A new report says Canadians registered on the country's 'do-not-call list' are receiving fewer unwanted phone calls.
The list was created in 2008, where consumers can register their phone numbers to block calls from unwanted telemarketers. To date, nearly 9.5 million numbers have been registered.
The telephone study of 2,035 Canadians on the registry found that fifty-one per cent report they now receive noticeably fewer or far fewer telemarketing calls, and 24 per cent say they receive slightly fewer telemarketing calls. Five per cent say they receive no such calls at all.
The CRTC, which oversees the National Do Not Call List, reports as of March 31, it had received nearly 400,000 complaints. It has 164 active investigations and to date, it has issued fines 27 times.
The best known one was a $1.3 million fine against Bell Canada for calling tens of thousands of consumers on the list. A Calgary-based firm Xentel DM was also slapped with a $500,000 penalty for misusing the charity exemption.
The Canadian Do Not Call List Apparently Working
Comments
- JderI've been on the Canadian do not call list since it was introduced in 2008. I have fewer calls from telemarketers, but the number of scam calls is increasing.
- Joy| 2 repliesI agree the number of scam calls is definitely a lot more. 877-334-2760 is another scam saying you have won a vacation from a Filipino woman (https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-877-334-2760).
I thought the Do not call list stopped all scams!!
I am disappointed. - TotalBS-905er| 3 repliesI'd like to know who's behind this story, the telemarketing firms? We've been on the DNC list since day one and I can say this is 100% bullcrap! The only difference now is that 90+% of the telemarketing calls are coming from American phone numbers that are outside the reach of these current laws. Likewise, I hear from my American friends and family that the calls they get now originate from Canadian call centres. If anything since the DNC last was introduced I get more calls from scammers, polls, political parties, charities and those darned newspaper subscriptions sales that are all above these laws as well. With all the call privacy options I pay monthly for, the only thing that still works is to turn off the phones when I do not want to be disturbed.
Just another feel good law introduced by our governments that have no real value when not enforced. - WindsorGirl| 1 replyThis story made me laugh when they mentioned Bell yet Bell Canada STILL keeps harassing people in my building! I already said I do NOT want to switch to their crappy DSL and want to stay with my Cable (even though I am not necessarily happy with the Cable company it is better than Sympatico). Yet they keep calling, sending letters ... even after I said NO! Why do they keep doing this? Because my apartment decided they would let Bell Canada install Satellite dishes on the building's roof! Now Bell thinks that the whole building should sign up with them! Ridiculous! I guess I could file a complaint (or leave Bell phone so that I am not their customer anymore .. I know Primus is MUCH cheaper and just as good of service).
- WindsorGirlAh click the link and read the whole article. I noticed this says exactly like you guys are saying:
"found 15 per cent of people report being plagued by more telemarketing calls despite being on the registry.
That’s up from last year’s survey where 12 per cent had the same complaint.
“It’s a concern. It really underscores the need for tough enforcement of penalties against telemarketers who persist in calling those registered,” said Wycks, attributing the rise to so-called robo-calls with automated dialers, often coming from outside Canada." - Barry| 2 repliesSo now scumbag Bell Canada sends people to your door 3 times a week and pretends they are individual resellers and they don't know about it. Even worse. But the list is working as my bad calls dropped 80%. I was sick of getting calls every night about vacations and news papers and charities. Who the hell wants to work all day and then spend the evening answerin the phone to give your money away.
How about a do not call list that also has a do not bother at the door feature. Now that would really send bell and rogers a good one. All these people did is ramped up their door to door efforts. - perron cecileje veut que mon numero de telephone sois anonyme pour toute colporteur du quebec .merci
- Radar replies to WindsorGirlI used to get gazillions of calls from Bell (the REAL Bell). I asked them to put me on their "do not call" list. That means you won't get any calls from the real Bell. Anyone else claiming to be Bell is a scammer.
I've gotten no more calls from Bell itself, so it works fine. - Mr BuzzliteLike JDer, I registered all my phones--including my cell--with the Canadian "Do Not Call List" from day one. Then about four or six months ago, I heard on the radio that the Canadian "Do Not Call List" actually was selling lists to telemarketers!!! Don't know if they still do since it was reported, but even if they've quit, it's too late for those whose phones were on the lists that were sold. So now I'm getting all kinds of telemarketers on all my phones!! I used to not get any telemarketers on my cell, but been getting calls 3-5 times a day on it now.
- why botherglad i read this and the comments, was going to register with the apparently mislabeled 'do-not-call list,' but why bother...
- Kudasakithe DNC list isnt real your number can still be floating around
- dudeLogic break.. So how are they supposed to know not to call your number if they don't get a copy of the list?
- gene| 1 replyThe dnc list does seem to incite more calls, at least on my cell phone. The funny thing is I have had my number for a few years but only been on the list for 8-10 months now. The calss started after I signed up. But they never ask for me, the latest is pedro something? I think they are just fishing! One thing I never do is say, "No this is Gene" because I'm sure they will call again and ask for me. I'm not sure they are even in North America because my first response to them is usually" What did you say?" while thinking to myself, learn english if you want to scam first! Oh and in response to dude, They do get a list, i think they resell it to companies outside of the canadian legal boundaries.
- another thought replies to BarryYour point about phone calls is valid, but it appears that many telemarketers simply make or relay calls from outside the country (e.g. Canadians calling U.S. and U.S. calling Canada) so there is no local violation or jurisdiction.
At one point, there was some discussion about a North American Do Not Call Program that would allow U.S. and Canadian law enforcement agencies to take action against illegal telemarketers in either country....haven't heard anything more on it, so who knows what will happen there.
There doesn't need to be a do not call list that includes a do not bother at the door feature. There's already a solution....a NO TRESPASSING sign. If people come to your door (especially after being told not to do so), call the police and have them arrested for criminal violations. If all else fails, open your door while cleaning a 12 gauge shot gun (unloaded, of course!!). - DeniseUsed to get a few calls a week. Since I registered with the DO NO CALL LIST, I have been getting at least 3-5 calls a day. Makes you wonder who is selling the phone number lists to the scammers...
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