How to stop telemarketer calls
<p>There is perhaps nothing more irritating than when you’re expecting a call from a loved one only to pick up the phone and discover it’s a pesky telemarketer wanting to sell you something or ask you some questions. Luckily, there are ways around this. Here’s what you should know. </p>
<p><strong>What can I do?</strong></p>
<p>The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) runs Do Not Call Register, a secure database where you can list numbers to avoid receiving unsolicited telemarketing calls and marketing faxes. If you put your home phone number, mobile number or fax number on the register, telemarketers and fax marketers are required by law to stop contacting you.</p>
<p><strong>How do I apply?</strong></p>
<p>Registration is free and you only need to sign up once. To register a number you need to be the account holder of your number, a nominee, or be authorised to act for the account number. You can ring 1300 792 958 to register your number or<strong><a href="https://www.donotcall.gov.au/onlineNumReg.cfm" target="_blank"> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">sign up your number online here</span>. </a></strong></p>
<p>It may take up to 30 days for the register to work.</p>
<p><strong>Will this stop all telemarketer calls?</strong></p>
<p>Unfortunately no, but this is the best way to reduce the number of telemarketer calls you receive. Public interest organisations like charities, political parties and educational institutions are exempt from the register, as well as any business which you have an existing relationships with. If you want them to stop contacting you, you will need to personally ask them to remove your details from their system.</p>
<p><strong>What is considered a telemarketer call?</strong></p>
<p>According to the ACMA website, a telemarketer call includes:</p>
<ul>
<li>calls offering to sell goods or services</li>
<li>calls to sell tickets in a competition</li>
<li>calls requesting the recipient to attend an information seminar</li>
<li>calls offering to sell land or an interest in land, or a business or investment opportunity</li>
<li>customer satisfaction calls that have the intention to solicit sales</li>
<li>calls that offer free goods as part of, or in conjunction with, overall sales campaigns</li>
<li>calls for credit arrangements</li>
<li>calls offering anything for "free" that is conditional on expenditure</li>
<li>calls for the purpose of determining whether or not further telemarketing calls from the organisation are welcome</li>
<li>calls offering free use of a product for a set period with an option for financial subscription/purchase afterwards, and</li>
<li>calls to solicit donations</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Calls that are not considered telemarketing calls are:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>product recall calls</li>
<li>fault rectification calls</li>
<li>appointment rescheduling calls</li>
<li>appointment reminder calls</li>
<li>calls relating to payments</li>
<li>solicited calls, and</li>
<li>calls not answered by the person to whom the call is made.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>What do I do if I still receive telemarketer calls after registering with Do Not Call?</strong></p>
<p>If you do continue to receive telemarketer calls, you should make a <a href="https://www.donotcall.gov.au/enquiries.cfm" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">complaint to ACMA online here.</span></strong></a> ACMA recommends noting down the following information:</p>
<ul>
<li>the time and date of the call or fax</li>
<li>the phone number on which the call or fax was received</li>
<li>your phone service provider</li>
<li>the details of the call or fax or a copy of the fax</li>
</ul>
<p>The more information you can provide, the more ACMA can action your complaint.</p>
<p>To find more information visit <a href="https://www.donotcall.gov.au/index.cfm" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>ACMA’s Do Not Call register here</strong></span></a>. <a href="https://www.donotcall.gov.au/index.cfm"><br /></a></p>
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