Health Blurbs

I’m temporarily answering the phones in an office. What I’ve noticed is telemarketers who call are initiating a conversation with one piece of information in mind ~ home or office number. Upon their discovery of office the call is immediately discontinued. Next time a telemarketer calls your home tell them they’ve reached a business, or you could register your number with the FTC on their national do-not-call list.

The process is quick and painless providing you with telemarketer protection courtesy of the your government. Telemarketing stress relief is available if you just take a little time to register. The registry was created to offer you a choice regarding telemarketing calls.

After you register, your phone number will show up on the registry by the next day. Telemarketers have up to 31 days to get your phone number and remove it from their call lists. So make note of when you register.

Keep in mind that the FTC does not allow private companies or other such third parties to register consumers for the National Do Not Call Registry. Websites or phone solicitations that claim they can or will register a consumer’s name or phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry — especially those that charge a fee — are almost certainly a scam. Consumers may register directly, or through some state governments, but never through private companies. For consumers, the National Do Not Call Registry is a free service of the federal government.

You may register your cell phone, however FCC regulations prohibit telemarketers from using automated dialers to call cell phone numbers. Automated dialers are standard in the industry, so most telemarketers don’t call consumers on their cell phones without their consent.

As to your business number, the National Do Not Call Registry is only for personal phone numbers. Business-to-business calls and faxes are not covered by the National Do Not Call Registry.

Should you change your phone number the system will automatically remove most numbers that are disconnected and reassigned. Also, if your number is disconnected and then reconnected, you may need to re-register.

Placing your number on the National Do Not Call Registry will stop most telemarketing calls, but not all. Because of limitations in the jurisdiction of the FTC and FCC, calls from or on behalf of political organizations, charities, and telephone surveyors would still be permitted, as would calls from companies with which you have an existing business relationship, or those to whom you’ve provided express agreement in writing to receive their calls.

Get on this list, unless of course you like answering this type of call during your evening meal!