Many callers to the BBB recently have been asking about unwanted calls from companies soliciting their business, offering a product or service such as a credit card at a reduced rate or even debt collection or credit repair when the consumer has no debt; services the consumer may or may not need. How did they get your number and how do you stop these calls if you no longer want to receive them?
Telemarketing companies get your name in one of two ways. They buy lists that define a certain demographic that may be interested in their products or services or they use automated dialers that dial either randomly or sequentially.
Companies who purchase leads lists do so after careful studies on how and what you buy or based on other factors such as what part of the country you live in. Other companies share your information with companies who sell similar products in an attempt to target your preferences and pique your interest.
Auto-dialers or predictive dialers work much differently. Auto-dialers are machines that randomly dial numbers or dial a series of numbers in sequence. In either case there are some restrictions for the use of auto-dialers by these companies. If an auto call or pre-recorded call is received on a wireless device, it may violate the Federal Communications Commission’s rules unless you have given your prior consent to be called. If a telephone solicitation call is made to your land line the caller must provide his or her name, the name of company they are calling from and a telephone number or address for the person or company. If the call is a pre-recorded message, it must include a contact telephone number. Without these disclosures, the call violates FCC rules.
If you have caller ID, the phone number of the company is required to be displayed as well as the company name if it is available. The phone number that is displayed must be a number you can call during regular business hours to ask that the company no longer call you. This rule applies even if you have a previously-established business relationship with the company, and even if you have not registered your home phone number(s) on the national Do-Not-Call list.
For complete information on all the FCC's rules regarding telephone solicitations, go to www.fcc.gov or contact the BBB for the FCC’s consumer guide on telephone solicitations. The FCC can issue warning and impose fines but they do not award damages to individuals.
Removing your name from these lists may be easy but making that removal effective takes a little work.
If you continue to receive calls after you have registered on the federal Do Not Call registry, protect yourself with these options.
1. Ask the caller to remove your name from their calling lists. Tell them you have registered your name on the national do not call registry and remind them that they must comply with the rule.
2. If you continue to get unsolicited calls, you may file a complaint on the www.donotcall.gov web site or by calling the FTC toll free number 877 382-4357. Complaint information must include the date of the unwanted phone call and either the name or the telephone number of the marketer. There are steep fines per violation for telemarketers who do not comply.
Remember political organizations, charities, telephone surveyors, and companies with whom you have an existing business relationship, among others can still call you as they are exempt from the list