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GUEST COLUMN |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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CONTACT: Gabrielle
A. Prutisto |
State Rep. Joseph
Brennan |
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HARRISBURG, Aug. 3
State telemarketing Do Not Call list renewal time
By: State Representative Joseph Brennan
It’s been a long day at work…time to finally relax and have a great meal with your family. Your son begins to tell you about the baseball game at camp today. “Mom, it was the bottom of the ninth, two outs, and a full count when I was at the plate. Just then I swung and…” RING!!! RING!!! The exciting story is interrupted by another telemarketer.
It has happened to all of us at one time or another, and the more often it happens, the more annoying it becomes. But thanks to the Do Not Call list established by the state five years ago, those calls are now few and far between for many families.
Your phone number only stays on the Do Not Call list for five years, so if you were one of the first to sign up when the program began in 2002, it is now time to renew your registration on the list to prevent being interrupted two or three times a night by unsolicited telephone calls from telemarketers. If you first registered in 2002, you should re-register your phone number on the Do Not Call list before Sept. 15, or you will be removed from the list by Nov 1.
The Do Not Call list does two things. First, it provides significant relief to residents who don't want to be constantly interrupted at home by sales pitches they did not request.
Second, the high-pressure tactics of many telemarketers – and the scams run by some – result in many people purchasing products and services they do not need. In many cases, telemarketers target the most economically vulnerable people in the community for their high-pressure tactics. The Do Not Call list protects Pennsylvanians from these tactics by allowing them to eliminate many of the telemarketing calls they receive in the first place.
All telemarketers that make phone calls in Pennsylvania are required to purchase the updated list on a quarterly basis.
If you want to renew your phone number on the Do Not Call list, or register a new number, you can do so FOR FREE using one of two methods:
1. Call the toll-free number 1-888-777-3406 and follow the prompts.
2. Get on the Internet and visit www.nocallsplease.com. Fill out the information form and submit it electronically.
Once you renew, your name and telephone number will be placed on the Do Not Call list for another five years or until your phone number is no longer valid. Telemarketers have a 30-day grace period from when they purchase the list to stop calling you, and the list is updated every three months.
Telemarketers that continue to call you after you are placed on the Do Not Call list face a civil penalty of up $1,000. The fine can increase up to $3,000 if you are 60 or older.
Residents who are contacted by a telemarketer after they have enrolled and had their name placed on the updated Do Not Call list should file a complaint with the state Bureau of Consumer Protection by calling 1-800-441-2555.
In addition to prohibiting telemarketers from calling people on the list, the law also prohibits telemarketers from blocking their name and phone numbers from showing up on people's caller-ID machines. Many people screen their calls and don't pick up calls from telemarketers. This law ensures they can do that effectively.
The law does not apply to tax-exempt organizations and nonprofit groups like fraternal and veterans' organizations. Political candidates and parties also are exempt, and companies with which you already have an existing business relationship are allowed to call you even if your number is on the Do Not Call list.
If you signed up before, you know how easy the process is to re-new. Those few minutes will save you tons of time and aggravation in the future, not to mention quality dinner time with your family.
If you have any questions about the Do Not Call list or need help renewing or enrolling for the first time, please call my constituent service office at 610 882-1510.
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