| Comment Number: | 525547-00156 |
| Received: | 11/20/2006 8:06:59 PM |
| Organization: | |
| Commenter: | Bruce Rosato |
| State: | WA |
| Subject: | Telemarketing Sales Rule |
| Title: | Request for Public Comment |
| CFR Citation: | 16 CFR Part 310 |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
Please consider allowing companies where I have an existing business relationship to continue to contact me through any channel they choose. I believe that I should have the right to make my own decisions as to who will contact me and through what means - I do not need the FTC to protect me from companies I decide to do business with. I do agree that all "telemarketing" type calls where automation is used should be required to offer some type of opt-out but I do not believe this should be required before the customer has been authenticated (either through automation or by a live agent). Otherwise, anyone in my household could inadvertantly remove me from a calling list that I prefer to remain on. Examples of calls that I receive and appreciate are: prescription refill reminders, insurance renewal offers, airline seat upgrade offers, and any offer to subsitute a product that I have already ordered with a comparable product at the same or better price. I have received these types of automated notifications in the past and as long as the system is interactive I find the messages to be very useful. I prefer to communicate with systems rather than humans. Not that I have anything against humans, I just like to interact with automated systems - the interaction experience is more predictable and I am always confident that my instruction to a machine will be interpreted with much greater accuracy than with a human where circumstance, personality, culture, accent, etc., all play a role in how my issue will be resolved. Many inbound call centers now feature sophisticated IVRs where virtually everything an agent could assist me with in the past can now be done by pressing keys or even speaking words. This same convenience should be extended to consumers who are being reached outbound by these same companies. Similar to the National Do Not Call registry, it should be the consumers' responsibility and right to be removed from a specific company's calling list where an existing business relationship has already been established. The consumer should not be required to explicitly opt-in to receive pre-recorded messages that contain information that they might benefit from. To require that consumers submit authorization for this type of communication in writing is unrealistic. Please consider restating the regulation to allow for an opt-in to be presented within the pre-recorded calling script that companies offer. Please continue to allow companies that I do business with contact me in any manner they choose so that I may benefit from all the goods and services they offer. Thank you for continuing to protect my rights as a consumer and allowing me to make my own decisions as an informed citizen. Most sincerely, Bruce Rosato