| Comment Number: | OL-102461 |
| Received: | 11/27/2004 10:34:56 PM |
| Organization: | |
| Commenter: | Dwight Tuinstra |
| State: | NY |
| Subject: | Trade Regulation Rule on Telemarketing Sales |
| Title: | Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Request for Comment |
| CFR Citation: | 16 CFR Part 310 |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
I am commenting on the proposed amendment "to allow telemarketing calls that deliver a prerecorded message to consumers with whom the seller on whose behalf the calls are made has an established business relationship." I am adamantly opposed to such an amendment. One of the most potent deterrents to abuse of telemarketer privilege is the customer's ability to say the words "please put me on your do-not-call list". With a live operator, the effect is immediate and magical. This is not possible with a pre-recorded message. One can listen to an entire pre-recorded message and still have no information about how to prevent future calls (and even if such information were given, it still places the burden of action on the customer). The proposed amendment appears to be, in part, an effort to short-circuit the ability of customers to wield this deterrent. In the interests of the customer, the amendment should be permanently withdrawn.