A Federal Trade Commission rule defines what telemarketers can and cannot do when making a sales call. Callers must:

• Provide the seller's name
• Disclose that the call is a sales call
• Tell you exactly what they're trying to sell
• Disclose the total cost and other terms of sale before you make any payment for the goods or services
• Tell you if they don't allow refunds, exchanges or cancellations

If a prize is involved, the caller must give you the odds of winning, inform you that no purchase is necessary, and tell you how to get instructions for entering without buying anything.

It's illegal for telemarketers to:

• Misrepresent what they're offering
• Call before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m.
• Threaten, intimidate or harass you, or call again if you ask them not to

This FTC rule applies even when you receive a call from a telemarketer in another state or country. It also applies if you make a call to a company in another state or country in response to a mail solicitation.

The rule generally does not apply when you call to order from a catalog or in response to an ad on television or radio, or in a magazine or newspaper. It also does not apply to solicitations you receive by fax or e-mail. Be aware that certain types of businesses, including nonprofit organizations, investment brokers and advisors, banks and financial institutions, are exempt from the rule.

In addition, telemarketers are not allowed to use auto dialers to reach cell phones.

If you get a phone call from someone who says they are with your bank and/or credit company and they ask you to provide or confirm any personal information:

• Do NOT answer any questions.
• Hang up immediately.
• Call your bank or credit company directly and tell them what happened.

From the Federal Citizen Information Center