Preventing telemarketers from buzzing you at dinnertime takes constant vigilance. So here are some tips that might help you evade telemarketers or at least get some of the ringing out of your ear.
By Thomas M. Anderson
To continue reading this article
please register for free
This is different from signing in to your print subscription
Why am I seeing this? Find out more here
You're Still on the List, for Now.
The first entries into the National Do Not Call Registry are set to be expunged in the summer of 2008 because the 2003 law stated that all numbers would expire after five years. But the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is holding off deleting numbers until Congress weighs in. "People shouldn't have to re-up every five years, especially because they get no notification that their names are being taken off the list," says Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), who is sponsoring legislation that would make numbers on the list permanent.
Sponsored Content
You May Have to Refresh Your State Registration.
Fourteen states -- among them Florida, New Jersey and Texas -- maintain their own registries, and some of those lists are tougher on telemarketers than the feds are. But states that have their own programs may boot you off after five years.
Sponsored Content
Signing Up Doesn't Mean You Won't Be Harassed.
State and national do-not-call lists permit phone pitches from charities, survey researchers and political campaigns. This presidential election year, so-called robo-calls from candidates are inevitable, and resistance is futile.
Sponsored Content
Buy Anything and They May Interrupt Your Dinner.
Under the National Do Not Call Registry, any company you've done business with in the past 18 months can hassle you by phone. Ditto for companies to which you've given written consent (often buried in the fine print of sweepstakes entries) to remain on their call lists.
Sponsored Content
Tenacious Marketers Are Gonna Find You.
With more than 145 million phone numbers out of bounds to telemarketers, some of them are using spam and junk mail to reach potential customers, says Beth Givens, director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.
Sponsored Content
It Pays to Complain.
Federal regulators rely on consumer complaints to enforce the do-not-call lists, the FTC's Greisman says. Since the National Do Not Call Registry was established, the FTC and Justice Department have filed 34 enforcement actions against individuals and companies they claim have violated the list.
Sponsored Content
-
7 Things Medicare Doesn’t CoverHealthy Living on a Budget Medicare Part A and Part B leave some pretty significant gaps in your health-care coverage. But Medicare Advantage has problems, too.
-
12 Places to Retire If You're Sick of the Heatplaces to live Some like it hot; others not so much. Here are the 12 best places to retire if you can't stand the heat.
-
The 10 Cheapest Countries to VisitDespite inflation, there are some areas where the strong dollar will definitely work in your favor.
-
15 Ways to Prepare Your Home for Winterhome Now that fall is officially here, it's time to prepare your home for cold weather.
-
Six Steps to Get Lower Car Insurance Ratesinsurance Shopping around for auto insurance may not be your idea of fun, but comparing prices for a new policy every few years — or even more often — can pay off big.
-
10 Things You Need to Know About Retiring to FloridaMaking Your Money Last If Florida is part of your retirement plan, we offer up a few tips to help you find your way.
-
6 Ways to Boost Your Credit Score — FastTips for boosting your credit score quickly, starting with paying down your credit card debt.
-
Hurricane Insurance Claims: 10 Things You Should KnowBecoming a Homeowner Hurricane damage? Know what’s covered, what isn’t, and how to make the most of your policy if you need to file a claim.
