How Do You Stop Businesses from Calling You About Financial Offers or Deals That You Don't Want?

Often if you are having financial difficulties, word gets out and you may be approached by businesses that want you as a customer. This may even happen if you are in a neighborhood with a lot of homes under water or in foreclosure, and everyone in the area gets approached. While some of them may actually be helpful to you, most of the time they just annoy the heck out of you.

They can come at you with email, leave a flyer in your windshield at the mall, or even walk up and knock on your door. While you can't do much about those approaches, you can do something about businesses that call you up.

Basic Restrictions
Since the 1990s, US federal law puts limits on how businesses and organizations can use the phone to contact you. Anyone making a telephone sales or solicitation call to your home to provide his or her name, the name of the organization or person on whose behalf the call is being made, and a telephone number or address at which that person or entity can be contacted. They also can't call your home before 8 am or after 9 pm, and if during the call you ask them not to call again, they have to stop.

The National Do-Not-Call List
You can put your home or personal wireless number on a list that will keep most businesses from making sales or solicitation calls to you. Your number or numbers will remain on the list until you remove them or discontinue service.

Exceptions to the Do-Not-Call List Rules
Not every kind of business or solicitation call is covered. The following may call you even if your number is on the Do-Not-Call List:

- Political organizations
- Charities and other tax-exempt non-profit organization
- Groups or individuals conducting surveys
- Companies that have a previous business relationship with you, unless you specifically ask the company not to call again
- Bill collectors, including either primary creditors or collection agencies.

How to Get on the List
You can register your home phone number or numbers on the national Do-Not-Call list by phone or by Internet at no cost. You can go online at www.donotcall.gov or you can call 888-382-1222. You have to call from the phone number you wish to register. For more information on the national Do-Not-Call list, visit www.fcc.gov/cgb/donotcall.