Federal vs. State Do Not Call Registries

Many people are confused by the fact that there are not one but two major Do Not Call registries in affect. People don´t know if they are supposed to sign up for both lists or if membership in one somehow cancels out membership in the other. Here is a quick primer for anyone who has just gotten a new phone line (land line or cell phone) and is wondering about both the state and federal Do Not Call lists.

First, the federal Do Not Call list was started to help put an end to telemarketer phone calls. Of course, since there is such a strong business lobby in Washington DC, the bill was gutted to a certain extent and now only provides a modicum of protection against certain kinds of telemarketers. Membership is free and it doesn´t affect your membership on any of the state lists. You can join over the Internet or by calling the federal Do Not Call registry number.

The state Do Not Call lists were started to help strengthen the watered down federal list. They help to close many of the loopholes that existed, such as companies claiming they were doing surveys at first that then try to tell you something. Membership on the state lists is also free and is a good idea if you want to lessen the number of calls you get. However, there is a new tool you can use that works even better to help you avoid unwanted telemarketer phone calls.

Your local do not call registry can only go so far, use reverse phone number traces to help reduce the number of unwanted calls you get even farther. Simply trace any incoming number and find out the name of the person or company responsible so you can contact them yourself and have the calls ended for good. You don´t have to put up with harassing calls any longer.