National Do Not
Call Registry - You can submit your telephone number to this US
federal government database, prohibiting most telemarketers from calling
you. It is administered by the Federal
Trade Commission.
However, political and charitable organisations, and telephone surveyors
are exempt, along with companies with which you have an, "ongoing
business relationship."
For political and charitable organisations, you will need to specifically
request to be placed on that organisation's internal do-not-call list.
In case of a violation, your only recourse appears to be filing a complaint,
which goes to the FTC. As with other areas of business misbehaviour,
the FTC does not deal with individual cases, but, rather, waits until
a large number of complaints have been received concerning a specific
company, and then takes general action against the perpetrator.
Telemarketing Consumer Protection Act of 1991
- This is the main US federal law restricting telemarketers.
