Legal for Telemarketers to Call My Cell Phone?
Is there anything more annoying than a telemarketer calling your cell phone? There is a way to avoid this: put your cell phone number on the national Do Not Call Registry.
After all, no one wants to answer a phone call only to hear an automated advertisement.
Especially when it comes to cell phones. Most Americans have cell phone plans that only allot a certain number of minutes that can be used for outbound and inbound calls.
Did you know that it's generally illegal for telemarketers to call your mobile phone?
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has regulations in place that govern the telemarketing industry. Companies are forbidden from using automated dialing machines to call phones if it costs individuals money to receive these messages.
Since most telemarketers utilize these automated dialing functions, most of these calls are actually illegal. It would be legal for companies to manually dial in cell phone numbers by hand but this is incredibly time-consuming and labor-intensive. Most companies simply don't have the resources to do so.
Of course, this hasn't exactly stopped companies from calling cell phones using automated dialing tools. The Do Not Call Registry works against them - but the law might not stay that way. President Obama recently backed the idea of allowing debt collectors to call cell numbers if consumers owe the government money. This can include students behind on their loan payments.
If the law is changed, Americans might start getting calls from telemarketers on their cell phones. But for now, it's the way to go. It's worth noting that the Do Not Call Registry is the same for both landlines and cell phones.
Related Resources:
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Hanging up on telemarketers (CNet)
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Telemarketing (FindLaw)
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Phone Rage at Auto Warranty Scam Lands Ohio Man in Jail (FindLaw Blotter)
