I've used the mention of my DNC listing to wave off legitimate businesses, and then, of course, it works. But it's a disappointment because it's powerless against those that are not legitimate, and they're the dangerous ones. (I've done all the reading you could possibly want me to do on the subject, and that hasn't made me one bit happier with the situation.) I hope you never have a vulnerable senior in your family that you will try to protect with the DNCL, because it won't. But, hey, I'm glad you're happy with it.

received an irrational call from this number talking about water from Boulder dam asking for my daughter..

Reply to Tamianth --

You've got it right. The DNC does not "protect" you. It only establishes a law, and penalties for violations. Applying those penalties is another matter. The FCC / FTC is swamped, has bigger fish to fry, or has been sequestered to ineffectiveness, but the beauty of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act is that it specifically leaves enforcement up to the victims of DNC violations. The victims can do the enforcement, the victims pocket the penalty payments.

There is an analogy here in the current debate about "gun laws." Gun laws, ANY laws, cannot protect you against people who are willing to break the law. Only penalties and jail time can serve as a deterrent and there will always be people willing to take the chance in order to commit robberies, murder, etc. See for example Chicago where felons who have been arrested for gun possession, instead of being locked away for a long time, are sent to a "camp" (camp? my parents could never afford to send me to any freaking "camp") -- turned loose, they get another gun, they kill people... (happened just last week). Or the Navy Yard shooter, known to several police departments to have many loose screws, one department duly reported it, it was ignored, he was NOT flagged as a nutcase for the Federal gun-purchase background check which he passed, so he went off and killed 12. Laws cannot protect you against the criminal or the insane. So it is with the DNC List -- the only way to get some relief from the horde of illegal telemarketers is to personally go after them and make their business model too expensive to be sustainable. That's OUR job, not the government's. People should stop expecting the government to do everything for them -- first of all it's basically incompetent, second of all it's flat broke. But we have been given the power to do it ourselves. So, use it, citizens.

So, how does that work? Well, so far this year, I've collected $5750 in settlement checks -- one from a telemarketer that's been calling me for five years, is too lazy or stupid to learn, and this year sent me checks #2 and #3.

Suing them requires legwork and bureaucracy -- filing in small claims court -- but it pays off. Each violation is worth a minimum of $500, and a single call can contain more than one violation (calling a DNC number, spoofing caller ID, refusing to identify, using pre-recorded call, not giving opt-out opportunity, using an in-house DNC list, etc). At $500 a pop you can quickly reach your small-claims limit of $10K here in California (you're allowed two of those per year; and unlimited cases to $2500). And that's the very intent of the government when they wrote this law.

Important ammunition for lawsuits -- companies will often claim that "Well, WE didn't call! That was a lead generator!" This is like claiming you're not guilty of murder, the hit man you hired did that. Well, as of earlier this year, that excuse won't wash anymore. The FCC has ruled that "If you bought the lead / hired the call center, you own the violation." See this ruling regarding "vicarious liability."

http://www.fcc.gov/document/dish-network-et-a ... g-re-tcpa-rules

It's long-winded, lots of arguing about meaning of words ("what does 'on behalf of' mean?"), but see in particular paragraphs 36 and 37, pages 14 and 15. This is the part I love --

