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Despite Do-Not-Call entry, calls keep coming
Friday, September 12, 2008(Miami Herald)
Q. My phone number is listed with the national Do Not Call Registry, but I keep getting calls from charitable organizations and people taking surveys. What can I do?
-- Anonymous, via e-mail
A. The Do Not Call Registry is designed to stop telemarketers; since charities and telephone surveys aren't selling goods or services through phone calls, they are still permitted.However, if the call is made by a third party soliciting on behalf of the charity, you can ask that the charity not contact you again, either directly or indirectly. If a third party persists, the telemarketer can be fined up to $11,000.
Under the rules of Do Not Call, if you've established a ''business relationship'' by purchasing goods or services from a company, telemarketers may contact you on its behalf for up to 18 months from the last time you made a purchase or made a payment to it. If you make an inquiry or submit an application to a business, you also fall under the category of establishing a business relationship. The register's rules say that this relationship may only last three months.
In both cases, though, you can tell the company not to call you. If it does, it can be fined.
Information about the registry is available at donotcall.gov. You can add your phone number via the website or by calling, toll-free, 888-382-1222 from the number you want to register.
To verify the registration or file a complaint, you would dial the same number. You can also file a complaint through the website.
Remember that you can only register personal phone numbers, including cellphone numbers. Business numbers aren't covered.
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Shaking hands, kissing babies and face-to-face meetings are welcomed as part of the American political tradition, but automated political calls are another story. These annoying calls are not covered by Do Not Call rules and, if you're registered with a political party, you should expect to receive them between now and the general election.
Although avoiding them is difficult, learn what you can do at stoppoliticalcalls.org.
