SCAMBUSTERS here`s an extract from their latest newsletter,
Do Not Call Registry

It's become very clear that US consumers are completely fed up
with telemarketers.

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 by July 11!

The new National Do Not Call Registry was created by the
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to allow consumers to register
their phone numbers in a national database with the goal of
limiting telemarketing calls.

There are two ways to register: online or by phone.

Online is easier. Simply visit:

==> http://www.donotcall.gov

You will need to provide an email address so you can get a
confirmation email when you register.

To register by phone, you must call from the phone you wish to
register in the directory. Call 888-382-1222.

You must register by August 31, 2003, to be included when the
program goes into effect on October 1, 2003. Thereafter, you
will be included in the Registry three months after you
register.

Registration lasts for five years or until your phone number
is disconnected. You may also un-register a number if you wish
(although we don't know why you'd want to).

Unfortunately, the Do Not Call Registry won't stop all
telemarketing calls. The loopholes include:

- Political organizations.

- Charities.

- Telephone survey calls.

- Companies with whom you have a "prior business
relationship."

Cell phones may be registered. Business phone numbers may NOT
be registered.

There are stiff penalties for companies that do not comply.
You can get more information, including how to file a
complaint, at:

==> http://www.donotcall.gov/FAQ/FAQConsumers.aspx

We signed up right away and recommend you do the same if you
want to eliminate many of the telemarketing calls you receive.
We predict one downside: some companies that can no longer
telemarket will increase their use of spam.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DorianGreyed,

Thanks, redder:

We've had this in Colorado since approximately May of 2001...I signed my entire family up, immediately, and we've not had a single telemarketing call.

N.B. This doesn't work with cell phones or businesses; just home phones.

gojenni714 (my sister Coloradoan): in case you didn't know about this, it's ColoradoNoCall.

Thanks sonnet. I did sign up about a year ago for this. And I submitted my cell number and have had no telemarketers call me on my cell since then.

It's a good idea to check whether your state has one as well, and to sign up for the federal one even if you are already on a state list, becasue the different lists restrict different types of calls. Signing up for both lists will usually eliminate more calls than just signing up for one or the other.