Dear Editor,
Starting July 1, 2016, the Telephone Solicitation Act was expanded to include cell phones on the Mississippi No Call list. This is a big step forward in reducing the number of annoying telemarketing calls that so many of us receive on a daily basis. Please bear in mind that telemarketers have up to two months from the time you sign up to update their records to make sure your registered numbers are removed from their lists. After that time, if you keep getting unwanted telemarketing calls, you will have the opportunity to file a complaint with the Public Service Commission in writing or through our website at
https://www.psc.state.ms.us/nocall/complaint.aspx.
There are a few things to keep in mind with these new changes to the law. Even if your landline and cell phones are registered on the No Call list, we cannot stop all telemarketing calls from happening. Many calls that you would otherwise receive have been blocked through the No Call program, but some calls manage to get through. Telemarketing companies move and change their name which often makes it difficult to track down and prosecute them. If you change a telephone number and wish to remain in the No Call program, it will be necessary for you to register your new telephone number in the program.
The state legislature provided for certain exemptions in the law. The exemptions are as follows: an entity that does not make a major sales presentation during the call or does not try to complete a sale during the call; an entity with no intent to complete the sale on the call but arranges a face-to-face meeting with the consumer to complete the sale; Mississippi licensed real estate agents, motor vehicle dealers, insurance agents, funeral homes, cemeteries, or monument dealers; registered securities brokers, investment advisors, charitable organizations, or callers on their behalf that receive no compensation; newspapers; financial institutions with a physical location in Mississippi that are subject to supervision by an official state or federal agency; any telemarketer who has an established business relationship (existing or within the last six months) with the person being called.
An important point to keep in mind is that there are bad actors out there who will call you saying they are with a government agency or that they are a company representative trying to get you to divulge personal information. Do not give your personal or financial information to anyone you do not know! Government agencies and companies do not make phone calls of this nature; they will send you a letter in the mail. So many people are worried or bullied into handing over their personal information only to have their identity compromised or their bank accounts emptied. When in doubt, don’t.
If you receive a call from an unknown phone number, there are simple steps to follow. Do not answer the phone if you do not know the number. If you happen to take a call, immediately hang up if it is a prerecorded telemarketing calls. Do not press any buttons if instructed to do so; it may increase the number of calls you receive in the future.
Ryan Brown
Deputy Commissioner
Mississippi Public Service Commission
Central District
