Call 1-866-580-3625 or 1-888-362-5889, or use the registry website.
Please stand by
Throughout this morning, the registration website for the do-not-call list was working sporadically, and the phone lines were sometimes ringing busy.
A spokesperson for the CRTC said the site "worked fine" when it launched at midnight, and said she didn't know what had caused it to freeze up.
She speculated that the number of people trying to access the site may have blocked access to some users.
"Try it later and cross your fingers," she said. September 30, 2008 Paola Loriggio Staff Reporter
Canada's long-awaited do-not-call list is finally here. Starting today, Canadians can sign up to stop unwanted calls and faxes – not to mention the dreaded recorded messages – from a variety of telemarketers.
We answer some questions about the list and what to expect.
How do I sign up?
You can register your landline, cell phone and fax online or by calling one of these toll-free numbers: 1-866-580-3625 or 1-888-362-5889. If you're one of the few unlucky folks who get telemarketing calls at the office, you can register your work phone, too.
Call from the phone you're registering. Those going online just need to know the number they want listed.
It's free, and the service runs 24/7. If you need to talk to an operator – say, to file a complaint – call between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Does that mean I can have a call-free dinner tonight?
Not quite. Assuming you sign up right now, it'll be Halloween before you notice a real change. Telemarketers have 31 days to update their phone lists.
Will charities stop calling?
No. Charities– along with newspapers, political parties, pollsters and companies with whom you've done business in the past 18 months – are exempt from the do-not-call list.
But you should be able to ask them not to call anymore, and they're required by law to oblige (again, within 31 days).
Plus, American companies can still call because they're not covered under our laws, and Canadians can't use U.S. do-not-call lists.
Will it last forever?
No, just three years. So put a note in your calendar (regular or Blackberry) to re-register in 2011.
The grace period is over, and I'm still getting calls from telemarketers. What now?
Complain to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, which runs the list. You can do it online or on the phone, using the website or numbers listed above.
Make sure you know the date of the call and the name or number of the company. Each violation can fetch fines of up to $1,500 for a person and $15,000 for a corporation.
It's not enough. What more can I do?
It depends on how much time, effort and money you're willing to spend. Here are some options, from the easiest to the most far-fetched:
• Sign up for iOptOut.ca, a free service by tech guru Michael Geist, Canada Research chair in Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa. It sends an email to nearly 150 exempt organizations, telling them not to call you anymore.
• Enhance your phone service. Some phone providers, such as Bell Canada, let you block all incoming calls from unknown numbers for about $7 a month. Not willing to go that far? Get call display, so you know who's calling before you pick up. Just know that it can cost more than call blocking.
• Take a chance on late-night infomercials. Products such as the TeleZapper connect to your landline and promise to weed out mass-dialled telemarketing calls. They get mixed reviews on consumer sites, but you may think it's worth the $40.
Charities– along with newspapers, political parties, pollsters and companies with whom you've done business in the past 18 months – are exempt from the do-not-call list.
Great I'm shit outta luck...my phone will still be ringing! That's seems to be the only callers I get
Do you not have caller ID in the city? If you don't recognize the caller you don't answer it. I can't believe the number of people still living in the 70's. You probably still have rotary dial phones.
Do you not have caller ID in the city? If you don't recognize the caller you don't answer it. I can't believe the number of people still living in the 70's. You probably still have rotary dial phones.
Caller ID Oh my God... I work in Radio and not for CBC so you know what that means! I can't afford the extra 8 dollars a month! LOL
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