Why do several contractors call you after one quote form? (2026)

Chapters

1. 0:00 Why is my phone ringing so much?
2. 0:13 What the form actually says
3. 0:47 What "consent" covers
4. 1:02 The federal rule meant to change this, and what happened to it
5. 1:50 How to cut down the calls
6. 2:16 How InstaBids handles your contact details

Transcript

0:00 Why is my phone ringing so much?

You fill out one form for a quote. Minutes later, your phone won't stop ringing. Here's why that happens, in the companies' and regulators' own words, and what you can do about it. This is instabids.ai.

0:13 What the form actually says

Many quote forms tell you, in small print, who can contact you. One major quote site's form says: 'By submitting, you authorize Modernize and up to four home improvement companies, to make marketing calls and texts to the phone number provided to discuss your home improvement project. You understand some may use auto-dialers, SMS messages, artificial and prerecorded voice messages to contact you.'

And its FAQ says: 'Our contractors will call or text you as soon as they've reviewed your quote, which could be anywhere from two minutes to 24 hours.'

0:47 What "consent" covers

The Federal Trade Commission explains the rule this way: 'Companies can call you if you've recently done business with them, or if you've given them written permission to call. But if you ask them not to call you, they have to stop. Be sure to write down the date you asked them to stop.'

1:02 The federal rule meant to change this, and what happened to it

In December 2023 the Federal Communications Commission adopted a rule it described like this: 'comparison shopping websites and lead generators must obtain consumer consent to receive robocalls and robotexts one seller at a time – rather than have a single consent apply to multiple telemarketers at once.'

In January 2025, before the rule took effect, a federal appeals court vacated that part of the rule. The court wrote that 'the FCC exceeded its statutory authority under the TCPA.' In July 2025 the FCC formally removed it. As the Federal Register put it: 'Prior to the court's mandate, the Commission had postponed the effective date of the revised rule and the revised rule had not gone into effect.'

1:50 How to cut down the calls

Read the consent line before you hit submit, and count how many companies it names. If calls start, tell each caller to stop, and write down the date, as the FTC suggests. And the National Do Not Call Registry: 'You can register your home or mobile phone for free.'

Note that, in the registry's own words, 'other types of organizations may still call you, such as charities, political groups, debt collectors and surveys.'

2:16 How InstaBids handles your contact details

InstaBids works differently. Contractors bid on your written scope inside InstaBids, and your contact details stay hidden until you pick a contractor and they confirm the connection. InstaBids. Describe it once, compare real bids.

Sources quoted in the video

• Source: Modernize quote form and FAQ, read 14 October 2026.
• Source: FTC, National Do Not Call Registry FAQs, read 14 October 2026.
• Source: FCC news release, 13 Dec 2023, read 14 October 2026.
• Source: U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit, Insurance Marketing Coalition v. FCC, No. 24-10277, 24 Jan 2025, read 14 October 2026.
• Source: FCC Order DA 25-621, 14 Jul 2025, read 14 October 2026.
• Source: Federal Register 2025-16641, 29 Aug 2025, read 14 October 2026.
• Source: National Do Not Call Registry, read 14 October 2026.