The TCPA was enacted
primarily to protect consumers from unwanted telemarketing invasions. The private right of action
provided in section 227(b)(3) gives consumers the power not only to seek compensation for the harms
unlawful telemarketing causes, but also to deter future unlawful invasions of privacy.
...
This analysis applies comfortably to private rights of action for violations of section
227(b). As government and consumer commenters argue ? and as the telemarketing industry
acknowledges ? the seller is in the best position to monitor and police TCPA compliance by third-party
telemarketers.108 We thus agree that, consistent with the statute?s consumer protection goals, potential
seller liability will give the seller appropriate incentives to ensure that their telemarketers comply with our
rules.109 By contrast, allowing the seller to avoid potential liability by outsourcing its telemarketing
activities to unsupervised third parties would leave consumers in many cases without an effective remedy
for telemarketing intrusions. This would particularly be so if the telemarketers were judgment proof,
unidentifiable, or located outside the United States, as is often the case.110 Even where third-party
telemarketers are identifiable, solvent, and amenable to judgment, limiting liability to the telemarketer
that physically places the call would make enforcement in many cases substantially more expensive and
less efficient, since consumers (or law enforcement agencies) would be required to sue each marketer
separately in order to obtain effective relief. As the FTC noted, because ?[s]ellers may have thousands of
?independent? marketers, . . . suing one or a few of them is unlikely to make a substantive difference for
consumer privacy.?111 And as the Third Circuit determined in an analogous context, absent the
application of agency-related principles, the seller (in this instance) ?would benefit from undeterred
unlawful acts, and the statute?s purpose . . . would go unrealized.?112 Reading the TCPA to incorporate
baseline agency-related principles imposing vicarious liability on sellers also advances Congress? intent
that the Commission harmonize its TCPA enforcement, to the extent possible, with that undertaken by the
regulation in telemarketing.

Got that? That's my hunting license.

? "suem" says, "... The DNC registry is a joke. ..."  ?

Suem, I know exactly what you're talking about.  I put our phone on the DNC list, too, but my mother-in-law STILL calls my wife at least a dozen times each week!

---- ba dum bump.

Agreed! As has been mentioned, people don't read the page about it works.  But I then think if the legal business's called on top of all the scams,extortionists, illegal telemarketers and fraudulent calls, the phone would ring off the hooks 24-7-365.. :(

sorry,  "it"  should be  "DNC"

Your post is so true,  and how many times do we read that the "DNC is a joke"  or  "I get more calls now that before I registered"   or   "the DNC is selling our names and numbers to the Telemarketers".   Many don't even know what the FTC defines as a telemarketer.  I used to attempt to advise people of the function of the Registry but it makes no difference how many times it is posted on every thread,   we will always read the same complaints.    The DNC will still be held responsible for the Great Flood,  biblical plagues and Herpes.  Woe but people should take a minute or two of their time to Go to the FTC/DNC site and do a little reading.  I have given up on posting to every person who complains about the it and no long attempt to offer an answer.   Does no good,   Let EM gripe...
Thank you and  Tamianth for your always informative and helpful posts..

Not much we can do, we just point you in the right directions more or less. If you can talk to a live person, find out what type of call it is, then report it accordingly.. If its a telemarketer trying to sell you goods or services -report to the DNC, FTC & FCC. Meanwhile, you can take a few steps yourself, got a whistle or boat horn? Give em a blast and hang up. If you have the caller id, pick up and hang us asap.   The calls will drop in number, I used those tricks and now maybe get 1-3 calls a month, never the same number twice as a rule.  The scammers, extortionists and frauds dont obey any laws ...  if you look above to Michaels and mine posts there's some info there. But here's the links for filing various types of calls:

http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx
http://www.fbi.gov/
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/
https://esupport.fcc.gov/ccmsforms/form1088.action
https://complaints.donotcall.gov/complaint/complaintcheck.aspx?panel=2
IRS: http://www.irs.gov/uac/Tax-Scams-Consumer-Alerts    <--file a IRS scam
DEA Extortion scam
Report Extortion Scam: 1-877-792-2873
http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/pressreleases/extortion_scam.htm
Internet crime report:
http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx
White collar Crime report:
http://www.nw3c.org/
To report the fraud, go here:
http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/general-support/grant-fraud.html
Their number is listed , along with an email address, at the top of the page.

If it comes in the mail, turn it over to the local Post Master

I have been getting calls from this number regarding different marketing tips and I told them I am not interested but it seems like they don't get it. someone who is watching this site please help and stop these jerks.

I recd a call from them offering solar panels and I told them I am not interested but she started saying why would you do that and why wouldn't you save the bill, I said again I am not interested and then she hangs up. why call again and again when we say we are not interested.

I know you are up on the nuances of the various telemarketing rules but as we see here every day, far too many people do not understand the purpose or functioning of the DNC Registry and just how few calls are actually legitimate DNC violations.

Yup, I do file with the FTC on certain things, or the FCC itself. It all depends on what the phone call is..

