Erpenbach: Fed’s Trying to Gut Do Not Call List

FCC Effort Will Harm Consumers and Small Businesses

MADISON -- Senator Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton) today criticized the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) efforts to undermine Wisconsin’s wildly popular Do Not Call program and urged residents to contact the FCC and register their opposition to the proposed rule.

“Wisconsin’ Do Not Call list is very popular with state residents because it has been effective at limiting the number of telemarketing calls people receive.” said Erpenbach. “The FCC’s blatant sell-out to big business will ultimately stick it to you, me, and small independent businesses that are not owned or affiliated by a larger entity.”

The Consumer Bankers Association, a banking industry group, has petitioned the FCC to invalidate parts of the Wisconsin law and allow the federal law to preempt Wisconsin law.  Erpenbach said that the federal program is so full of loopholes that it might as well be called the “Please Call Me List”.

Under the federal law, consumers may be solicited by any business with which you have a relationship as well as any of their affiliates regardless of whether or not the product offered is even related to your current relationship.  Also, residents would be solicited for up to eighteen months after terminating a business relationship such as changing your telephone service provider.  Wisconsin law only allows for one call to former customers.

Erpenbach said that even worse, you would be solicited for three months after simply making an inquiry of a business.

“Calling your bank to ask about business hours is all it would take under the federal law for the bank and any of its affiliates to call you for three months.” Erpenbach said.

Erpenbach said that consumers are urged to help keep Wisconsin’s law strong by contacting the Federal Communications Commission by February 2 by doing one of the following:

To send a brief comment, go to the FCC’s comment form at www.datcp.state.wi.us Or send a letter to us and we will deliver it for you:

No Call List, Dept. of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, PO Box 8911, Madison, WI 53708.

“Consumers and small businesses are the ones who will be harmed by the FCC”s plan,” says Erpenbach. “If we want to keep our phones from ringing, all of us need to tell the FCC butt out and leave our law alone.