Do Not Call Registry Won’t Stop All Unwanted Calls

Do Not Call Registry Won’t Stop All Unwanted Calls

While the Do Not Call Registry is useful for stopping real marketers from calling you, not all of your unwanted calls will end when you sign up. Some callers are exempt and others will continue to call you illegally.

Exempt Calls

A number of callers don't have to follow the Do Not Call Registry. These are

  • charities
  • religious groups
  • political campaigns 
  • survey researchers
  • companies making customer service calls
  • businesses with which you have an existing business relationship (purchased a product/service, have an account, etc.)
  • businesses you have given written consent to contact you (which you can always revoke)

Illegal Calls

The Do Not Call Registry doesn’t stop people from making illegal calls to try to trick you into purchasing fake products/services or giving out personal information. They can pretend to be someone they aren’t by hiding their number (spoofing) or make robocalls to deliver prerecorded messages (see our guide: Stopping Robocalls).