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For Immediate Release
February 19, 2003

White: Deadline to Sign Up for Do-Not-Call List is March 14

Registration will help prevent unwanted sales calls.

Harrisburg – The next deadline to sign up for the statewide "do-not-call" list to reduce telemarketing calls is March 14, according to state Sen. Mary Jo White (R-21).

White said that consumers can disconnect unwanted sales calls by calling toll-free: 1-888-777-3406, or by logging on to www.nocallsplease.com. Registering on-line takes only a few minutes.

"This initiative has proven to be pretty popular," said White. "More than 2.2 million Pennsylvanians have signed up, and the result has been fewer interruptions and a little more quiet time at home."

Act 24 of 2002, which White supported, allows consumers to remove their names and telephone numbers from telemarketing lists for a five-year period.

White said the list is updated on a quarterly basis, and telemarketers are required to purchase it and remove the names within 30 days.

Consumers who sign up by the deadline should begin receiving fewer telemarketing calls beginning April 1, said White. Consumers who sign up for the list by March 14 and are still receiving calls from telemarketers can file a complaint with the Attorney General’' office starting May 1.

Telemarketers who fail to comply or who continue to solicit residents on the do-not-call list will be subject to civil penalties of $1,000 per violation, and $3,000 for each violation involving a person age 60 or older.

"This law gives citizens the power to refuse unsolicited sales pitches that have grown in number in recent years," said White. "Anyone looking for a way to say 'stop' should check out this program and give it a try."