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Friday, November 01, 2002

By John M.R. Bull, Post-Gazette Harrisburg Correspondent

HARRISBURG -- Starting today, you can report telemarketers if they call you and your phone number is on the new state "do not call list."

The list goes into effect today and will prevent so-called "cold calls" from most telemarketers to people who registered their phone numbers by September.

"It's been a phenomenal success. It has far exceeded our expectation," said Barb Petito, a spokeswoman for the state attorney general's office, which is administering the list.

Roughly 1.6 million names are on the first do not call list that was distributed to telemarketers. A total of 2 million people have registered since the summer.

Almost 230,000 Allegheny County residents have registered for the first list, she said. A total of 34,700 people from Beaver County and 35,100 from Butler County have registered.

The first round of sign ups ended Sept. 15. People who signed up by then are on the do not call list that has been purchased by 142 telemarketing companies that do business specifically in Pennsylvania and 563 telemarketing firms that make calls nationwide.

The 400,000 people who registered after Sept. 15 will be included when the next quarterly list is distributed after Dec. 15. It will go into effect Feb. 1, Petito said.

"People aren't getting this," she said. "People are calling and saying they registered yesterday and they're still getting phone calls from who they think are illegal telemarketers."

If you didn't put your name on the list by September, telemarketers can still call you legally.

Almost 2 million people -- or 40 percent of those who have residential phone lines in Pennsylvania -- have placed their names on the list.

"And these are not phone lines, they're people," Petito said. "Some people have multiple phone lines and we're counting people."

If you registered before Sept. 15 and get calls after today, you can report violations to the attorney general's office, which can prosecute and fine violators up to $1,000 a call, $3,000 if it is to a senior citizen.

"If we get enough consistent information, we'll have enough to prosecute," Petito said.

Some telemarketers are allowed to call, even if you are on the list. The law allows calls from companies you have done business with recently, debt collection agencies, charities, veterans organizations and political organizations.