An urban myth is circulating that the federal “Do Not Call” listings are about to expire. Internet emails would have you believe that the federal list, which went live in 2003, is about to expire. In truth, the first expirations will occur in 2008, five years after the numbers were registered. More than 3.4 million people visited the new DoNotCall.Gov Web site on the day it launched, June 27, 2003. Twenty-three million people had signed up within the first month.Here are some important facts for consumers:
- The Do Not Call registry is good for any home or business telephone number.
- Phone numbers which are changing due to the new area code will be automatically changed within the Do Not Call database. There is no need to re-register these numbers.
- Cell phone numbers may be registered, although presently they are prohibited from being targeted by telemarketers.
- The Do Not Call list is available at http://www.donotcall.gov/ or by calling 1-888-382-1222.
- If you want to find out when your registration expires, visit https://www.donotcall.gov/FAQ/FAQConsumersNew.aspx and click “Verify Your Registration.”
