The last day to add a phone number to the Wisconsin no-call list was extended by five days last week, moving the original Aug. 31 deadline to Sept. 4.
Patrons who add phone numbers to the list under the current deadline will stop receiving calls from telemarketers beginning Oct. 1.
The no-call list began registering phone numbers fall 2002 and was put into effect January 2003. There are currently 780,000 numbers on the list. However, at the list’s peak, it contained more than one million phone numbers.
Jeanne Burt, manager of the consumer information center at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protections, said increased media coverage led to the deadline’s extension.
"Due to publicity, there were a lot of calls, [and] we registered 68,000 telephone numbers," Burt said. "Because of the interest and volume, we decided to extend the summer sign-up deadline."
Residents can register their phone numbers on a quarterly basis, Burt said. The number then remains on the list for two years.
Burt said the state list — which does not include cell phones — remains separate from the federal do-not-call list. Therefore, it is recommended people register their numbers on both.
"Wisconsin law does not cover cell phones, [but] the federal no-call list does," Burt said.
But Barry Orton, professor of telecommunications at the University of Wisconsin, said there are loopholes allowing some telemarketers to call numbers on the list.
"There is a specific exception for non-profits. … Charities can still [make] marketing calls," Orton said. "The political loophole means politicians and campaigns are exempted. So right before Election Day, you may get a lot of calls."
Despite these loopholes, Orton said the no-call list is a very successful program.
"It’s the most successful thing the state and federal government has done in years … to protect consumers," Orton said.
Burt also said the department is working with residents to ensure the effectiveness of the no-call list.
"We want people to file complaints if they get called," Burt said. "Sometimes telemarketers don’t realize there is a state law."
