# Another Do-Not-Call question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 26, 2003, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-do-not-call-question/204039 "2003-09-26T20:15:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-do-not-call-question/204039/1 "2003-09-26T20:15:32Z")
I mentioned this in someone’s Pit rant, but I thought I’d officially ask the question (If it’s been covered already and I missed it I’m sorry yadda yadda yadda). Okay, so we all signed up for the Do-Not-Call list and the telemarketers were given the list and expected to obey it in a few weeks. Now, some judges are saying for various reasons they may not have to follow this rule. The question is, if the DNC list is struck down, can the telemarketers now use the list as a master copy of 50 million numbers they know are good? Could this list be used against us? Just curious… ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Mahma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@Joe\_Mahma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Mahma)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-do-not-call-question/204039/2 "2003-09-26T22:37:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lost4life \* > \*\*I mentioned this in someone’s Pit rant, but I thought I’d officially ask the question (If it’s been covered already and I missed it I’m sorry yadda yadda yadda). > > Okay, so we all signed up for the Do-Not-Call list and the telemarketers were given the list and expected to obey it in a few weeks. Now, some judges are saying for various reasons they may not have to follow this rule. > > The question is, if the DNC list is struck down, can the telemarketers now use the list as a master copy of 50 million numbers they know are good? Could this list be used against us? > > Just curious… \*\* I was concerned about the same thing, but then I thought that if the list is struck down, it will not be available to the telemarketers to enable them to use as a master copy of good numbers. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-do-not-call-question/204039/3 "2003-09-27T15:34:58Z")
California has their own donotcall list & I bet other states do, so they won’t be calling us. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-do-not-call-question/204039/4 "2003-09-27T16:07:08Z")
Yeah but **lost4life** is saying they were already _given_ the list and were told to not call these people. And if the list was struck down, they now have a master copy of 50 million #'s. If what **lost4life** is saying is true. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-do-not-call-question/204039/5 "2003-09-27T16:28:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*California has their own donotcall list & I bet other states do, so they won’t be calling us. \*\* Connecticut, too has a No Call List and it has been working beautifully. I might get a telemarketing call maybe once every 2 months, and that’s usually from someone who’s doing a marketing survey. However, if a National No Call list is declared unconstitutional, how can CT’s and CA’s No Call “Law” hope to escape the same fate? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-do-not-call-question/204039/6 "2003-09-27T19:43:37Z")
There was an article in a local paper today on the topic of whether the various state DNC lists will survive if the First Amendment ruling survives. Opinion seems to be that it won’t. The Direct Marketing Association has issued calls (heh) to its membership to respect the wishes of those consumers who have signed up for the national DNC list but there would be no legal obligation for them to do so. Can anyone find a cite that the FTC’s list has been released to anyone? The list was supposed to be effective 10/1 so it’s possible the list has been released to allow telemarketers to program their dialers, but do we know for sure that it’s happened? ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-do-not-call-question/204039/7 "2003-09-27T22:30:20Z")
I don’t think anyone needs to worry about the telemarketers getting their hands on a list of 50 million “good” phone numbers. After all, unless your number is unlisted, that information has been available, in a variety of forms, for years. It’s not like email addresses, for which there aren’t any “white pages.” On top of that, a lot of telemarketers just start with, say, 201-111-0001, and march up numerically through the list. They don’t need to have a list of “good” numbers to go by. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-do-not-call-question/204039/8 "2003-09-28T01:20:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Early Out \* > \*\*I don’t think anyone needs to worry about the telemarketers getting their hands on a list of 50 million “good” phone numbers. After all, unless your number is unlisted, that information has been available, in a variety of forms, for years. It’s not like email addresses, for which there aren’t any “white pages.” > > On top of that, a lot of telemarketers just start with, say, 201-111-0001, and march up numerically through the list. They don’t need to have a list of “good” numbers to go by. \*\* Well they could do that, or they could save time and grab the list. Nobody is going to sign up a bogus number so it seems like it would be a good tool. I’m not sure if it has names attached to it, but it seems like we just gave them a helping hand. Being that the DMA has asked its members not to call people on the list, I’m assuming they have access to it already. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-do-not-call-question/204039/9 "2003-09-28T01:40:17Z")
Let’s say the DNC matter goes to the Supreme Court which then rules against the DMA. Can their membership simply go to Canada and resume business as usual? Cable news started to play out this scenario, but as far as I can see, dropped it - for now, at least. But even if the DMA-ers are in Canada, doesn’t the crime start the minute someone answers an unwanted telemarketing call in the U.S., no matter where the call originated from? Could the telemarketing company be indicted and extradited? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-do-not-call-question/204039/10 "2003-09-28T01:58:21Z")
There’s no jail time involved with the DNC list. It’s all fines. And thanks to the PATRIOT Act, the feds (should the DNC list survive) will be able to sieze assets of companies that violate the laws directly from the banks. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-do-not-call-question/204039/11 "2003-09-28T15:30:11Z")
They have it & they aren’t going to use it: " Elsewhere, the president of the Direct Marketing Association said he’s telling his members not to call people who have put their names on the list. He said that, so far, everybody is going along" [http://www.theksbwchannel.com/money/2513277/detail.html](http://www.theksbwchannel.com/money/2513277/detail.html) Odd thing is, the judge appears on that list too 🙂