Telemarketing calls have been around for some time and even with the Do-Not-Call Implementation Act of 2003, there has never been ultimate success in curbing them. Our households continue to receive annoying unsolicited calls to this day. Registration of your phone numbers with the National Do Not Call Registry can reduce the number of calls you are receiving to some extent. However, the fact that many other organizations are exempt from the law with many other shady organizations flouting the rules, you almost cannot do away with these telemarketer calls by solely relying on this approach. Here are important steps to follow to stop this nuisance in your life and more so be safe from telemarketing scams:
Step 1: Register your cell phone numbers with the registry. It can be done by calling 888-382-1222 or access the services online. Even though it is illegal for telemarketers to be calling you on wireless phones, registering them would be important. The registration is a permanent procedure unless you would want to withdraw later on from the program. Should you realize that your phone is disconnected for one reason or another, you will have to register again. Disconnection may occur due to lapse in payments.
When you shift, consider registering again even when you have not changed the number. Remember that some companies are exempt from the regulations of “Do Not Call” that bar contacts. These include political organizations, charities and such like companies that you may have done business with in a period of about 18 months or so. This also includes their business partners and affiliates. This can still contact you except of you have made a request to get them out of the list.
Telemarketers normally have about 31 days to make changes to their lists and for that matter, it could take some time before calls stop coming through. Once you are registered, you can complain to the Do Not Call website or through the phone number. You could even do this especially if you receive a recorded message whether you have registered your phone or not. Again, debt collectors can also reach you whether you register your number or not. The only unfortunate thing with the Do Not Call Registry is that, all unwanted calls will not be blocked even when coming from legitimate organizations.
Step 2. If you have Caller ID in your phone, you can use it to screen all incoming calls. The law requires that telemarketers apply some iteration of the name of their business in their onscreen ID even though others may be misleading. If you don’t recognize the caller, let it go to voicemail or take it. Should the line go dead, this is a robo-call and you should take action to stop such calls. If you find a message which you believe is from a legitimate organization, call back and request to be listed in their internal Do Not Call list. Log the time and date of this request to help you file a complaint should there be a future violation.
Should you suspect that the call is a scam, file a complaint directly. This is especially when:
- Someone wants to register you on Do Not Call list free of charge. Third-party companies are not allowed to do this leave alone an individual.
- A vague though ominous-seeming message about your bank account, mortgage on the verge of getting closed and so on.
Step 3: The call-blocking function of your phone carrier can be used to deter future calls from an unwanted contact. Instructions may change with a carrier therefore, make sure you understand them. Well, this approach may not be useful if there is a person harvesting and selling out your phone number to various telemarketers. Again, some carriers will cap the number of callers that can be blocked. You could also use an app for blocking robocalls from your phone to do so once you have identified an unimportant caller.
Step 4: Check your emails carefully and read through every document you get prior to signing it. Some marketers tend to obtain your phone numbers in a surreptitious way in what looks like innocent emails and solicitations. This is especially when finding certain sellers to keep getting their calls.
The Bottom Line
Telemarketing calls can be a nuisance and that is why many people are now using the Do Not Call registry to avoid this problem. Some level of effectiveness has been achieved but still, more is required to stop annoying telemarketer calls. The use of Caller ID and other mobile apps have proved to be useful as well.
