they call me several times a week, i have told them over and over to stop calling me and wasting minutes i cannot afford on my cell phone. Claimed to be some kind of Associated Press poll out of Chicago getting info on politics and retirement.
You think that because you have an incorrect understanding of the purpose and how the DNC registry works. The one message that actually had information on this caller claimed it was a polling or survey type call. Since nothing is being sold, that call is not covered by the Do Not Call laws. In fact, companies like this who do surveys with no selling involved cannot even register for access to the Do Not Call list. They could not check it for numbers not to call even if they wanted to. The only telemarketers who can register for access are those selling goods or services by phone. That means a range of nuisance callers like solicitors for charities, survey or polling calls, political calls and debt collectors can call without violating the Do Not Call rules. They are required to place you on their internal Do Not Call list and once you do and they continue to call, you can take action against them. However, you may need to have proof of your request such as Certified Mail Receipt for a notarized Cease and Desist letter although many callers will honor a verbal request.
I'm beginning to think that the biggest problem with the Do Not Call Registry is that they named it the "Do Not Call" Registry. People get the idea that it's supposed to somehow prevent any call that they don't want.