National Do Not Call List (DNCL)

You meet the list when a business you are buying makes sales or fundraising calls, or when a call-based customer base is part of the deal.

How it is set up

• Section 41(1) of the Telecommunications Act lets the Commission, which is the CRTC, prohibit or regulate by order the use of a Canadian carrier’s facilities for unsolicited telecommunications, to the extent it considers necessary to prevent undue inconvenience or nuisance, giving due regard to freedom of expression.
• Section 41.2 lets the CRTC administer databases and systems for those purposes. Section 41(2) carves out certain commercial electronic messages governed by CASL.
• The list’s own site says a telemarketer is a business that uses telecommunications technologies to make calls or send faxes to consumers for the purpose of solicitation, which covers sales and requests for donations. It also says telemarketers have 31 days from a consumer’s registration to stop contacting that consumer.

What to check or ask

Ask the seller how its calling lists are checked against the list, whether it relies on an outside telemarketer, and which of the CRTC’s Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules it follows. Commercial email and texts are a separate subject; see CASL. For customer lists in a sale, see whether you can buy only the brand and customer list.