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The Federal Trade Commission has announced updated fees starting on October 1, 2011, for telemarketers accessing phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry. All telemarketers making calls to consumers in the United States are required to download the numbers on the Do Not Call list to ensure they do not call consumers who have registered their phone numbers. The first five area codes are free, and organizations that are exempt from the Do Not Call rules, such as some charitable organizations, may obtain the entire list for free. Telemarketers must subscribe each year for access to the Registry numbers.

The access fees for the Registry are being increased as required by the Do-Not-Call Registry Fee Extension Act of 2007. Under the Act’s provisions, in fiscal year 2012 (from October 1, 2011 to September 30, 2012), telemarketers will pay $56, an increase of $1, for access to Registry phone numbers in a single area code, up to a maximum charge of $15,503 for all area codes nationwide, an increase from the previous maximum of $15,058. Telemarketers will pay a $1 increase of $28 per area code for numbers they subscribe to receive during the second half of the 12-month subscription period. Fees have not been raised since October 2009.

The Commission vote authorizing publication of the Federal Register notice announcing the new fees was 5-0. It can be found on the FTC’s website and as a link to this press release. (FTC File No. P034305; the staff contact is Ami Dziekan, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 202-326-2648.)

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call
1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

(FYI 36.2011.wpd)