UPDATE As of June 16, 2006: 1,369,169 Iowa phones now are on the "Do Not Call" Registry.

More than One Million Iowa Phones Now on "Do Not Call" Registry

The FTC's Registry sharply reduces commercial telemarketing calls.   Call 1-888-382-1222, or visit www.DONOTCALL.GOV to sign up.

DES MOINES.  Over one million Iowa phones now are on the FTC's Do Not Call Registry.

"Iowa has 1,015,761 phones signed up," Attorney General Tom Miller said today. The new total is a gain of almost 20,000 since the Federal Trade Commission's previous tabulation April 15.

"It's popular because it works," Miller said. "By all accounts, signing up for the Do Not Call Registry drastically reduces unwanted commercial telemarketing calls to consumers.

"It's easy, and it's free," he added. "It just makes sense for people."

Consumers can call 1-888-382-1222 to put their telephones on the Do Not Call Registry, or they can log in at www.DONOTCALL.GOV. The TTY (Text Telephone) number is 1-866-290-4236. People must dial from the phone they wish to register, typically their own home or cell phone.

More details on the Do Not Call registry:

• Consumers who register on line must provide an email address for confirmation, but only the phone number will be kept in the registry. Registered phone numbers are put on the national Do Not Call list for five years (but also can be removed at a consumer's request.)
  
  
• The Do Not Call Registry is only for personal phone numbers -- including cell phones. Business-to-business calls and faxes are not covered by the Do Not Call Registry.

• Commercial telemarketers are required to search the registry every 31 days and remove numbers from their call lists that are on the registry. Generally, consumers will be able to expect far fewer calls within a month of signing up for the registry.
  
  
• Some phone callers are exempt from Do Not Call Registry requirements: political organizations, charities, and telephone surveyors. A business with which a consumer has had a business relationship also is exempt from the rules for up to 18 months after the last purchase, payment, or delivery (but consumers may tell such a business not to call, and they must not call you again.) If a professional fund-raiser calls you on behalf of a charity, and you tell them not to call again, they also must put you on their do-not-call list.
  
  
• Consumers who receive telemarketing phone calls 31 days after they have registered can file a complaint online or by telephone. Telemarketers violating the FTC rule may be fined up to $11,000 for each call. If you register and still receive a call after 31 days following the date you register, you may file a complaint by calling the registry number,1-888-382-1222, or going to the FTC web site: www.donotcall.gov.
  
  
• The FTC reports that consumer polls indicate strongly positive experiences with the Do Not Call registry. Consumers report very sharp reductions in unwanted calls, and telemarketers are complying with the regulations. Enforcement of the FTC's Do Not Call Registry took effect October 1, 2003.

• As of May 2004, 661,000 Iowa phones were on the Registry. As of March 25, 2005, 965,985 Iowa phones were on the Registry. As of April 15, 995,800 Iowa phones were on the Registry. As of the latest report, April 23rd, 1,015,761 Iowa phones are on the Registry.


"The main reason for a jump of 50,000 over the last month probably was an Associated Press story in early April that we were approaching one million sign-ups," Miller said. "It reminded people about the benefits and ease of registering."

• Over 91 million phones have been registered nationwide.

More information and resources:

Click here for the FTC's "Q&A on the Do Not Call Registry":

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/dncalrt.htm

Para información en Español:

https://www.donotcall.gov/FAQ/FAQDefault_es.aspx

Click here for the Iowa Attorney General's "Consumer Advisory Bulletin" on Do Not Call:

http://www.state.ia.us/government/ag/consumer/advisories/05_2004_Do_Not_Call.html

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