| Comment Number: | 522418-08424 |
| Received: | 7/12/2006 7:20:02 PM |
| Organization: | XanGo independent distributor |
| Commenter: | Linda Kimball |
| State: | ND |
| Subject: | Business Opportunity Rule |
| Title: | Notice of Proposed Rulemaking |
| CFR Citation: | 16 CFR Part 437 |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
July 12, 2006 To Whom It May Concern: I am writing in reference to Business Opportunity Rule, R511993 and I want to express my strong opposition to placing that rule into effect. In the past few months, I have been working hard at building a direct sales business. This has been working well for me and my family because I can work from my home and make needed contacts with other people on my own schedule. It allows me the freedom to be an independent distributor of a product that we feel is beneficial. We hope to provide a much needed second income since our main income comes from the struggling farming industry. Because we live in a very rural part of America, the seven day waiting period would be a huge hardship due to the cost of fuel and time of traveling to meet a second time with customers and people who want to try a product. To set another date and time to meet with a customer would be an extra burden for both parties concerned. The company already has a 30 day money back guarantee and we believe that this is a promise that the company is willing to stand behind their product in the event that someone may be dissatisfied. Having to explain that a seven day waiting period is required before ordering would also arouse unnecessary suspicion about a legitimate business and the product it promotes. Most people we have shared this product with do not live next door to us and often live many miles from us. It would be a great inconvenience to expect people to wait seven days to try a product that they want to purchase and start using when they are first introduced to it. Again, both parties would find this to be very annoying and costly to all those involved. Having to provide a disclosure including information such as the number of purchasers in the past two years, the number of purchasers seeking a refund or canceling in that time period, or a list of the ten nearest existing sales people would be burdensome and impractical. Some information may pose privacy and security issues which customers may not appreciate and we do not support providing information if the customer prefers not to have his/her name revealed. Eliminating the $500 business threshold would force direct selling companies to comply with provisions that are geared more towards businesses requiring a greater investment than a direct selling sales kit. I appreciate that the aim of the FTC is to protect the consumers, but I feel that this ruling would have a negative impact on legitimate direct selling businesses. Those who do business illegally are going to continue to find the loopholes and the people doing businesses legally should not be unduly burdened and limited by a ruling aimed at a small minority of people. I want to continue to have the freedom to build a business that I can operate on my own schedule working around our farming business and our family. Please do not pass R511993 and take away legitimate business opportunites from honest, hard working citizens. Sincerely, Linda Kimball