Under Washington law, residential telephone customers have the right to keep telephone solicitors from calling back. (A solicitor is someone who calls you to ask you to buy something or donate something.)
The law requires that solicitors identify themselves, their company or organization, and the purpose of the call within the first 30 seconds.
If at any time during the conversation you say that you do not want to be called again, or want to have your name and number removed from the calling list, the company or organization may not have a solicitor call you for at least one year. Also, the company may not sell or give your name and number to another company or organization.
The office of Washington State’s Attorney General is authorized to enforce this law. In addition, individuals may sue the solicitor for a minimum of one hundred dollars per violation. If the lawsuit is successful, the individual may also recover court and attorney's fees.
To file a complaint, or request more information on the law, you may write to the Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General's Office at 900 Fourth Ave., Suite 2000, Seattle, Washington 98164-1012 or by e-mail at protect@atg.wa.gov. You may also call the division weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. at 1-800-551-4636.
Note: If you’re filing a complaint, you should include the name and address of the calling individual, business, group, or organization, the time the calls were received, the nature of the calls, and any additional information available.