Do Not Call

Thank you to the Associated Press for reminding me (and hopefully millions of other US consumers) to re-register on the nation’s Do Not Call list.

Established in 2003, this service prohibits telemarketers from calling numbers on the list. Excluded are chartitable, research and political organizations, as well as those institutions (banks, etc.) with which you have an existing relationship. Administered by the Federal Trade Commission, Do Not Call has registered over 149 million phone numbers to date.

So here’s the kicker… you must re-register every five years or you will once again become fodder for telemarketing firms. This means that in 2008, over 52 million phone numbers will open up. Some members of Congress think this is an absurd notion and are pondering legislation to remove this restriction, but in the meantime, go to the URL today and plug in up to three numbers a shot. If done today, you’d be protected until September 21, 2012. I for one could use another five years of uninterrupted dinners.

Let’s keep the conversation going.