Oh, thank goodness.
Today marks the first day of the FTC-implemented ban on robocalls, those annoying automated telemarketing calls that come all hours of the day.
In a press release on the FTC website, FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz says, “American consumers have made it crystal clear that few things annoy them more than the billions of commercial telemarketing robocalls they receive every year. Starting September 1, this bombardment of prerecorded pitches, senseless solicitations, and malicious marketing will be illegal. If consumers think they’re being harassed by robocallers, they need to let us know, and we will go after them.”
You’ll still get automated calls telling you about flight delays, school closings or deliveries you’ve scheduled, but it will definitely cut down on the phone-call clutter. Other exemptions include robocalls “from politicians, banks, telephone carriers, and most charitable organizations.”
For us, we have a landline as part of our Verizon FIOS package, but only a few people actually call us at home. So when the phone does ring, we don’t exactly rush to answer it. Now, we’ll have more reason to do so.
