Do Not Call, Unless You Really Want To

After extensive delays, and only 5 years after US implementation, Canada gets its own Do Not Call registry at the end of September. The CRTC lays out how it'll work, and (if you care to dig into it) you can read up on all the exemptions. The exemptions are more extensive than those in the US.

In case you're wondering, telemarketing did decline in the US over the time the DNC has been in force. It certainly did not stop. There is too much of a market out there, so it is a bit like email spam that way. What happened was that the more ethical (i.e. law abiding) telemarketing operators obey the law, which made room in the market for more unscrupulous operators. Enforcement is poor since there are no new funds for enforcement by the FCC and FTC. I expect enforcement to be even worse in Canada, especially where the cost of tracking down the more slippery (and criminal) operators requires police resources.

So register your numbers (I will), but don't raise your hopes too high. Your phone will keep ringing. Just be happy that, so far, telemarketers are still politely avoiding calling you on your cell phone. That will change, just like it is changing in the US and elsewhere. Remember that the minutes those telemarketers consume on your cell phone will show up on your bill if they contribute to exceeding the minutes on your plan.