There is an urban legend that spread trough chains emails often forwarded among friends worrying about the fact that all cell phone numbers will be made public to telemarketing firms. The bad thing in this is that the telemarketers will start calling non stop with unwanted offers and as this email states the phone owner will be charged for the cost of the communication not the telemarketers. Now we can understand how people that are very concerned about their phone bills have massively adhered to the national do – not call list. There are no information about where or when started the original mail with this cell phone numbers public myth.

This email in his various forms can create panic among people his convincing points I think there are the ones that all calls, even messages must be paid by the consumer. That must be a strong reason for anyone to wish for their phone number to be blocked somehow from receiving such calls. FTC and FCC states that there is no real reason to fear that this could happen. According to http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2010/01/donotcall.shtm „the Do Not Call Registry now has more than 191 million active registrations, and more than 18 million new phone numbers were registered in Fiscal Year (FY) 2009”


On its official site http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/truthaboutcellphones.html Federal Communication Commission try is to clarify some details about these emails „ Even if a wireless 411 directory is established, most telemarketing calls to wireless phones would still be illegal. For example, it is unlawful for any person to make any call (other than a call made for emergency purposes or made with express prior consent) using any automatic telephone dialing system or any artificial or prerecorded voice message to any telephone number assigned to a paging service, mobile telephone service, or any service for which the called party is charged for the call. This prohibition applies regardless of whether the number is listed on the national Do-Not-Call list.”

After registering the number in the Do-Not-Call registry there is a minimum of 31 days period for the telemarketer to acknowledge and to comply to this. If it does not it will risk a fine of up to $16,000. Even though the number is listed in this registry there might be other unsolicited phone calls from political organizations, charities, and telephone surveyors would still be permitted, and from companies that the consumer has an express agreement. . According to Do-Not-Call Improvement Act of 2007 wich became law in February 2008 the numbers placed in the National Do Not Call Registry will remain until the person who has registered it will ask for the deletion from the list.



Even though the rumor about cell phone number getting in the hands of telemarketer rest only a cell phone numbers public myth, the Do-Not-Call registry is functional and is getting more and more people everyday. That can lead only to a simple conclusion people don't like to be bombarded with commercial offers. All consumers like to buy not to have products sells in any situation. Their phone residential or wireless is a tool for communicating with friend family and rarely for business.