Are Thirty Days Up Yet?

With much fanfare, media attention and crashing of computers, Canada’s Do NOT Call List Today went live on September 30, 2008. At leat that was the first day for consumers to add themselves to the list (at https://www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/).

The scheme really isn’t live yet and the barrage of annoying calls I received last night alone is evidence of that. It really appears that telemarketers are trying to squeeze in as many calls as possible. The regulations establishing the list give a telemarketer thirty days to get an updated list and it is only then that they cannot call you if your name is on it. But if your name is on it, they can still call you if they are a political party, a political candidate, a charity, a newspaper flogging subscriptions or a company with which you have an existing business relationship. Also, public opinion surveys are not bound by the do not call list rules. But you can ask to be put on their internal do not call list. Seems like a string of yes, no, yes, maybe. But no.

Since the website has been up and running, I’ve not only put my numbers on it but have also taken a look around. The procedure for registering a complaint is very simple and I expect the next statistics we see are the number of complaints registered. The telemarketing companies I’ve spoken to are taking compliance very seriously, but I’m curious whether they are the exception rather than the rule.

I’ve also noticed a few companies that appear to be masquerading as survey companies to avoid the rules to flog cruises, condos and the like. These are generally done using Automatic Dialing-Announcing Devices (or ADADs). The use of ADADs for telemarketing (selling anything) purposes is prohibited. Their use seems to be increasingly common and how the CRTC will deal with them remains to be seen.

If you want more info on the national DNCL, you can check out some past posts and these resources:

• Canadian Do Not Call List – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia;
• C-37, amending the Telecommunciations Act permitting the Do Not Call List;
• National Do Not Call List (DNCL) info from the CRTC
• Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules and Amendment to the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules;

And if you’re inclined to tell telemarketers not to call you, you should also take advantage of iOptOut.