Placing one's number on the National Do Not Call Registry will stop most, but not all, telemarketing calls.
Only telemarketing calls are covered — that is, calls that solicit sales of goods or services. Callers purporting to take a survey, but also offering to sell goods or services, must comply with the National Do Not Call Registry. An example of an operation attempting to skirt this rule is the Dove Foundation which places "survey" calls and then requests permission for a follow-up call, which attempts to sell goods through a for-profit company. This operation resulted in a restraining order in Missouri in March 2006, but the operation continues in other states.
Even if one puts his number on the National Do Not Call Registry, a company with which the person has an established business relationship may call for up to 18 months after his/her last purchase or delivery from it, or last payment to it, unless the party specifically asks the company not to call again. (In that case, the company must honor the request not to call. If they subsequently call, they may be subject to a fine of up to $11,000 USD.) Also, if one makes an inquiry to a company or submits an application to it, for three months afterwards, the company can call. If one makes a specific request to that company not to call them, however, then the company may not call, even if you have an established business relationship with that company.
If one does not want to put a number on the national registry, they can still prohibit individual telemarketers, one by one, from calling by asking the telemarketer to put them on their company’s do-not-call list.
Despite a spate of emails warning to the contrary, cell phone numbers need not be included on the National Do Not Call Registry to avoid unsolicited calls. FCC regulations already in place prohibit telemarketers from calling a cellular phone number with an automatic dialer. Experts tell media sources that the false email turned urban legend probably started because cellular companies are developing wireless directories. However, cell numbers will not be included in the list unless consent is given.
Also not covered by this law are bill collectors (either primary creditors or collection agencies.). These callers are, however, regulated by other laws, such as those limiting them to calling during "reasonable hours." The right to not be pestered by creditors is only protected for debtors who file for bankruptcy protection.
Additional help for locating who is calling from mystery numbers:
Telemarketers, Collection Agencies and Other unknown numbers:
311-071-8942 3110718942 311-213-8280 3112138280 311-306-6247 3113066247 311-556-9980 3115569980 311-719-3071 3117193071 311-556-3320 3115563320
311-071-0894 3110710894 311-211-4151 3112114151 311-304-0439 3113040439 311-556-3320 3115563320 311-710-8942 3117108942 311-556-9980 3115569980
311-156-4582 3111564582 311-261-1487 3112611487 311-462-8055 3114628055 311-635-2496 3116352496 311-928-7055 3119287055 311-373-6493 3113736493
311-125-6208 3111256208 311-216-3636 3112163636 311-373-6493 3113736493 311-615-5916 3116155916 311-866-2129 3118662129 311-565-5004 3115655004
311-101-9073 3111019073 311-214-6567 3112146567 311-353-5542 3113535542 311-565-5004 3115655004 311-820-1187 3118201187 311-615-5916 3116155916
311-032-2059 3110322059 311-126-8967 3111268967 311-211-4212 3112114212 311-294-2296 3112942296 311-552-0805 3115520805 311-707-0324 3117070324
311-120-3798 3111203798 311-160-0172 3111600172 311-233-9230 3112339230 311-452-0673 3114520673 311-631-0659 3116310659 311-071-0894 3110710894
311-055-2106 3110552106 311-143-6336 3111436336 311-219-0488 3112190488 311-317-9128 3113179128 311-576-9777 3115769777 311-797-2154 3117972154
311-089-4441 3110894441 311-143-9824 3111439824 311-222-3374 3112223374 311-336-8260 3113368260 311-583-9043 3115839043 311-822-9163 3118229163
311-124-0000 3111240000 311-166-6654 3111666654 311-236-5273 3112365273 311-456-1204 3114561204 311-651-0450 3116510450 311-071-8942 3110718942
311-044-7844 3110447844 311-127-0979 3111270979 311-212-6682 3112126682 311-303-5568 3113035568 311-556-3220 3115563220 311-712-4506 3117124506
311-051-3101 3110513101 311-128-0022 3111280022 311-214-2929 3112142929 311-310-6888 3113106888 311-566-3320 3115663320 311-743-8888 3117438888
311-125-0505 3111250505 311-210-5760 3112105760 311-260-9892 3112609892 311-482-7704 3114827704 311-653-4301 3116534301 311-101-9073 3111019073
311-111-7873 3111117873 311-154-5885 3111545885 311-231-1463 3112311463 311-440-3702 3114403702 311-625-1521 3116251521 311-919-9400 3119199400
311-051-9395 3110519395 311-131-5220 3111315220 311-217-4625 3112174625 311-313-4571 3113134571 311-567-7612 3115677612 311-792-4364 3117924364
311-111-1111 3111111111 311-151-1369 3111511369 311-228-2559 3112282559 311-393-9661 3113939661 311-624-4264 3116244264 311-876-9211 3118769211
311-002-9334 3110029334 311-125-2056 3111252056 311-211-1264 3112111264 311-262-7081 3112627081 311-513-5421 3115135421 311-700-2810 3117002810
000 002 006 025 032 044 090 111 121 123 124 130 187 188 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 210 212
213 215 216 217 218 219 222 223 224 225 229 230 231 234 239 240 248 250 251 252 253 254 256 262 267
269 270 276 281 289 300 301 302 303 304 305 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320
321 323 330 333 336 339 345 347 351 352 360 361 368 380 386 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409
410 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 423 425 434 435 440 441 442 443 444 448 454 469 478 479 480 484
500 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 512 513 514 515 516 517 518 519 520 522 529 530 540 541
551 553 559 561 562 563 566 570 571 573 585 586 600 601 602 603 604 605 606 607 608 609 610 612 613
614 615 616 617 618 619 623 626 630 631 636 646 647 650 651 654 656 660 661 662 668 678 682 691 700
701 702 703 704 705 706 707 708 712 713 714 715 716 717 718 719 720 727 732 734 740 747 757 760 763
765 770 772 773 774 775 777 780 781 785 786 787 800 801 802 803 804 805 806 808 809 810 812 813 814
815 816 817 818 819 830 831 832 843 845 847 850 856 858 859 860 862 863 864 865 866 869 870 876 877
886 887 888 899 901 902 903 904 905 906 907 908 909 910 912 913 914 915 916 917 918 919 920 925 928
936 937 940 941 945 949 951 952 954 956 970 971 972 973 978 979 981 983 985 989 994 998 999