Telemarketing Calls & Cell Phones

What you need to know about registering your phone number on the National "Do Not Call" List.

By Rick Banas of BMA Management, Ltd.

The statement appears at the top of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) web page about our National “Do Not Call” Registry.

“You may have received an e-mail telling you that your cell phone is about to be assaulted by telemarketing calls as a result of a new cell phone number data base.”

BMA Management marketing assistant Brian Minton received just such an e-mail earlier this week. The e-mail read:

REMEMBER: Cell Phone Numbers Go Public This Month.

REMINDER… all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls.

YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS.

That is Not the Case, according to the FTC, which serves as the nation’s consumer protection agency. Federal Communication Commission (FCC) “regulations prohibit telemarketers from using automated dialers to call cell phone numbers.”

Most telemarketers use automated dialers to initiate telemarketing calls.

The e-mail goes on to say “to prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone – 888-382-1222. It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from your cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.

Here is what the FTC and the FCC have to say:

1. You may place your cell phone number on the National “Do Not Call” Registry. The Registry has accepted cell phone numbers since it opened for registration back in June 2003.

2. There is no deadline for registering a phone number, and there is no charge.

3. You can register by calling toll-free 1-888-382-1222 from the number you wish to register or you can register on-line at www.donotcall.gov. You can also go to www.donotcall.gov to check your registration status or to file a complaint.

4. Placing your phone number(s) on the National “Do Not Call” Registry will stop most, but not all, telemarketing calls. Political organizations and charities are not covered by the “Do Not Call” requirements.

5. After you register, your number will show up on the Registry the next day. Telemarketers, however, have 31 days to remove your phone number from their call lists.

6. The FTC does not allow private companies or third parties to register your phone number(s) for the “Do Not Call” list.

7. Your phone number(s) will not be automatically dropped from the list after five years. The number(s) will stay on the list unless you call to say you want the number(s) dropped from the Registry, service to the number has been discontinued or the number has been disconnected.

More information about the National “Do Not Call” Registry as well as information on things you can do to avoid fraud and internet scams is available by clicking the following link http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/donotcall/coninfo.html


All affordable assisted living communities managed by BMA Management, Ltd. are certified and surveyed by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. All assisted living communities are licensed and surveyed by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

“BMA Management, Ltd. is the leading provider of assisted living in Illinois
and one of the 20 largest providers of assisted living in the United States.”

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Gardant Management Solutions has 20+ years of industry-acclaimed operational history in developing, managing and consulting for senior living, assisted living and memory care communities.