In a report filed yesterday morning, the FTC said the "Do Not Call" list is "by every available measure, an effective consumer protection initiative."
As of September 2007, the FTC had 145,498,656 telephone numbers on the National Registry, filed 25 cases alleging violations of the National Registry, and had reached settlements in 22 of these cases. In 13 of the resolved cases, defendants paid civil penalties totaling more than $8.7 million. In the remaining resolved cases, defendants paid redress and/or disgorgement for other violations, totaling more than $8.4 million.
A recent independent survey conducted in October 2007 by Harris Interactive found that of the 72% of Americans who had registered their telephone numbers for the “Do-Not-Call Registry,” 18% reported that they currently received no telemarketing calls, 59% reported that they still received some, but far fewer than before they signed onto the Registry, and 14% said they received some, but a little less than before they registered.
In 2007, a total of 6,242 entities paid fees totaling $21,602,003 for access to the National Registry. The total amount of fees paid by all entities since the inception of the National Registry through the end of 2007 is $80,629,778.
"The Commission believes that the fundamental goal of the National Registry -- to provide consumers with a simple, free, and effective means to limit unwanted telemarketing calls -- has been achieved," the report states. The Commission has called for the 145 million telephone numbers in the database to be registered permanently, rather than limited to five years as was previously proposed.
FTC Says National 'Do Not Call' Registry Is Working
Comments
- wrong guy to call| 3 replieswho is it working for, the telemarketers? still getting calls everyday
- Laxman007It Maybe working at the FTC's house, not mine. How about re-investing some of the case settlement cash into a system that works on off shore auto dialers now?
- Jason HSurely there must be more violators that 22? I've sent in over 35 complaints myself. Never heard anything back.
- AdamDoes anyone know where the profit goes? Do they send it to the federal budget?
- ashley| 2 repliesthis is such garbage....there cant be just a few violators. there are too many bogus companies out there still calling people and whats worse is that they call my cell phone. this is getting past absurd i'm so fed up with it.
- Judy| 1 replyNow there are lots of fake surveys and charities instead of more direct sales calls.
- John George: tenblo0@hotmail.com| 1 replyThe FTC thinks that because complaints are down that the Do Not Call registry is working. That is pure hogwash! The reason complaints are down is because complaining is futile.
I keep records of every TM call I get. I have received over 250 calls in the last two years even though my number has been on the DNC registry for nearly three years. US companies are using the offshore TM companies to do their dirty work for them. Then if you complain, they say, "It's not our fault. We can't control what some company in India does." That is like a husband claiming to the judge that he is innocent of killing his wife because he hired someone else to kill her.
So companies are getting bolder and bolder since they found they can get away with telemarketing people on the DNC List by hiring someone else (In a foreign country) to do it for them. The sad part is that the FTC is doing NOTHING to stop this kind of fraud!
I tried suing one company in small claims court. When I went before the judge, the defendant brought out a print-out from the FTC showing that I was not on the DNC List when they made their calls. I was aghast! I knew I was on the DNC List when they made their calls. So how did they get a documant showing I was not. When I got home(after losing the case)I found out that telemarketers can actually change your records with the FTC to show that you signed up on the DNC List later than you really did.
I was furious and called the FTC. They admitted that it was in fact possible for a TM to change a person's records. I asked what they planned to do to correct that problem. They responded that there was really nothing they could do. I called my congressman about it and he did nothing. So I continue to get TM calls. Lots of them! In the mean time, the FTC glowingly claims the system is working just dandy.
Again I say, "HOGWASH!" - loveon| 2 repliesI re-registered again in March and for a short time received only a few calls....now the phone is ringing during the day when I am trying to get some rest. What do I have to do to get this solved?
- LBWho is it working for????? Ok so maybe I dont get calls on my house line, but now I get them on my cell.
- SJB replies to loveon| 1 replyDo like I do and turn off all the ringers. I know this may be inconvenient but at night, I turn off all the ringers and when I get up in the morning, I check the caller ID and do you know that I actually received a call the night before from an "unknown name and number" at 11:30 p.m.? Don't they ever sleep? Oh, I forgot, they are calling from a foreign country where it is daytime hours there. Well, at least I solved it for the nighttime......
- DonI agree that the Do Not Call list is working on my home line. I am vigilant about not giving out my home phone number to anyone I do not know or do business. I do not expose my home phone number by never buying magazine subscriptions, sign up for silly trip contests, and doing surveys. Plus I opt out of all privacy notices like credit card companies and banks that sneak those notices in statements. My home phone never rings and when it does it goes unanswered as that there is no voice mail service just caller ID to screen calls.
That said - and if it works so well - why can't we have a do not call list for business? Business is so difficult in the Bush economy without having to deal with scammers offering useless good and services on the phone and via fax. - lisaIt is not working for me either, i am sick and tired of all these calls!
They call and wake me up in the morning, call at 9 p.m at night when we are already in bed, my husband gets up at 4 a.m. we dont need this crap!
they need to re-adjust there do not call list - LJAre you kidding!! I get tons of calls on my home # and now on my cell! I have no idea how they get my cell #. I agree--- I have been on the DNcall list for over 5 years-- hasn't and still does not work.. BS is what I say...
- darkangel replies to SJBAnd just think, people in India and other foreign places have your name, address, SS#, bank numbers, etc. That's what happens when companies don't want to pay alitte extra and hire americans to do phone calls. Foreigners are cheaper. I love USA
- pb| 3 repliesIs the FTC full of the same crony appointees as FEMA? I would put money down on that bet..it's friends of friends of political pals of Mr. Bush and everyone that he owes a favor to. What are they smoking there? I get trash faxes at work for health insurance and travel, and the Dish TV calls and auto warranty calls at home are relentless!
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