| Comment Number: | OL-113923 |
| Received: | 1/10/2005 5:13:58 PM |
| Organization: | |
| Commenter: | Russell P. Veldenz |
| State: | IL |
| Subject: | Trade Regulation Rule on Telemarketing Sales |
| Title: | Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Request for Comment |
| CFR Citation: | 16 CFR Part 310 |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
This proposal turns the national Do-Not-Call registery into a hollow shell.The Registery wsa not there for the telemarketers but the consumers! The whole point of the registery was that I, an individual consumer liked my privacy, ability to work, and to rest, without being bothered by someone trying to sell me something I do not need, nor want. In fact, if this proposal is allowed, the problem will become worse. I use voicemail for work reasons. If I get an automated call, voicemail continues to record the entire automated message and I can not delete it until the message is finished. Sometimes, this lasts quite a while- more than a minute. It is a great inconvience and prevents me from getting to my actual business calls or other calls I consider important. Beyond that, I fear I will be placed in the same position I was before the registery was established. I frequently interrupted my work, dinner, movie, sports event, etc. to answer the phone and find it is some outfit (that I probably have not even heard of) trying to sell me a time-share, credit card or aluminum siding. Since the registery, I have not my life interrupted and have found life much more enjoyable. I fear that allowing automated marketing positions will put me right back where I was before. It will be as if the the "Do-Not-Call" registery existed. In fact, I would expect the number of calls to increase! Furthermore, as I understand it, I will have to contact the sender to be placed on the "Do-Not-Call" list. This is placing quite a burden on the individual. At least in the past, I could tell the salesman I wanted to be on the list and he or she was expected to honor it. Now, I have to write down a number, call the company, hope I get a chance to talk to a live person right away (Will I be expected to navigate their phone menu?),and then I will have to go through the procedure of identifying myself so they will not call me any more. (What do I have to give? Name. Phone number?, more?). Finally, what is to prevent them from first trying to give me yet another sales pitch before grudgingly placing me on their do-not-call list. I also will have to do this with each caller. The advantage of the National Do-Not-Call list is that I did it once. I strongly urge the FTC to keep the Registery the way it is and not allow telemarketers to turn the "Do Not Call Registery into a mockery and become something that is totally useless to me.