Many telemarketers are exempt from the National Do Not Call Registry.

If you want to minimize the number of telemarketing calls you receive from these excluded companies, be cautious when giving out your phone number. According to the FTC, simply filling out a sweepstakes or contest entry form is not considered giving consent unless the form indicates that by signing and providing your phone number, you have given express permission to be contacted by phone.

Here are some additional situations where you might unwittingly give your phone number to telemarketers:

• Pre-printed checks. We recommend that you do not preprint your phone number on your checks. Hand-write it when merchants ask for it, and consider using your work number instead of your residence. Similarly, avoid providing your phone number and address when you register on web sites.

  Privacy Tip: If you make a purchase and do not want to receive additional marketing calls from the company, mail a separate, signed notice asking the company to put you on its company-specific do not call list. Send the notice to the attention of the company's customer service department or privacy officer. Keep a copy of the letter for your records. Many companies provide contact information for their privacy officer in the privacy policy on their website.

• Telephone books and reverse directories. If you are listed in the phone book, telemarketers who are exempt from the Registry can obtain your contact information from the phone company. To prevent the cross-referencing of your address with your phone number, you can choose to not have your information available in the phone book or through directory assistance. If your number is "unlisted," your name, address and phone number will not be printed in the phone book, but the information is available through both directory assistance and reverse directory assistance. If your number is "unpublished," your information will not be printed in the phone book and is not available through directory assistance or reverse directory assistance. Or you can list your name and phone number, but not your address. Telephone companies usually charge a monthly fee to be unlisted or unpublished.

Several companies compile national phone directories available in CD-ROM and on the Internet. These are gathered from local phone books all over the country. When you choose to be unlisted or unpublished, you will not be included in such online people-finding services. Examples are www.switchboard.com, www.anywho.com, and www.infospace.com. There is likely to be a gap between the time you become unlisted and the time you are no longer listed in these online services.

The phone company and other businesses publish reverse directories that list individuals by street address or phone number rather than name. Telemarketers can use these street address directories when they want to cross-reference your residential address with your phone number. If you are listed in the phone book, you are almost certainly in reverse directories.

You can write or call the major companies that compile street address directories and request that your listing be removed:

·         Haines & Company, Inc., Criss-Cross Directory, Attn: Director of Data Processing, 8050 Freedom Ave. N.W., North Canton, OH 44720. Send a letter requesting that your listing be removed. Or fax your request to (330) 494-3862.

·         Equifax (formerly R.L. Polk), Attn: List Suppression File, 26955 Northwestern Hwy., South Field, MI 48034. (800) 873-7655. Give your name, address, City, State, ZIP code and phone number.

• 800, 888, 877, 866, and 900 numbers. When you use a toll-free number to call a business with which you have an account or to inquire about a product or service, your phone number may be captured by a system called Automatic Number Identification (ANI). This technology automatically identifies and stores the number from which you are dialing. By matching your phone number with other lists and street address directories, your name and address can often be discovered and added to the company's calling and mailing list. Not only will the company that captured your number be able to use it, they can sell or share it with their affiliates.

Federal law places restrictions on the use and sale of your phone number when you call a toll-free or 900 number. According to FCC regulations, the individual's consent is required before a company can reuse or sell ANI information. However, a company may reuse ANI information to market a product or service that is directly related to the product or service the caller previously purchased. (47 CFR 64.1602) California phone companies that offer ANI must notify their customers annually that the use of an 800, 888, 877, 866, or 900 number may result in the disclosure of the caller's telephone number to the called party. (California Public Utilities Code 2891.2)

If you are concerned about a company capturing your phone number when calling their toll-free number, find out if the company lists a separate toll number you can call (long distance charges may apply). If an alternate phone number is not provided, ask the customer service representative at the toll-free number to put you on the company's do not call list.