Other Languages{UPDATE: Telephone numbers placed on the National Do Not Call Registry will remain on it permanently due to the Do-Not-Call Improvement Act of 2007, which became law in February 2008. Under the Act, the Federal Trade Commission will continue to remove telephone numbers that have been disconnected and reassigned to other customers.}
SEATTLE – A reminder for everyone who signed up for the national Do Not Call Registry back in 2003 when it was created: It’s time to renew your spot on the list if you want to continue to stay off of telemarketers’ phone lists. Numbers are flushed after five years. About half of the 148 million numbers on the nationwide registry are due to fall off the list starting in June.
While you’re renewing your phone listing, you might also want to remove your address from junk mail lists. Here’s how to reduce both unwanted phone calls and mail:
- Sign Up For the Do Not Call Registry: The national Do Not Call Registry is managed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency. It is enforced by the FTC, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and state law enforcement officials. Register online at www.donotcall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222. You must call from the same phone number that you want to register. You can register a home phone or cell, but not business or fax numbers.
Already registered? You can call or use the Internet to verify that you are registered and when your registration will expire. If you choose to do this online, select the "Verify A Registration" button or go to https://www.donotcall.gov/confirm/Conf.aspx. You will need to provide your phone and e-mail address, and will receive a confirmation by e-mail.
Most telemarketers will be required to stop calling you 31 days from your registration date.Some organizations are exempt from the Do Not Call requirements and can still call you. These include charities and companies calling on their behalf, nonprofit and political organizations, surveyors and companies with which you have previously established a business relationship.
- Remove Your Address from Marketers’ Address Lists: You can take your address off junk mail lists by contacting the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) online at www.dmachoice.org or writing to Direct Marketing Association's Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 282, Carmel, NY 10512. You'll pay $1 and DMA will notify marketers to delete your name and address from their marketing lists for five years.
- Opt Out of Pre-approved Credit Offers: If you’d like to receive fewer credit card offers, you can remove your name from mailing lists through the credit bureaus' free opt-out program. Call 1-888-5OptOut (1-888-567-8688) or make the request online at www.optoutprescreen.com. If you sign up online or by phone, you’re name will be removed for five years. You can also opt out permanently if you download a form from the Web site and mail it.
You will be asked for your Social Security number and birth date; the credit bureaus already have this information and the Web site is encrypted. However, if you choose not to provide your Social Security number and birth date, the bureaus will attempt to process your request without this information. When making a request by phone you can say "No" when asked for your Social Security number or birth date. You will need to say "No" twice before the automated system accepts your request.
Want more consumer advice? Read the Attorney General’s Ask the AG columns, which answer common consumer questions, and the office’s All Consuming blog. Find both at www.atg.wa.gov/safeguarding-consumers. You can also receive news by RSS at /washington-ago-rss-feeds.
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Media Contact: Kristin Alexander, Media Relations Manager – Seattle, (206) 464-6432