Telemarketing Rules and How to File a Complaint with the FCC

I'm operating on very little sleep right now - all thanks to a telemarketer who called at 4:20 this morning. I just knew that had to be illegal, and a quick Swagbucks search* proved me right. According to the FCC's Telemarketing Rules, solicitation calls cannot be made before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m.


So I filed a complaint with the FCC. Their form is quite comprehensive - I was able to list the number that appeared on my caller ID, which gives me the tiniest sliver of hope that something will be done. (Even though the submission confirmation email states they collect the info to track patterns, I figure we're not the only household these telemarketers are calling so maybe some kind of follow up will actually be done.)

Additionally, I've taken steps to make sure our number is on the National Do Not Call Registry. I'm sure I've already added our number, but I want to make sure it's still registered.

It occurred to me to turn off the ringer on the phone, at least at night, but 1) I would almost certainly forget to turn it back on, and 2) I'm old enough to worry about dreaded middle-of-the-night calls bearing bad news. Sure, our immediate family would call our cell phones if we didn't pick up the landline, but there are others who would call the landline only. However, there are no landline extensions in the boys' rooms, so hopefully they aren't woken up by the phone if they're sleeping.

Have you had ill-timed telemarketing calls, and if so, how did you deal with them?

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