Anti-telemarkting list starts

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Households frazzled by unwanted telephone sales calls could soon be enjoying the sounds of silence, thanks to a popular anti-telemarketing list that opens for registration on Friday.

Federal officials said consumers are now able to place their home and mobile telephone numbers on a free, national "do not call list" of households that do not want to receive telephone sales calls, by logging on to (http://donotcall.gov) or calling 1-888-382-1222.


President Bush (news - web sites) is scheduled to unveil the popular measure at a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden at 8:30 a.m.


Telemarketers who call numbers on the list after Oct. 1 will face penalties of up to $11,000 per call, as well as possible lawsuits from consumers and state attorneys general.


The telemarketing industry has thrived over the past decade, thanks in part to plunging long-distance rates and computerized dialers that allow sales representatives to reach many more customers.


Prompted by a deluge of consumer complaints, the Federal Trade Commission announced plans for the list last year, and Congress approved it shortly afterward.


At least 25 states have already set up do-not-call lists of their own, which have proven popular with consumers seeking to stem an ever-increasing tide of sales calls. In Minnesota, for example, roughly half of the state's 2.2 million residential lines have subscribed.


FTC officials expect 60 million households to sign up, prompting them to offer telephone registration on a geographic basis to avoid overloading the system.


Residents living in states west of the Mississippi River, including Louisiana and Minnesota, will be able to sign up by phone starting Friday. Those living east of the Mississippi will not be able to sign up until July 7, though they will be able to sign up through the Web site on Friday.


Those who sign up through the Web site will be able to register up to three phone numbers at once, while those who register by phone will only be able to register the phone number from which they are calling.


Consumers who sign up for the list by August 31 should see a sharp drop-off in calls starting October 1, while those who sign up later will face a three-month wait before telemarketers add their numbers to the list.


Consumers will not have to pay for the list, as it will be funded by telemarketers.


The list does not cover all callers. Nonprofit and political callers will be free to ignore it, but will have to honor consumer requests not to be called back. Businesses will be free to call customers for 18 months after making a sale, but they too will have to honor opt-out requests.


Telemarketing groups have sued to scratch the effort, arguing that it abridges free-speech rights.






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