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Do Not Call List can put a hold on those
annoying telemarketing calls
Minnesota phone customers can now avoid many of
the telemarketing calls that seem to be a growing annoyance.
"Minnesota consumers have made it quite
clear that they want some relief from unwanted telemarketing," says
Minnesota Commerce Commissioner Jim Bernstein. "There are roughly 2.2
million residential phone lines in Minnesota. I would not be surprised if half
of those numbers are eventually registered on the Do Not Call List."
By submitting up to three residential phone
numbers on the state’s new Do Not Call List, phone customers can opt out of
having telemarketing calls from many businesses and organizations, says
Bernstein.
The system will recognize the phone number and
will ask the caller to confirm the information. The statewide toll-free Do Not
Call List registration phone number is 1-800-921-4110. Internet registration
will also be available through the Department of Commerce web site: www.commerce.state.mn.us.
Minnesota’s Do Not Call List, established by
the 2002 legislature and signed into law by Governor Jesse Ventura, is expected
to reduce the number of unsolicited telemarketing calls to consumers. Minnesota
residents may register their phone numbers – at no charge – on the Do Not Call
List, and telemarketers are required to remove those numbers from their
databases.
As of Jan. 1, telemarketers will be required to
purchase a new Do Not Call List every three months. Violators could face civil
penalties of up to $1,000 per violation, and repeat offenders could be barred
from all telemarketing in the state. The Department of Commerce will maintain
the list and enforce the law.
Certain organizations are exempt from the law
and do not have to purchase the Do Not Call List before phoning Minnesota
residents:
• Nonprofit organizations.
• Political organizations.
• Businesses with a prior relationship with
the customer.
• Solicitors who do not intend to complete
the sale over the phone, but rather complete the transaction in a face-to-face
setting.
Other provisions in the Do Not Call List law
include:
• All telemarketers will be prohibited from
using devices that disable Caller ID on consumers’ telephones.
• Telemarketers will be required to
immediately identify themselves, the company they represent and the product they
are selling.
• If the Federal Trade Commission develops a
nationwide "Do Not Call List," Minnesota’s list will be
automatically included on the national register. In that case, companies that
obtain the federal list wouldn’t be required to buy the state list.
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