Registration is now available online at website. The system was temporarily overwhelmed last Friday, when President Bush first announced it in a Rose Garden ceremony.
When callers sign up, they receive an e-mail confirmation containing a link that must be clicked on to finalize entry of the phone number into the registry. The online registration is open to people across the country. A toll-free number is also available, limited for now to folks west of the Mississippi (including all of Louisiana and Minnesota). Phone registry will be open to the entire nation on July 7. The toll free number is 1-888-382-1222 (TTY 1-866-290-4236).
Some unscrupulous companies have been offering to sign up individuals for the Do Not Call list for a fee. The FTC registry is a government-run service free to the public. No fee is required for this simple do-it-yourself service.
The FTC, and the states will begin enforcing the Do Not Call Registry on October 1, 2003. Telemarketers will have to check the Do Not Call list every 90 days and stop calling those who have signed up. Companies that do not comply face fines of up to $11,000 per violation.
Consumers who register will remain on the list for 5 years, at which time they have to renew their registration. Consumers may remove themselves from the list at any time. Those consumers whose telephone number changes will also need to re-register.
Most of the 27 states that have their own do not call lists will transfer the numbers from their lists to the National Do Not Call Registry. Consumers in states that are transferring their do not call lists to the national registry do not need to re-register. A list of states transferring do not call list to the national registry is at website.
Participation in the Do Not Call list will not eliminate all marketing calls. Consumers may still be contacted by companies with whom they have established a business relationship and companies they have affirmatively asked to hear from. Charities and political groups are exempt.
By 5:00 p.m. on the first day of operation, 735,000 people signed up for the Do Not Call service. Whether a Do Not E-mail Registry will work as well is unclear. FTC Chairman Timothy Muris has said he has "serious reservations." Anti-spam legislation reported by the Senate Commerce Committee would require the FTC to report to Congress on the feasibility of a Do Not E-mail list, based on the experience with the Do Not Call registry.
