Opinion – The Do Not Call Registry is a Joke & Missourians Agree

When it was first introduced 20 years ago, I thought the "Do Not Call" registry was the best idea ever. Now? I think it's a complete waste of time that doesn't work and I can prove that Missourians especially agree with me.

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As the Federal Trade Commission says, the "Do Not Call" Registry was established in 2003 to "to offer consumers a choice regarding telemarketing calls". Guess what? 20 years later, it's ignored by just about every telemarketer on Earth.

For the record, I entered my phone number into the "Do Not Call" Registry when it first started and even circled back and re-entered it again several times just to make sure it stuck. Spoiler Alert: It didn't make any difference whatsoever. 

I made the mistake a couple of years ago by asking for a business ID from the IRS. I thought I might start a business at some point and that would be required. I changed my mind and never started a business, but try convincing the telemarketers of this truth. I get at least a half dozen calls PER DAY.

Brianna Lanham of Fox 2 St. Louis just wrote an interesting article after speaking with the Missouri Attorney General about consumer complaints. Guess what the #1 complaint of Missourians is? Spoiler Alert: It's being called even though they're on the "Do Not Call" list. Welcome to the club.

What's the solution? I have no idea. I've reported phone numbers that called me unsolicited, but have never heard of any getting their hand slapped/fined because of it. That leaves me with this thought. The "Do Not Call" Registry is currently a waste of time and I'll gladly shake the hand of any official/politician that can fix it. Rant over.