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Letter to the editor

You may fall off 'do not call' list

Millions will find the sales calls returning as entries expire.

WASHINGTON - A dinner hour free from telemarketers could vanish next year for millions of people when phone numbers begin dropping off the national do-not-call list.

The Federal Trade Commission, which oversees the list, says there is a simple fix. But some lawmakers think it is a hassle to expect people to re-register their phone numbers every five years.

Numbers placed on the registry, begun in June 2003, are valid for five years. For the millions of people who signed onto the list in its early days, their numbers will automatically drop off beginning in June if they do not enroll again.

"It is incredibly quick and easy to do," said Lydia Parnes, director of the FTC's bureau of consumer protection. "It was so easy for people to sign up in the first instance. It will be just as easy for them to re-up."

But Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., says people should not be forced to re-register to keep telemarketers at bay. Doyle introduced legislation this week, with bipartisan support, to make registrations permanent.

"When someone takes the time and effort to say 'I don't want these kinds of calls coming into my house,' they shouldn't have to keep a calendar to find out when they have to re-up to keep this nuisance from happening," Doyle said in an interview.

The FTC built the five-year expiration date into the program to account for changes, such as people who move and switch their phone numbers.

Doyle, however, points out that the list is purged each month of numbers that have been disconnected and assigned to new customers. He called the FTC's position on the need for an expiration date "completely bogus."

In the first week of the program, 18-million people signed up. The registry now has more than 149-million phone numbers.

The FTC plans a consumer education program in the spring on the re-registration process.

While polls have shown consumers reporting far fewer unwanted phone calls, some telemarketers continue to violate the law.

Since the registry began, the government has filed cases against more than 30 companies, resulting in $8.8-million in civil penalties and $8.6-million in redress to consumers and forfeitures.

FAST FACTS

The do-not-call list

- To register your home and cell phone numbers or file complaints, visit www.donotcall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222.

- The registry prohibits telemarketers from calling phone numbers on the list. Companies face fines of up to $11,000 for each violation.

- Organizations engaged in charitable, political or survey work are exempt.

[Last modified September 22, 2007, 00:10:58]