Deadline approaches for getting on Wisconsin’s No Call list.
If you want to avoid frequent calls from telemarketers, you have until the end of Monday to sign up to the latest No Call list.
Brock Bergey, spokesperson at the state Department of Consumer Protection, says nearly 37,500 new phone numbers were added to the list in just a few hours Thursday early afternoon, causing online registration to be temporarily unavailable. Bergey says the agency’s Internet service provider assures them that peak usage will diminish. So, if you were unable to register, simply try again.
Meanwhile, it’s easy to procrastinate on this holiday weekend. Bergey suggests you don’t wait until the last minute. “We’re really asking that maybe before they go on vacation or before they do their plans, that they do it then as opposed to trying to do it at the last minute because they may experience a little bit of a slower time in doing so.”
Over 2.1 million phone numbers are currently on the Wisconsin No Call list. Cell numbers make up about 44% of that total.
Those who register by the end of Memorial Day will be on the list that takes effect July 1st. Otherwise, Bergey says you’ll have to wait until October to avoid unwanted calls. He says people have told the agency that when their name falls from the list, they’re bombarded by calls almost immediately. To remain on the list, you must register at least once every two years.
Visit NoCall.Wisconsin.Gov, or call toll-free: 1-866-9No-Call (1-866-966-2255). Wisconsin’s No Call List began in 2003.
NOTE: The Bureau of Consumer Protection will be closed Friday, May 28, due to a mandatory state furlough day.