Come Sept. 1, many of those bothersome prerecorded telemarketing calls will be a thing of the past.

The Federal Trade Commission announced today that it is banning robocalls to consumers, unless the telemarketer has obtained permission in writing from consumers who want to receive such calls. 

“American consumers have made it crystal clear that few things annoy them more than the billions of commercial telemarketing robocalls they receive every year,” said Jon Leibowitz, Chairman of the FTC. “Starting September 1, this bombardment of prerecorded pitches, senseless solicitations, and malicious marketing will be illegal. If consumers think they’re being harassed by robocallers, they need to let us know, and we will go after them.”

After September 1, sellers and telemarketers who transmit prerecorded messages to consumers who have not agreed in writing to accept such messages will face penalties of up to $16,000 per call.