| Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2000 5:31 PM Subject: Fw: Docket No. 00-05 Gramm Leach Bliley Act Dear FTC office: I have just received notification from our trade association, The Debt Buyers Association, of the recently passed legislation. Upon reviewing the Act as it currently reads, I am concerned about the purpose that it serves and the inconsistency in how it relates to the current rules and laws that our industry must adhere to, specifically the FDCPA. In the wake of courts burdened with ultra sensitive technical court cases related to our industry, I feel that the current definitions in this Act will only result in increasing these problems. I do agree that consumers should be aware of the Privacy policies of those organizations that they freely give information to and that they should be protected from any unauthorized use thereof and I commend those that strive to protect us. However, I do not believe that organizations unrelated to the initial transaction should be penalized or excessively burdened beyond what is considered reasonable, especially when legislation is already in place to protect consumers relating to third party collections (FDCPA). I therefore urge you to consider the amendments and/or changes that our trade association has submitted. Thank you! Sincerely, Brian C. Bowers |