Q: Why does the Do Not Call list no longer work? Both my cell and home phones are on that list, but I get at least three calls a day. As soon as I ask for the company name, they hang up on me. My parents have the same problem. How can I report these companies and how can I stop the calls?
—Patricia Lewis, Rex
A: The Do Not Call laws are in place and are enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). You can contact the FTC or the Governor's Office of Consumer Protection (consumer.georgia.gov) if you believe there has been a violation. You also can register a complaint by calling 888-382-1222 or at www.donotcall.gov. To be a violation, three conditions must apply, according to the Office of Consumer Protection:
1. The call was made to a residential or cell phone number at least 31 days after the date the phone number was registered with the National Do Not Call Registry.
2. The purpose of the call was to solicit you to buy, rent or invest in property, goods or services. (Calls from charitable, religious or other organizations that solicit contributions, memberships and opinions generally do not violate the law.)
3. The telemarketer’s company and you do not have a prior or current relationship. Federal regulations limit the scope of a prior business relationship to 18 months after a purchase or acquisition and three months after an inquiry or application. Calls made during these periods are not violations.
Numbers placed on the registry will not expire.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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