No-call laws require your business to jump through a few hoops. Many businesses are confused about Do Not Call compliance-but it doesn't have to be confusing. Below are seven ways you can ensure your company complies with Do Not Call law.
Register with the FTC and download the list. As part of Do Not Call compliance, you'll need to go to www.telemarketing.donotcall.gov, register your business, and download the list. There is no up-front fee at this time to subscribe to the list and ensure Do Not Call compliance, and the first five area codes you order are free. Additional codes are $62 each annually, with a $17,050 annual cap.
Scrub your numbers every month. To ensure Do Not Call compliance, you'll need to update your list every month against the federal list. To be sure of Do Not Call compliance at the state level, you'll also need to download your state's list-if they maintain one separate from the national one. You will need a do not call scrub software such as SafeList.
Register with the FTC and download the list. Do Not Call compliance requires that your company maintain an in-house list of numbers that have told you they don't want to be called. According to Do Not Call compliance law, your in-house list trumps all other exceptions and the national and state lists.
Train your employees and have a written policy. If you get in trouble over a Do Not Call compliance violation, it helps to show that your company is making a good-faith effort toward Do Not Call compliance. Have a training program in place to educate your employees about Do Not Call compliance. Develop a written policy on Do Not Call compliance that your employees can refer to. Having these precautions in place go a long way toward proving that your company intends to maintain Do Not Call compliance, should you need to.
Ensure Do Not Call compliance with your telemarketer. If you use an outside telemarketer to make calls on your company's behalf, you are responsible for their Do Not Call compliance. If they break with Do Not Call compliance, your business could wind up paying the fine. Make sure your telemarketing company maintains strict Do Not Call compliance policies.
Make sure your Do Not Call compliance consultant is knowledgeable about Do Not Call compliance. If you use an outside Do Not Call compliance consultant to manage your company's Do Not Call compliance, you're responsible for their practices. A failure on their part could result in your company paying the fine. Just as with your telemarketing company, make sure your Do Not Call compliance service maintains knowledgeable professionals on staff and maintains their own strict Do Not Call compliance procedures.
Don't forget about state law. State Do Not Call compliance requirements vary a great deal from one state to another. Some states maintain their own list separate from the national one. If this is the case, you'll have to subscribe to their list and scrub your numbers against theirs as well as against the national list to ensure Do Not Call compliance. Some states use the national list as their own state list-in which case, Do Not Call compliance usually requires that you scrub against only one list, although you may have to register at the state level. Some states do not have a list or policies of their own. To ensure state Do Not Call compliance, you must be aware of your state's rules, plus those of any state you call in.
Check with a lawyer. To truly ensure compliance, consult with an attorney. The advice in this article is a good start, but laws are continually changing-and there are more details that your company may need to be aware of. To accurately determine your company's Do Not Call compliance needs, we strongly encourage you to check with a lawyer.
Also read: Are You in Danger of Inadvertently Breaking Do Not Call compliance?
