No Call (PHOTO: file WRN)
If you want to avoid a barrage of telemarking calls, especially at dinner time or while trying to catch some Zs, you have until the end of this month to sign up. Wisconsin’s No Call list aims to reduce the amount of unwanted solicitors to both land lines and cell phones, as well as cracking down on unwanted text messages. Those without a texting plan had complained to officials at the state Department of Consumer Protection about being charged for spam messages they never wanted.
Numbers provided to the list by the deadline should be active by October first. Consumers must register every two years to stay on the list. Political and charitable organizations asking for a donation are exempt from Wisconsin’s No Call law, which took effect in 2003.
Many illegal telemarketing calls come from outside the country, but the state cannot take enforcement action in foreign countries. Visit NoCall.Wisconsin.gov or call 1-866-9-NO-CALL (1-866-966-2255) 24 hours a day.