In point of fact, virtually all nuisance calls that do not directly or indirectly attempt to sell you goods or services are not bound by the DNC rules.  Unless they register as a seller of goods or services, they cannot even access the DNC list to avoid calling numbers found there.  Depending upon the nature of the call, they are required to follow other telemarketing laws and regulations such as the blanket prohibition on calling before 8am or after 9pm local time or the prohibition on a recorded message without express prior permission.  However, those violations do not get reported to the DNC complaint registry, they go to the FCC.  Only complaints about illegal sales calls go to the DNC complaint website or phone number.

The DNC does do its job! People tend to really misunderstand how it works and generally do not understand that the dnc does not protect you from the scams,frauds,extortionists and the unscrupulous nasty's that refuse to obey laws. Charity's and political, along with some survey's are exempt from this.  Most of those will place you on the their internal DNC if asked though and there is a political DNC (it works very well too I might add) list you can sign up with.  

Complaints filed with the DNC and other agency's are used to establish a pattern, then they can take action. They do make busts, they do fine them, and they do make arrests. You also need to realize that some of these bad actors are located in foreign country's and then their government has to work with ours. Slow it may be, but it does happen!

The more complaints filed, the more info they have to go on!

http://stoppoliticalcalls.org/index.php
***************************************
http://800notes.com/forum/ta-85b5378d399a1e2/ ... wes-9-5-million

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2013/09/ambrosia.shtm
http://www.ftc.gov/os/caselist/1223190/

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/08/14/seen-a ... s-may-cost-you/

See alfalfa's posts here pg 2:

http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-508-257-1883/2

http://800notes.com/forum/ta-3d0db539b04cf38/ ... -mortgage-fraud
*********
**http://800notes.com/forum/ta-871560ed886f076/ ... y-1-mil-in-ohio

https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Media/New ... ity-Operation-O
*****
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE77H6B320110818?irpc=932

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/fraud-charges-f ... ory?id=17069702

http://www.cfnews13.com/content/news/cfnews13 ... rrested_in.html

http://800notes.com/forum/ta-8332fda6a81a7aa/ ... debt-collectors

http://800notes.com/forum/ta-85c886aa3b975c5/ ... ion-sounds-like

They answer to confirm who I am then hang up.  Call all the time.  I have reported them but it does no good.  The DNC registry is a joke.  I've gotten more calls since signing up with them then ever and now they are calling my cell phone.

Usual call-and-hang-up when call rolls to voice mail (since I never pick up calls that I don't recognize). Different day (and number), same BS.

This number called when I was out of the house and left no message. Coming here to check on who might be calling, I find there is no valid reason for this number to be calling me. Now blocked through *60.

I received a call from 6572018139 in which they are offering Solar Panels. When I advised I was not interested they asked if I would rather be stupid and pay the high electric bill. I was shocked.  
said EXCUSE ME!?! They then called me a wet back and hung up.

Unprofessional, racist! How about you find another job that doesn't pay you commission for your set appointments. It's not my fault you work as a telemarketer. If you are unhappy find another job.

Spouse answered, nobody there. Hung up.

have received 2 or 3 calls and reported to DNC and also blocked this stupid #.

Received 2 calls in a row from this number while I was on the phone with someone else. I am assuming they are telemarketers with a bogus area code like this. Now blocked.

Call and hang up..  Different numbers, same old spam.

Just got a call from them.  Claim they are the National Energy blah blah blah...the same solar panel outfit that's been calling under different phone numbers.  Yes...the do not call list is absolutely useless.  Now, I just let the answering machine take it or i enjoy answering and hanging up on them.

Rings and when answered, they hang up.  Now blocked.

Won't stop calling.

I've been receiving many calls from this number.  No one will speak when answered.

On the DNC and receive at least 2-3 calls daily from unknown callers  When I pick up there is no one on the other line OR dial the tel# displayed on my caller id I reach a recording saying "Not an active number or out of service"!!!!

I reported this number to "National Do Not Call Registry" today

Hung up when they got the answering machine because we screen all our calls. Undoubtedly another $#*$)@ telemarketer violating the useless do-not-call list.