Business Intelligence Watch TMC

FTC TO INDUSTRY: PAY 'TIL IT HURTS

July 27, 2005

As if the headaches associated with the national Do-Not-Call list weren't enough, there's more to deal with thanks to our good friends at the FTC: increased fees, 40 percent greater, to be exact.

Effective Sept. 1, companies accessing the registry will be forced to pay $56 per area code and a staggering $15,400 for firms accessing 280 area codes or more.

The current rates, which went into effect Jan. 1, are $40 per area code and $11,000 for 280 area codes or more.

But there's at least one bit of good news: the first five area codes will be available free of charge (which will help small businesses that do a limited amount of calling), and entities that are exempt such as political groups and charities will still be able to access the registry for free.

The FTC reminds the industry that telemarketers are required to renew their subscriptions to the Do-Not-Call Registry annually. They must also remove registered numbers from their call lists once every 31 days.

"The Do-Not-Call Web site for telemarketers – http://www.telemarketing.donotcall.gov – will inform them when their subscription account numbers (SANs) expire and give them renewal instructions," said the FTC in a press release. "Subscriptions can be renewed up to 30 days before a subscription has expired. Subscriptions also will be renewable after they expire. The new 12-month subscription period will run from the first day of the month in which an organization renews, regardless of whether it renews before or after its current subscription ends."

And what's the total number of consumers who have registered their phone numbers on the list? About 98 million.

And, just in case anyone was wondering, the commission vote to issue the final rule was 4-0.

By Glenn J. Kalinoski, Executive Editor, Customer Inter@ction Solutions



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