How to Get Rid of Telemarketer Calls

Taking steps to prevent unwanted calls will save both you and telemarketers from enduring unnecessary frustration.

Businesses are eager to find or buy consumers' telephone numbers in hopes of directly marketing their products. While good for businesses, telemarketing calls can be annoying and invasive to consumers. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to discourage telemarketers from calling your phone now, as well as preventive measures to keep them from bothering you again in the future.

Things You'll Need

• Telephone

Instructions

1. Register your home and mobile numbers with the national Do-Not-Call list (see Resources). This will prevent businesses from "cold calling" you, or finding your number in a public phone book to solicit. The Do-Not-Call list does not, however, apply to charities, political organizations or businesses you have given your permission to call.

2. Ask to be removed from calling lists. Telemarketers are required by law to stop calling you if you ask them explicitly. Be clear that you want to be removed from their list permanently, as opposed to for the remainder of their current campaign, by saying "Please remove me from your list and do not call this number ever again."

3. Report telemarketers that continue to call despite your requests to be removed from their lists to the Federal Communications Commission (see Resources). Businesses are subject to government fines for calling after you ask to be removed.

4. Stop and think before giving out your telephone number to a business on a survey or mailing list. Oftentimes, this constitutes permission to call and you will be bothered by telemarketers. After registering with the Do-Not-Call list, asking to be removed from lists and reporting repeat offenders, the best way to keep your peace is simply keeping your number away from businesses.

Tips & Warnings

• Be patient after registering your numbers with the Do-Not-Call list. It can take up to a month for businesses to stop calling.

• Most people who call you on behalf of businesses are considerate, courteous individuals outside of their job, and many of them do not enjoy calling you. Be both polite and clear with them in your requests to be removed from calling lists. Pranking telemarketers or pretending to be somebody else will not prevent them from calling again in the future.

References

• Ecofuture; Telemarketing; November 2004
• Federal Communications Commission: National Do-Not-Call Registry

Resources

• National Do Not Call Registry
• Federal Communications Commission: FCC Consumer Complaints