Getting nervous about all the emails warning that your cell phone is about to be inundated with telemarketer calls? Who wouldn’t be? Those missives are written with an “end of the world as we know it” tone that would scare the incisors off of Count Dracula.The reality is that there’s no D-Day for cell numbers. According to this posting by the FTC, cell phone numbers are not being released to telemarketers. There is no now-or-never deadline to register your cell number with the Do Not Call database (of which there is only one, by the way, contrary to the plethora of numbers being emailed around). And there’s no reason to fear autodialers will start cranking out your cell number since that’s just plain illegal.
As for that pesky “Wireless 411” directory we’ve heard rumors of.... Yes, it might happen someday, but it will be an opt-in program; if you don’t opt in, your cell won’t be listed. The FTC has made that abundantly clear to cell providers and telemarketing firms.
Regardless, you can register both your home and cell numbers on the official FCC Do Not Call list. The registrations last until the numbers are either disconnected or reassigned...or a couple of other odd situations regarding changed calling plans. Check out this link on the FTC site for specifics...and rumor busting.
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