There’s a rule most people don’t know exists, and telemarketers are counting on that.
Telemarketers are not allowed to call your home before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., based on your local time — not theirs. So if you’re in California and some company calls you at 6:45am from New York, they don’t get to use the time zone excuse. What matters is what time it is where YOU are.
This rule comes from the FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) — a federal law — and applies to sales calls. If the phone rings at 7:30am and someone’s trying to sell you something, that call is breaking the rules.
So what can you do? A few things.
First, you can report the call. The Consumer Federation of America confirms these protections exist — and violations can be reported to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) at reportfraud.ftc.gov. When enough complaints pile up about one company, regulators can take action, and consumers have been part of lawsuits that resulted in real settlements.
Second, get on the Do Not Call Registry at donotcall.gov if you’re not already. Once you’re registered, most telemarketers are legally required to stop calling you — and if they keep calling, that’s another violation you can report. Important caveat: some callers are exempt from the Do Not Call Registry, including political organizations, charities, and survey companies. So you may still hear from them even after registering.
Now, the honest part: you probably won’t get a check in the mail just from filing one complaint. The cash settlements that happen usually come from class action lawsuits where a lot of people were affected by the same company. But your report absolutely matters — it’s how those cases get built. And if a company keeps calling you repeatedly after you’ve asked them to stop, that’s when a consumer protection attorney might actually be interested in talking to you. Many work on these cases for free upfront.
One more thing worth knowing: when a telemarketer does reach you at a legal hour, they’re also required to tell you immediately who they are and why they’re calling. They can’t hide it. If they’re vague or evasive, that’s another red flag you can report.
You don’t have to just sit there and take it.