The New Jersey "Do Not Call" is now in effect, maximizing your protection from unsolicitated and unsolicited telemarketing sales calls.
If you are a New Jersey resident who has already signed up for the federal "Do Not Call" registry, administered by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), you need not do anything else. You are already covered under New Jersey’s laws.
If you have not signed up and want to stop telemarketing sales calls, you may register your home or mobile phone numbers by calling the FTC at 1-888-382-1222. You must call from the telephone number you want to register. Registration is free, and telemarketers will have up to three months from the date you register to stop calling you.
The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs is responsible for enforcing the New Jersey "Do Not Call" law and is devoted to thoroughly investigating, and where appropriate, aggressively prosecuting violators who break the law-regardless of how large or small the company is or where it is located.
Not every call is prohibited by the Do Not Call law. For example, the following calls are not considered telemarketing sales calls under the statute:
- Calls made on behalf of a political party or candidate.
- Calls made to solicit your opinion, such as a survey.
- Calls made by or on behalf of a person or company from which you have been receiving continuing service, such as medical care, landscaping or telephone service.
- Calls made by or on behalf of a person or company to which you owe money for goods or services.
- Calls made by or on behalf of a person or company with which you have a current written contract.
- Calls made by or on behalf of a person or company to which you have given your express written permission to make telemarketing sales calls.
While regulations help, you can play a key role in that fight against telemarketing fraud by remembering that you should:
- Never give your credit card number over the telephone unless you initiated the call.
- Never give your checking account number over the telephone.
- Never give a telemarketer any personal information, including your medical information, driver’s license number, Social Security number or telephone calling card numbers.
- Never pay for a prize. That includes paying for postage, shipping, handling or any costs associated with something a caller says you have "won." If the caller says you have won the lottery, but you have to pay the "taxes" to redeem your prize, don’t pay.
- Never allow a caller to pressure you into acting immediately on any offer.
- Never agree to any offer until you have seen it in writing.
Please note that calls made by or on behalf of a charitable organization are not prohibited by the State "Do Not Call" law. Such calls may not be made between 9:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. If you believe that the call you received is a prohibited call, and you can provide the business name or telephone number of the caller, please request a copy of the "Do Not Call" complaint form by calling the Division of Consumer Affairs at: 1-888-242-5846 or visiting:
www.NJConsumerAffairs.gov.
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