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:
333-026-3000 3330263000 333-296-1592 3332961592 333-364-1166 3333641166 333-555-0000 3335550000 333-798-4469 3337984469 333-479-0002 3334790002
333-026-3700 3330263700 333-330-1434 3333301434 333-441-0070 3334410070 333-600-0848 3336000848 333-837-7598 3338377598 333-555-0000 3335550000
333-000-0000 3330000000 333-247-1425 3332471425 333-345-7751 3333457751 333-506-7615 3335067615 333-645-6960 3336456960 333-333-3333 3333333333
333-222-1111 3332221111 333-333-5519 3333335519 333-479-0002 3334790002 333-636-2682 3336362682 333-903-6706 3339036706 333-000-0000 3330000000
333-203-1188 3332031188 333-333-3333 3333333333 333-451-4379 3334514379 333-620-0465 3336200465 333-882-0914 3338820914 333-441-0070 3334410070
333-144-3214 3331443214 333-313-3313 3333133313 333-462-7000 3334627000 333-620-3658 3336203658 333-692-4878 3336924878 333-877-7714 3338777714
333-217-0874 3332170874 333-363-9766 3333639766 333-580-3165 3335803165 333-649-8256 3336498256 333-803-6512 3338036512 333-961-8322 3339618322
333-210-9899 3332109899 333-362-6655 3333626655 333-563-2017 3335632017 333-647-3523 3336473523 333-802-2157 3338022157 333-960-3550 3339603550
333-133-9577 3331339577 333-306-1423 3333061423 333-456-7890 3334567890 333-619-8433 3336198433 333-690-7106 3336907106 333-877-3837 3338773837
333-188-2372 3331882372 333-336-7141 3333367141 333-555-4500 3335554500 333-639-8767 3336398767 333-770-6700 3337706700 333-916-5120 3339165120
333-124-8532 3331248532 333-279-9871 3332799871 333-441-6110 3334416110 333-612-3885 3336123885 333-681-0539 3336810539 333-860-9572 3338609572
333-167-0231 3331670231 333-333-3515 3333333515 333-497-1086 3334971086 333-632-8441 3336328441 333-730-6272 3337306272 333-890-7276 3338907276
333-030-6900 3330306900 333-249-0722 3332490722 333-387-1639 3333871639 333-604-7425 3336047425 333-662-1126 3336621126 333-826-4615 3338264615
333-120-1555 3331201555 333-264-8572 3332648572 333-433-5987 3334335987 333-608-1095 3336081095 333-674-1348 3336741348 333-860-0864 3338600864
333-173-4934 3331734934 333-335-4685 3333354685 333-518-8982 3335188982 333-634-7871 3336347871 333-768-5418 3337685418 333-897-0599 3338970599
333-126-4015 3331264015 333-284-6643 3332846643 333-444-4333 3334444333 333-615-8526 3336158526 333-685-6149 3336856149 333-861-7170 3338617170
333-124-5539 3331245539 333-268-0511 3332680511 333-441-0022 3334410022 333-608-4137 3336084137 333-677-7727 3336777727 333-860-4973 3338604973
333-126-4297 3331264297 333-291-9522 3332919522 333-452-9191 3334529191 333-615-8912 3336158912 333-686-6767 3336866767 333-865-6392 3338656392
333-239-7972 3332397972 333-373-4930 3333734930 333-587-2591 3335872591 333-654-7054 3336547054 333-811-3318 3338113318 333-995-3615 3339953615
333-248-9706 3332489706 333-377-3333 3333773333 333-603-4003 3336034003 333-660-8260 3336608260 333-820-9845 3338209845 333-333-3333 3333333333
333-222-1100 3332221100 333-368-9301 3333689301 333-587-1310 3335871310 333-653-0429 3336530429 333-810-1625 3338101625 333-975-2353 3339752353
333-181-4505 3331814505 333-336-0468 3333360468 333-522-8999 3335228999 333-635-3141 3336353141 333-769-5432 3337695432 333-897-0603 3338970603
333-112-4282 3331124282 333-263-2179 3332632179 333-433-5984 3334335984 333-608-0735 3336080735 333-673-9787 3336739787 333-860-0001 3338600001
333-055-2750 3330552750 333-255-5139 3332555139 333-393-0868 3333930868 333-605-6153 3336056153 333-670-1481 3336701481 333-832-5359 3338325359
333-153-7000 3331537000 333-331-5231 3333315231 333-493-3059 3334933059 333-630-2889 3336302889 333-720-4237 3337204237 333-882-0855 3338820855
333-129-2886 3331292886 333-297-3988 3332973988 333-455-9987 3334559987 333-617-7055 3336177055 333-689-5178 3336895178 333-870-1876 3338701876
333-201-9851 3332019851 333-347-4236 3333474236 333-559-6775 3335596775 333-643-4232 3336434232 333-778-1049 3337781049 333-940-0400 3339400400
333-207-6155 3332076155 333-356-3388 3333563388 333-563-1165 3335631165 333-644-7596 3336447596 333-786-0140 3337860140 333-955-2389 3339552389
333-145-0719 3331450719 333-320-0710 3333200710 333-469-9953 3334699953 333-628-9367 3336289367 333-696-7106 3336967106 333-878-5069 3338785069
333-077-7334 3330777334 333-258-6133 3332586133 333-410-5451 3334105451 333-606-2578 3336062578 333-672-6736 3336726736 333-853-3511 3338533511
333-248-4241 3332484241 333-375-5522 3333755522 333-587-5400 3335875400 333-657-1978 3336571978 333-812-6791 3338126791 333-999-2701 3339992701
333-111-1624 3331111624 333-259-7914 3332597914 333-433-5979 3334335979 333-606-7597 3336067597 333-672-8534 3336728534 333-855-8637 3338558637
333-201-9532 3332019532 333-345-3758 3333453758 333-559-4914 3335594914 333-641-1875 3336411875 333-777-4444 3337774444 333-928-2942 3339282942
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