Telemarketing Appointment Calls No Longer Exempt Under "Do Not Call"

Telemarketing calls seeking a face- to-face appointment are no longer exempt under the "Do Not Call" program, according to the Consumer Pro-tection Board.

Under federal regulations for the ‘Do Not Call’ Telemarketing Registry, telemarketers seeking a ‘face-to-face’ meeting can no longer call consumers on the ‘Do Not Call’ Registry," said Chairperson Teresa A. Santiago.

"There has been some confusion about this former exemption. Now that the federal regulations are in place to conduct the National "Do Not Call" program, we want consumers and tele-marketers to be aware of this change," the chairperson said.

New York State residents have registered more than 4.25 million phone numbers with the state and national "Do Not Call" program, Santiago said. New Yorkers wishing to register their home or cellular phone number may do so free of charge by calling 1-888-382-1222 or by visiting www.donotcall.gov.

When a violation of the "Do Not Call" law occurs, consumers who are registered with the "Do Not Call" pro-gram may file a complaint using the same phone number (1-888-382-1222) and website (www.donotcall. gov).

In his budget proposal, Governor Pataki is proposing an increase in the fines that may be levied against violations of the "Do Not Call" law. Under the governor’s plan, the present maximum fine of $5,000 would increase to $11,000, matching the maximum fine that can be imposed under the federal government’s "Do Not Call" program.

When Governor Pataki signed the "Do Not Call" program into law, he promised strong enforcement to protect the peace and privacy in New York homes," said Santiago. "Since then, the Consumer Protection Board has reach-ed settlements with 67 companies and recently surpassed $1million in total settlements."

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