National Do Not Call List (Canada)

[Tim and Erin 3]

Just wondering if anyone from Canada has registered with the National Do Not Call List. My mother gets NUMEROUS calls per week from telemarketers. She's interested to know if registering with the NDNCL will actually reduce these unsolicited calls.

[Nagishkaw 510]

Topic moved from Off Topic to Regional Discussion Canada.

[zenaxe 22]

Yes I registered for this and it cut down on calls. But this year I'm getting these buttheads calling me and it's bloody annoying. They can't get every number on that list I guess. I loathe those telemarketing calls as much as I loathe those ringing my doorbell then knocking on my door to sell me religion. There should be a no call list for that too.

[Angie'nMark 0]

Just wondering if anyone from Canada has registered with the National Do Not Call List. My mother gets NUMEROUS calls per week from telemarketers. She's interested to know if registering with the NDNCL will actually reduce these unsolicited calls.

Amazing, it totally works. I get no calls at all anymore...except my annoying credit card providers...always hawking some bs insurance. But no random telemarketing. It takes 6 weeks or more to start working I believe. I love the peace and quiet.

[Sam and Ben 2]

I signed up my family and our cell phones immediately after they activated the list. It cut down on calls, yes, but didn't eliminate them.

[Tim and Erin 3]

I laugh when my mom answers the phone and it's a telemarketer and she WON'T hang up on them. She thinks it's rude. What's rude?! Calling a stranger to try to sell something or do a poll or whatever is rude! Ya, she'll say "Sorry, Mrs. O is out of the country." Then they'll ask "Do you know when she'll be back?" "Sorry, I'm just the housekeeper" she'll answer. Well duhhhhhhhh....If you're the housekeeper, mom, surely you'd know when Mrs. O will be back in the country??

When I get a call like that at mom's, I just hang up, and mom gives me heck for it.

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

I was at my wife's workplace the other night, and they're currently running some telemarketing in the evening -- it's only for past subscribers to the opera, and given that it's a non-profit arts organization, subscriptions are their lifeblood...so that's a bit different from generic telemarketing, in my opinion. In any event, one of the callers came into my wife's office and mentioned that after she called a customer, the customer was snippy for a moment, and then turned on some device that put a high-pitched squeal into the receiver! I gotta admit...that's pretty nasty! I typically just say, "Not interested, thanks." and hang up without letting them get another word in edgewise. That way, I figure I'm not wasting their time and they're not wasting mine. I mean, I'm NOT going to buy something they're selling over the phone, and I'm NOT going to be able to talk them out of trying to do so...so hanging up quickly is typically the quickest, most painless way for everyone.

[Malrothien 6]

The Canadian do not call list has quite the list of exemptions:

The Do Not Call List exempts Canadian registered charities, political parties, riding associations, candidates, and newspapers of general circulation for the purpose of soliciting subscriptions.[8] Telemarketing calls from organizations with whom residents have an existing business relationship are also exempt.[8] Telemarketers may also still call if a resident gave them permission in a written form or verbally.[8] This law also does not extend its protections to non-Canadian phone numbers.

[L_n_O 3]

Just wondering if anyone from Canada has registered with the National Do Not Call List. My mother gets NUMEROUS calls per week from telemarketers. She's interested to know if registering with the NDNCL will actually reduce these unsolicited calls.

I'd love to give this number to my mom...

anyone know it?

[Kathryn41 3,205]

The Canadian do not call list has quite the list of exemptions:

The Do Not Call List exempts Canadian registered charities, political parties, riding associations, candidates, and newspapers of general circulation for the purpose of soliciting subscriptions.[8] Telemarketing calls from organizations with whom residents have an existing business relationship are also exempt.[8] Telemarketers may also still call if a resident gave them permission in a written form or verbally.[8] This law also does not extend its protections to non-Canadian phone numbers.

Those same exemptions apply in the US as well. I have two websites I use in conjunction with this. When someone who is obviously not allowed to call does call, I exclaim in a rather astonished voice 'Do you realize you have just called a number on the Do Not Call List? Don't you know you are violating that list by calling this number? Please, give me your name and number so I can report you to the official authorities!". It generally gets a stuttered apology, and a statement that they will remove the number. I have never got a call back from someone when I've done that to them. For those who call and it is an automated machine, or call and there is no one there - and if some one I did that to called back, then I report them by Filing a Complaint at the Do Not Call List registry: https://complaints.d...ck.aspx?panel=2 .

Since non-profits are allowed to call, I basically ask them for a breakdown of how much money they spend on their actual programmes and how much on their telemarketing expenses. I am generally able to look them up on this website while they are still on the phone: http://www.charityna....cfm?bay=topten and determine the information for myself. If they do not donate at least 85% of the money to the actual programmes then they don't get a dollar from us. That generally silences most of them and if they do indeed have at least 85% of their funds to the actual programmes then we take a look and consider making a donation.

If you don't know who called, whether they belong on the Do Not Call list or not, here is a really great website - you type in the number and it tells you who it is and how many other complaints have been registered. Most interesting! http://whocalled.us/

The Do Not Call Registry really made a difference here though. You need to call and register from each phone you want listed.

Edited March 29, 2010 by Kathryn41

[Udella&Wiz 325]

You can also just ask to be placed the do not call list of the company calling....after a while you get very few calls. Recently what I found annoying was a particular company who called our house multiple times (I mean like daily or twice a day at different times...sometimes we weren't home and sometimes we were and ignored it. Finally I got sick of them calling because they were so persistent so I answered. It turned out to be something stupid like Sirius radio (with whom we have a service)...and I told the guy off. I commented how many times they'd called..including once after 9 pm...and that I wanted to be put on their do not call list.

Anyway - that's my rant...I hate telemarketers.

[Peachey 10]

I heard the Canada Do not call list sold their list...

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

I heard the Canada Do not call list sold their list...

So now the newly christened Do Not Call corporation is initiating an aggressive telemarketing campaign, trying to sell Do-Not-Call Brand blenders, t-shirts and life insurance...