Canadian Do Not Call Registry Starts in September

The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission will launch a nationwide do not call list in Canada on Sept. 30, which will be mandatory to use for purging consumer telemarketing lists.

Telemarketers will be required to purchase Canada’s do not call list on a subscription business, but some types of telemarketing will be exempt from the new regulation. Registered charities, political parties, newspapers selling subscriptions and pollsters will still be allowed to make outbound telemarketing calls.

Companies with whom a consumer has an existing business relationship will also be allowed to continue making telemarketing calls. Businesses-to-business telemarketing prospecting calls are not affected by the new regulation.

Bell Canada has 5-year contract to manage the Canadian do not call list. Annual subscriptions for the list will cost $11,280 for access to telephone number suppression data for all Canadian area codes. Subscription charges on a per area code basis will be $615.

Consumers will be allowed to register landline, cell phone and fax numbers for free by calling a toll free number or at a designated Web site.

Telemarketers will have up to 31 days to update calling lists. Thereafter, companies that violate telemarketing list regulations will be subject to fines up to $15,000 per violation. Individuals will be subject to fines up to $1,500 per violation.