People sign up for the Do Not Call list to prevent unwanted telemarketing calls; however, many consumers who are on the list have complained that they continue to receive the unwanted calls.

Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray addressed this problem in a recent “Cordray’s Consumer Solutions” news program segment recorded at WSYX-TV in Columbus. Cordray explained that the National Do Not Call Registry is a service that consumers can sign up for to reduce the number of telemarketing calls that they receive. Registration for the service is free, and consumers should notice fewer unwanted calls within the first month of signing up.

Despite signing up for the list, some consumers report that they continue to receive unwanted calls. Cordray explained that there are a number of reasons why this could happen.

Some consumers who believe they are registered for the program, in reality, are not. Visit www.DoNotCall.gov or call (888) 382-1222 to verify your registration and ensure that you are, in fact, on the list. If you are not signed up, you can do so.

But the registry does not stop all solicitation calls, Cordray said.

“It does not cover survey calls or calls from charitable or political organizations,” said Cordray. “So even if you’re on the Do Not Call list, you may still receive these kinds of calls.”

Companies also can call you if you’ve made contact with them. For example, if you sign up to win a free car at the mall, in many cases you’re also giving the business permission to contact you.

Cordray added that consumers can ask a business to place them on their internal do not call list to prevent unwanted calls. If an individual continues to receive the calls, that person can file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office and the Federal Trade Commission, the agency in charge of the Do Not Call registry.

To file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, visit www.DoNotCall.gov or call (888) 382-1222.

To file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office, visit www.SpeakOutOhio.gov or call (800) 282-0515.

Links

Join the Do Not Call list - www.DoNotCall.gov

File a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office