| Comment Number: | OL-108526 |
| Received: | 12/8/2004 4:45:26 PM |
| Organization: | |
| Commenter: | Bruce Unsworth |
| State: | CA |
| Subject: | Trade Regulation Rule on Telemarketing Sales |
| Title: | Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Request for Comment |
| CFR Citation: | 16 CFR Part 310 |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
The FTC should not change rules to loosen restrictions on telemarketing. Pre-recorded calls are some of the most annoying, obtrusive advertisements in the nation today. The definition of a 'pre-existing customer relationship' is so loose that in these times of huge multi-faceted corporations almost any consumer would have 'relationships' with several of these conglomerates. Therefore, most of us would be fair game for pre-recorded calls from a wide array of divisions and business units. Keeping track of which corporations we have 'relationships' with, and which communications we have opted out of, would be onerous and difficult. If the FTC goes ahead with this ill-advised move in the face of overwhelming consumer support for the concept of do-not-call lists, it will destroy part of the usefulness of telephone service. This would help to confirm that the present commissioners are concerned with helping corporations, rather than regulating them to serve consumers.