Are You Getting Telemarketing Calls You Don’t Want? Here’s How to Stop Them. 1 The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched the National Do Not Call Registry to give Americans a choice about getting telemarketing calls at home. According to a recent Harris Interactive poll, 92 percent of people who reported placing a number on the registry said they are receiving fewer calls; a total of 78 percent said they’re getting ‘far fewer calls’ or none at all. If you think you put your number on the National Do Not Call Registry, and you’re still getting telemarketing sales calls, the Federal Trade Commission recommends that you: 2 * Check to see that your number is on the registry. You can verify that your number is on the registry two ways: online at DONOTCALL. GOV (click on ‘Verify A Registration’), or by calling 1-888-382-1222 (TTY 1-866-290-4236) from the phone number you wish to verify. Follow the prompts. 3 *You also can add your number to the registry using the same Web site or phone number (call from the number you want to register). If you register online, you will receive an email from donotcall. gov as part of the confirmation process. You will need to click on the link in this email within 72 hours after you receive it. If you don’t click on the link in the email, the number you tried to register will not be added to the registry, and telemarketers may continue to call. 4 * Understand that some calls are not covered. Once your number has been on the registry for 31 days, most telemarketing calls will stop. However, you still may get: calls from �� or on behalf of — political organizations, charities, and telephone surveyors; calls from companies with whom you have an existing business relationship. A company may call you for 18 months after you make a purchase or three months after you submit an inquiry or application; calls from companies you’ve given permission to call. 5 File a complaint. If your number has been on the registry for at least 31 days, and a telemarketer calls, complain to the FTC. Visit DONOTCALL. GOV or call 1-888-382-1222 (TTY 1-866-290-4236). You’ll need to provide the date of the call and the phone number or name of the company that called you. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit www. ftc. gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. Read the passage on the left to answer the following questions: 3) What can the reader infer from paragraph 1? A) The DO NOT CALL Registry costs the government a lot of money. B) The DO NOT CALL Registry should have been implemented years earlier. C) The DO NOT CALL Registry has been somewhat successful for its intended purpose. D) The DO NOT CALL Registry has had no significant impact on telemarketing calls. 4) Based on the information in the document, which inference can be made? A) No one wants telemarketing calls. B) Very few people have been bothered by telemarketers. C) It might take several steps to stop telemarketing calls. D) It is easiest to end unwanted telemarketing calls online. 5) Why does the article include only toll-free telephone numbers? A) Because this service is provided by the government B) Because some people don't have free long distance C) Because the people who need to call are on a budget D) Because not everyone has a computer with internet access 6) What inference can you make by comparing the two sentences below? -first sentence of paragraph two: Check to see that your number is on the registry. -first sentence of paragraph three: You also can add your number to the registry using the same Web site or phone number (call from the number you want to register). A) Telemarketing calls are annoying. B) The registry can be key to ending telemarketing calls. C) The registry must be accessed from a home computer. D) There is a chance that telemarketers will go out of business. 7) Based on information in the document, people who wish to stop telemarketers from calling their homes should FIRST A) order caller-id from their phone company. B) write a complaint letter to their Congressman. C) buy an answering machine and screen incoming calls. D) add their home number to the National Do Not Call Registry. 8) What method of development is used in this document? A) cause and effect B) order of importance C) spatial organization D) chronological organization