DON’T HANG UP REGISTRY

When millions of Americans put their phone numbers on the national do-not-call list they likely assumed the dinnertime telephonic interruptions were a thing of the past. They aren’t, and the unwanted calls could start coming again this spring. They shouldn’t.

Without congressional action, the list begins to expire on June 1. Fortunately, Maine’s congressional delegation, along with many others, supports making the registry permanent or at least extending its life. This would bring it into line with public expectation.

When the registry began in 2003, millions immediately added their phone numbers. Half the nearly 150 million numbers on the list were added that year. Those numbers would no longer be protected and unsolicited calls would again interrupt dinners and other activities starting June 1.

Most people who put their numbers on the list expected the calling ban to be permanent, so a renewal of credit card offers is likely to come as a surprise. The expiration of the list offers consumers new opportunities, argues the American Teleservices Association. “New offers may be compelling after five years,” the group’s CEO, Tim Searcy told Newsweek.

Angering people by calling them when they believe their number is off limits doesn’t, however, seem like a good way to woo new customers.

Making the list permanent, with an easy way for people to remove their number if they choose, will ensure that the Federal Trade Commission, which manages the registry, fulfills public expectations. Requiring people to update their registration every few years does not.

Sen. Olympia Snowe, a co-sponsor of the legislation that authorized the FTC to create the registry, sounds the right tone. “The registry has proven to be a valuable and welcome resource for Americans who do not wish to be contacted by telemarketers, and I believe that individuals who have already signed up for the list should not have to re-register in the future,” she said recently.

Sen. Susan Collins notes that a five-year re-registration cycle poses an unnecessary burden on the elderly. The target of frequent scams, this is a group that should be permanently protected from unwanted solicitations.

Congress is also likely to debate whether the ban should be extended to charitable and political groups; it now applies only to commercial telemarketers. This dichotomy appears to have worked well while ensuring charitable groups can raise needed funds and political entities can get their message out to voters.

The do-not-call registry has worked as expected for nearly 650,000 Mainers. Keeping their numbers off limits will ensure this continues to be true.