companies will face an $11,000 fine for each telemarketing call that violates the FTC's new consumer-protection provisions.""

3 of 474 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Why $11,000? by mactov · · Score: 5, Interesting

    How about spending the revenue from the fines on a series of public-service announcements and ads reminding people that the best prevention for these things is for them to produce no results? The big problem with spam, telemarketers, et al is that every now and then someone actually does buy something and encourages them.

    Aside from a few very lonesome shut-ins (who are victims of this sort of stuff, not genuine consumers) I don't know of anyone who likes getting spam or telemarketing calls.

    --
    OK, now what?
  2. Re:Nice! by Hellkitty · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Caller ID has been working 100% for me for the past few years, and it only costs $1 a month. It is quite simple - if you show up as "Out of Area" or "Unknown Caller", there is not possibly anything that we have to talk about. You know who I am when I pick up the phone - I need to have the same information on you before I determine if I choose to communicate with you or not.

    I'll sign up, but I doubt that it will work too well. I did a little bit of telemarketing work while in college for some beer money, and let's just say that the place I worked for would not give two shits about this fine. I think they really stretched the boundaries of the law, and they'll probably find a way to do so with this. Enforcement will be difficult. If they call me even though I'm on the list, they are banking on the fact that I don't care enough to follow up on it. And if one call gets through to you once every six months, are you really going to be enraged enough to file a complaint? And once you do file the complaint, you know it will be caught up in beauracratic BS for quite some time before any action comes out of it.

  3. Salesmen, speak up! What about cold calling? by Eric_Cartman_South_P · · Score: 5, Interesting
    How does this affect someone like myself who owns a small business and makes cold calls as a part of the marketing? I cold call other business people, usually at there place of work, and don't sell anything over the phone, I simply try to get an appointment to meet with the person to talk about their productivity and see how my consulting service might help them. Is there any risk to what I do now? Should I even bother with the DNC list, or is it cool since I'm only calling them at work (doubtful number is on the list) and I'm not selling anything during the call?