FTC Extends Deadline on National DNC List Comments

Controlio writes: "The FTC is proposing a national do-not-call list to help keep telemarketing under control. More info is available in HTML or PDF, and the rule is available in PDF as well. The FTC has extended the deadline for comment until April 15th, and they are asking for your comments via e-mail. A snail mail address is also available. Many of the public comments can be viewed here, and it looks like the telemarketers are spamming the list with a pre-written script, for an example, look under "T". FOX News and CNN have old stories on this as well, but CNN is re-airing the story today. Finally, someone sticking up for those of us who get over 10 calls per day."

Comments

wow

[elfkicker]

"The TSR also:

Restricts calling times to the hours between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Requires telemarketers to tell you it's a sales call and who's doing the selling before they make their pitch.

Prohibits telemarketers from lying or misrepresenting any information"
Well now that would be refreshing, wouldn't it?

Good idea, but it'll be loopholed.

[Deagol]

From the FTC page:

Also, according to the proposal, an individual company would be allowed to call you, even if you placed your number on the registry, as long as you gave the company your express verifiable authorization to do so - for example, by giving them written permission to call you.

This will end up just like that bogus "privacy" Act that went into effect a year or two ago. For every service you subscribe to, the ultra-fine print will have a clause like, "You hereby give the Company, and all of its Affiliates [read: anyone we want to sell the list to], permission to call you so that we may provide your service efficiently."

Can you believe the whining some of these "employees" are making on the comments page? I love this one, as it's particularly bleeding-heart:

" As an employee of ACI Telecentrics, Inc. located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, I am writing to state my opposition to the FTC's proposed changes to the TSR. Passage of this new rule will negatively impact my company and it's employees. My job is important to me; I am a single mother with a family and I am concerned about losing my job if you pass the proposed changes. Despite current publicity and perceptions, telemarketing provides a service for individuals and offers a variety of services and products to customers. The majority of customers we call want to hear about our services and if they are not interested, they say so. If they want to be put on a DNC list, we gladly honor their request. I think the current company practices, along with the State DNC and DMA DNC lists should be sufficient to regulate do not call requests. Adding another list would just be more confusing for customers. Thank you for allowing my input. I hope you will consider the negative impact this could have on business industry and the economy! Sincerely, Carol J. Darling"

(Emphasis mine) Can you buy that? I worked for a small company once, and had to support a Sales department. One lunch I got into a debate about the role of sales. The guy honestly believed that society, the economy, and the universe would fall apart if there were no salesmen to peddle products.

And how the hell can having one centralized list be more confusing that maintaing a list of who you asked to put your number on their Do Not Call list? Sheesh!

Boo-freakin-hoo, Carol! Maybe you shouldn't have picked such a slime-bag job.