Business, charity robocallers must offer consumers an out

You have a new weapon against telemarketers. The Federal Trade Commission is now requiring prerecorded telemarketing calls, also known as robocalls, from businesses or charities to include ways to opt out of future calls.

You’re already supposed to be protected from unsolicited commercial calls if you’re on the national Do Not Call registry, but calls from charities and businesses with which you have a relationship are permitted.

Under the new rules, a prerecorded message has to give the consumer a way to cut off the business or charity call -- and ban future calls from the same source -- by pressing a number or saying a word. If the recorded call is left on an answering machine, the message must include a toll-free number the consumer can use to stop future calls.

The new rule applies only to residential numbers. You can still be bugged by commercial or charity calls at the office. Also, robocalls for political purposes are still permitted to all land-line phones and aren’t restricted by the new rules.

Consumers can report telemarketers that violate the new rules at the FTC’s Complaint Assistant website ( www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov) or by calling (877) 382-4357.

-- David Colker