Telemarketers call at dinner time, they call at the crack of dawn, and they even interrupt bathroom breaks. These phone calls have made some Oregonians crazy for years, but there is way to stop the madness.
The Oregon No Call Law, enacted in 1999 by the Oregon Legislature, gives phone customers the opportunity to be placed on a “No Call List.” Subscribers to the list do not receive unsolicited phone calls, and they are removed from most telemarketing lists. Individuals wishing to be placed on the April 2003 list need to register by Saturday to be included. Registration must take place over the phone or via e-mail. Registration for the list is $6.50 for the first year and $3 for every year after. The list is updated four times a year.
“Consumers place great value on protecting their privacy, so interest in ‘No Call’ has really taken off,” Oregon No Call spokesman Richard Meyer said.
The list is distributed to more than 1,250 telemarketers in 49 states and two foreign countries. Companies that call individuals on the list are subject to fines of up to $25,000, and Oregon Attorney General Hardy Myers has already fined more than 120 companies for violating the no call law.
Residential phone users and cell phone users are both eligible for the list. Meyer said as cell phone users learn about the program, he expects higher levels of enrollment.
“More and more people are using cell phones as their primary telephone number,” Meyer said. “As a result, telemarketers are increasingly making unwanted calls to these numbers.”
“No Call” lists have been used in several states across the nation, including Texas and Kentucky, for years. This week President George W. Bush signed legislation creating a national no call list that will begin operating this summer. The Federal Trade Commission will collect fees from telemarketers to fund the list, which is expected to cost about $16 million in the first year.
The Oregon “No Call List” is operated by a private list administrator in cooperation with the Oregon Attorney General. All information given to the list is private. To register for the list visit www.ornocall.com or call (877) 700-6622 for more information.
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