Nearly 1 million Massachusetts residents are seeking refuge from aggressive and annoying telemarketing calls in a new program designed to take phone numbers out of the hands of solicitors.
More than 934,000 people have registered for the ‘Do Not Call’ program since its January conception, and the list is still growing, according to Lizzie Lewis, a Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs spokesperson. Over one-third of all Bay State land-lines are already on the list, she said.
‘The sooner you sign up, the sooner you’re going to see a reduction in calls,’ Lewis said.
Under the new law, which takes effect Apr. 1, telemarketing firms soliciting in Massachusetts are required to purchase the ‘Do Not Call’ list compiled by the state. Companies must then remove the names and numbers of those on the list from their databases. Any telemarketers failing to comply could incur heavy fines.
The ‘Do Not Call’ law also offers protections from intrusive telemarketing calls to all Massachusetts residents, prohibiting calls between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., banning devices that disable caller identification displays and forbidding the use of recorded messages.
Although participants will see a reduction in calls, the program will not eliminate all telephone solicitations, exempting non-profit organizations, callers with prior business with residents and those who do not attempt to make a sale over the phone.
Lewis acknowledged the legislation as a victory for Massachusetts residents.
‘Consumers love this law,’ she said.
Boston University students expressed support for the law, though many said they were not affected because they use cell phones, which often already unlisted.
Peter Pohl, a sophomore in the College of General Studies and an employee at Telefund, a BU organization that petitions alumni for donations, lauded the program.
‘I’m all for it,’ he said. ‘People are harassed all too often by organizations with which they have no prior association.’
He said the volume of solicitous phone calls made to consumers makes it difficult for legitimate and purposeful callers to get through.
A ‘Do Not Call’ law created by the Federal Trade Commission will take effect July 1, providing consumers with nationwide protection from telemarketers and offering toll-free sign-up numbers and registration websites.
The new legislation has met with resistance from telemarketing firms, however, and the Direct Marketing Association has filed a lawsuit against the FTC, claiming the law infringes on their First Amendment right to advertise freely.
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