You Can Stop Telemarketers From Calling

Over one million Massachusetts citizens, including Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, have registered with the state's new Do Not Call Registry, a voluntary program designed to keep residents free from pesky telemarketers.

"I will now be the millionth person to block my calls," said Healey as she seated herself at a desk in her office April 3 and pressed buttons on a large telephone.

The program requires businesses which make use of "cold callers" to register with the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation and to follow state rules governing telephone sales.

These rules prohibit sales calls to residents between the hours of 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. regardless of whether or not they have signed on with the program. State regulations also protect consumers from telephone solicitors who use devices to hide their identities from consumers and from advertisements conveyed through recorded messages and fax machines.

Residents can sign up for the "Do Not Call" program 24-hours a day, seven days a week by calling toll free (866) 231-CALL, by registering online or by writing Massachusetts "Do Not Call" Program, P.O. Box 1348, Boston, MA 02117.

"We encourage more people to get on board," said Beth Lindstrom, Director of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation. "There has been an unbelievably positive response to this new program. With approximately 2.8 million residential lines in Massachusetts, there is still room to grow the registry. We look forward to signing up the next million residents."

Healey and Lindstrom said that the program will not completely eliminate unsolicited calls, such as those from charities or businesses with whom the customer has previously established a relationship.

"The difference is that now, when my phone rings, I know it's likely to be someone who really needs something and is not just trying to sell me something," said Lindstrom.

The first registry of names for the program took place between January 1 and March 1 and included over 870,000 residential phone lines. The program took effect for them April 1. The second registry began March 2 and has gained 130,000 residents just in the past month. The program will become effective for them July 1.

Healey says that those who continue to receive unwanted solicitations after signing up with the Do Not Call Registry should call the Attorney General's Complaint Hotline at 617-727-8400 and file a complaint.

"This information filed by consumers will enable the state to find those telemarketers who are not fully complying with the new Do Not Call program," said Healey. "I know that I speak for a lot of people in the Commonwealth when I say life is busy enough without being forced to respond to unwanted phone solicitations at home."

Healey is not without compassion for telephone solicitors, since that was one of her earliest jobs.

"One of my first jobs was doing telephone surveys, non-commercial interviews, polling and cold calls," Healey tells MassNews. "This will be a good thing for people with those jobs, because this way at least they know they will be calling someone who is less likely to hang up on them."