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On June 2, 2003 the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it has accelerated its timetable for the launch of its new national do-not-call registry. It now expects the launch to occur on July 1, 2003, when it will start a Web site to accept consumer registrations.
The new FTC timetable is nearly two months ahead of the original schedule. July 1 will also mark the launch of consumer registrations by telephone west of the Mississippi River (including Minnesota and Louisiana). The rest of the nation will follow a week later. To register by phone, consumers will need to call from the number they wish to register. Whether online or by telephone, do-not-call registration will be free of charge.
Beginning in September 2003, telemarketers will have to "scrub" their calling lists every three months, which will require quarterly access to the updated do-not-call registry database. The FTC said that consumers who place their phone numbers on the registry this summer should see a decrease in calls after October 1, 2003.
Why This Matters: The telemarketing industry should expect millions of consumers to register with the new national do-not-call Web site and phone banks this summer. Telemarketers must learn to "scrub" away these phone numbers from their calling lists, while also dealing with up to two dozen state do-not-call lists.
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