WASHINGTON DC – A program that helps real estate brokers and office managers train agents to deal with restrictions of the national Do-Not-Call Registry is now being marketed by RE FormsNet, a joint venture of the California and National Association of REALTORS.
The company’s Safe-Calling Compliance Kit, which retails for $99, spells out recommended policies to comply with federal do-not call regulations. It also includes hands-on training tools to implement policies and training procedures, according to RE FormsNet Chairman Gary Thomas.
The free Do-Not-Call Registry, begun last year by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), is a list of U.S. residents who specifically request that telemarketers refrain from calling them. Consumers nationwide have registered more than 50 million phone numbers on the list to date, and telemarketers were expected to comply with their wishes as of Oct. 1, 2003.
The registry makes it easier and more efficient for consumers to stop getting telemarketing calls they don’t want, the FCC claims. Consumers can register in two ways: online at DONOTCALL.GOV, or by calling toll-free, 1-888-382-1222. Registration is available in both English and Spanish.
Telemarketers are required to access the registry every three months and scrub numbers on it from their call lists. Those who call a number on the list could be fined up to $11,000 per call. Training with the Safe-Calling Compliance Kit could prevent some of those penalties, RE FormsNet claimed Tuesday (Feb. 10, 2004) in a press release.
Increased interest in national and state do-not-call lists have created problems for real estate agents and brokers who previously relied on cold-call marketing to generate new business.
