Use the Internet to stop solicitor calls

Two years ago, Colorado became one of the first states to institute a "no-call" list that consumers could sign up for to prevent solicitation phone calls. This past week, the FTC started a national "no-call" list. These lists must be checked by phone solicitation companies every three months to updated their databases. If a solicitor calls you and you are registered on the "no-call" list, you can file a complaint and the solicitor will be fined fairly substantially ( up to $11,000 per incident for the national list).

As opposed to spam (unsolicited email), phone solicitors are regulated and must comply to certain rules. Therefore, these lists do work. Colorado residents who signed up two years ago report that their phone solicitation calls are almost nil. In less than twenty-four hours, the national list had almost one million people sign up. The FTC expects nearly sixty million numbers to be registered by next summer. 

Enough background, to sign up for the national list:

1. Click Here to reach the National Do Not Call Registry 
2. Click Register Now
3. Enter up to three phone numbers (including your area code)
4. Enter your email address (I'll tell you why in a minute)
5. Click the Submit button
6. Confirm that you typed everything correctly and Click the Register button
7. Within a few minutes, check your email and click on the link provided to finalize your registration

The FTC uses your email to verify the information you entered in the form.

Click here for a list of the thirty-three states that have no-call lists and links to their sites.