Public Service Commission
PSC REMINDS CONSUMERS OF DO-NOT-CALL LIST CHANGES - Issues instructions to telephone companies regarding consumer information

Press Release Date:  Monday, February 04, 2008  
Contact Information:  PSC: Andrew Melnykovych
502-564-3940, ext. 208; 502-330-5981 (cell)
Office of Attorney General: Allison Martin
502-696-5651; 502-229-3004 (cell)
 


        The Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) is reminding residents that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has assumed responsibility for maintaining the list of telephone customers who do not want to receive calls from telemarketers.
        In an order issued today, the PSC instructed telephone service providers on the steps they must take annually to inform their customers of the provisions of Kentucky’s telemarketing laws.
        Under a bill passed by the 2007 Kentucky General Assembly, names already on the Kentucky do-not-call list were transferred last year to the FTC’s national registry. With that change, Kentucky customers wishing to sign up for the do-not-call list in the future must do so by contacting the FTC, either online at  www.donotcall.gov or by calling toll-free, 888-382-1222 (TTY 866-290-4236), from the number they wish to register. A link to the FTC site is available on the Kentucky Office of Attorney General’s do-not-call Web site, www.nocall.ky.gov.
        PSC Chairman Mark David Goss noted that the do-not-call list has been the subject of a number of rumors in recent months.
       “Contrary to some of the information circulating in cyberspace, telemarketers are not about to receive unrestricted access to wireless phones,” Goss said. “All a consumer needs to do to protect his or her wireless phone number is to place it on the do-not-call list.”
      Goss also noted that the there is no truth to the rumor that the FTC will begin removing numbers from the list if they were registered more than five years ago. The FTC has announced that it will not purge numbers until either it or Congress makes a final decision on whether to impose an expiration period, he said.
      “If phone numbers were on the Kentucky list as of June 2007, there is nothing a customer needs to do at this point to remain protected against unwanted telemarketing calls,” Goss said.
      The Kentucky law bars telemarketing calls with the exception of those soliciting donations for charities; those made by companies with whom the recipient has a prior business relationship, debt or contract; or those made at the recipient’s request.
      Complaints regarding possible violations of Kentucky or federal do-not-call statutes may be filed with the Kentucky Office of Attorney General (www.nocall.ky.gov or 866-877-7867) or the FTC (www.donotcall.gov or 888-382-1222).
      Telecommunication providers in Kentucky must notify their customers of the do-not-call provisions through bill inserts, bill messages or the customer guides in their telephone directories.
      A brochure explaining the do-not-call law, as well as today’s order, may be found on the PSC’s Web site, psc.ky.gov. The case number is 2007-00506.
      The PSC is an independent agency attached for administrative purposes to the Department of Public Protection in the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet. It regulates more than 1,500 gas, water, sewer, electric and telecommunication utilities operating in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and has approximately 110 employees.

 

See Also...
  Brochure
Download a consumer information brochure

Order
Read the order
 

CONSUMER Q&A
 

What is the Kentucky No Call list?
It is the list of the residential and wireless telephone numbers of Kentuckians who want to reduce the number of unwanted telemarketing calls they receive.

Is there a National Do-Not-Call Registry?
Yes, there is a National Do-Not-Call Registry. The national registry is maintained by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In 2007, Kentucky’s General Assembly mandated that the numbers previously placed on Kentucky's no call list would be transferred to and maintained by the FTC. Numbers placed on the Kentucky list prior to June 2007 have been automatically transferred to the national registry. After June 2007, any Kentuckian wishing to register a landline or wireless number can do so through the FTC. Numbers on the FTC list will continue to be protected from unwanted calls by Kentucky law. Any telemarketer who calls a registrant whose telephone number is on the list can be prosecuted by the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office and fined up to $5,000.00 per violation, unless the telemarketer falls within one of the exceptions in the law.


Will I get any telemarketing calls if I'm on the "No Call" list?
The law allows certain telemarketers to continue to call consumers on the "No Call" list. The exceptions include calls from:
1. Telemarketers who have a prior or existing business relationship with you.
2. Telemarketers who have received an express request from you to call.
3. Telemarketers with whom you have an existing debt or contract.
4. Telemarketers soliciting only donations for charities. (If you want to be removed from the charity’s list simply state so when the telemarketer calls you.)

How do I sign-up for the national "No Call" list?
You may contact the Federal Trade Commission through its website,
www.donotcall.gov or by calling 1-888-382-1222 (TTY 1-866-290-4236) from the phone whose number you wish to place on the list.


Do I have to sign-up on the "No Call" list more than once?
No. Unless your telephone number changes you will remain on the list. Previously, the registration of any telephone number on the list expired after 5 years. But the Federal Trade Commission recently decided that it will not remove any numbers from the list pending final approval by the U.S. Congress to make registration on the Do Not Call registry permanent.

What is done with the information I provide for the list?
The information provided is kept confidential and used only to compile the list. The only information on the list is your home or wireless telephone number. Only your telephone number will be provided to telemarketers to prevent them from calling you. It is a crime for anyone to use your information for any reason other than preventing unwanted telemarketing calls.

How long after I sign up do telemarketers have to stop calling me?
Telemarketers have 31 days from the date that you register your number to stop calling you.

Does a telemarketer have to stop calling me if I tell them I want no more calls?
Yes. Federal and state rules require companies to place you on their own do-not-call list at your request. The companies are required to leave you on their list for at least 10 years. If the calls do not stop, you may file a written complaint with the Federal Communications Commission, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office or file suit in federal court. For more information about federal laws governing telemarketing, visit the FCC Web site at
www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/tcpa.html.

How and when can I file a complaint?
If you get a call from a telemarketer that is not within one of the exceptions, you can file an online complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at
www.donotcall.gov or by calling the complaint hotline at 1-888-382-1222. You may also file online complaints through the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office at www.nocall.ky.gov, by calling the complaint hotline at 1-866-877- 7867, or by mailing a written complaint form to the Office of the Attorney General at 1024 Capital Center Drive, Suite 200, Attn: No Call, Frankfort Kentucky 40601. You will need to provide at least one of the following:
- Name of the telemarketing company
- Telephone number of the telemarketing company
It also is helpful to provide the date and time of the call and any other identifying information (name, address) about the caller.

Is there any cost to get on the list?
There is no charge for onsumers to get on the list.

 

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