The Do-Not-Call list started nearly 10 years ago. Back then, we had high hopes that it would stop all those aggressive telemarketers from calling us during dinner. And it seemed to work at first, but is that changing?
Now some consumers are saying that the Do-Not-Call list is being ignored.
Diana Trepesowky spent time in her backyard garden this morning, while Jan Davis wrapped up a present. The two women don't know each other, but they have one thing in common; They are annoyed by a growing number of telemarketing calls.
Trepesowky says she gets lots of calls from telemarketers. "I mean I'm getting insurance calls; I'm getting calls from lawyer's offices," says Trepesowky.
"Shampooing companies and window washers and contractors need to know if we need any help fixing the house," says Davis."
And the calls are coming in from morning until night. Davis says she remembers when the Do-Not-Call list started back in 2003. "And the night before it was ring, ring, ring, ring and the next day it stopped. It was so nice."
But are telemarketers now ignoring the law? Trepesowky says she reminds people every time they call. "I have told them at least 20-30 times over the phone; please remove my number from your call list."
Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, so Trepesowky reports the company and their phone number. "My level of frustration is pretty much right up there," she says.
"It just seems like it's becoming more and more frequent. I can see in another six months or so it's gonna be every 5 minutes the phone is going to be ringing again, what was the point?" says Davis.
Federal and state authorities say the Do-Not-Call list is still part of the law and, once consumers put their name in the registry, it stays there.
While it is important to report complaints against telemarketers, don't expect your phone to suddenly go silent.
