Telemarketing has been around for decades. It is believed to have been formed in the 1950s, where it enjoyed substantial growth. Because many of these calls are unsolicited, many people complained about telemarketers. In fact, some of the practices were unfair, harassing and rude. For example, telemarketers were known to call late at night or early in the morning, apply undue pressure, refuse to properly identify themselves, make repeat calls even after being asked not to call back, and participate in deceptive practices.
Due to the volume of complaints against the telemarketing industry in general, the government responded with increased protection for consumers and regulations for telemarketers. The Telephone Consumer Protection Law, enacted in 1991, established that telemarketers had to comply with the following rules:
– Do not call the residences before 8 a. M. Or after 9 p.m. M.
– Maintain an internal Do Not Call list
– Provide your name and the name of the entity on whose behalf you are calling.
– Do not use artificial voices or prerecorded messages.
– Do not send unsolicited announcements by fax
In 2003, consumers got another break from the national Do Not Call registry. Once you registered your phone number on this list with the FTC, telemarketers, with the exception of some nonprofits, were unable to call you. In 2007, the Do Not Call Improvement Act allowed your phone number to remain on the list without expiring. This makes it a simple and unique process to avoid most telemarketing calls.
Regulation of the telemarketing industry aims to protect consumers from unsolicited and unwanted calls. This does not mean that all telemarketers comply with the law or that there are no unscrupulous telemarketers with unlisted numbers. If you continue to receive calls from these types of telemarketers, you can find a telemarketing number and request that they stop calling you or report the activity to the FTC.
