| Comment Number: | 522418-07169 |
| Received: | 7/9/2006 6:41:55 PM |
| Organization: | Young Living Essential Oils |
| Commenter: | Denise Essenpreis |
| State: | CA |
| Subject: | Business Opportunity Rule |
| Title: | Notice of Proposed Rulemaking |
| CFR Citation: | 16 CFR Part 437 |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
Re: The FTC’s Business Opportunity Rule R511993 Dear Chairman Stearns: I need your help! It is URGENT! Please help HALT the FTC rulemaking process that will drastically inhibit our precious domestic freedom to participate in direct selling opportunities. On April 12, 2006, The Federal Trade Commission published an Orwellian 42 page “Notice of Proposed Rulemaking” in the Federal Register. It is misleadingly entitled “The Business Opportunity Rule.” Misleading, in that it is inadvertently or deliberately designed to dampen the enthusiasm of new prospects considering multi-level business opportunities. It will have a devastating impact on the entire direct selling industry. It will smother millions of good-faith Americans with paperwork and records who are making a living as multi-level distributors. For about 25 years the FTC’s Franchise Rule covered only those opportunities that required a buyer to make a payment of at least $500 within the first six months of operation. The April 12, 2006 proposed Rule completely eliminates this $500 exemption. In 1979, to justify the reasonable $500 exemption, the FTC wisely said, “Where the required investment to purchase a business opportunity is comparatively small, prospective purchasers face a relatively small financial risk. The FTC has only given until June 16th, 2006 to receive written comments. So, I am requesting that you please immediately forward this letter to the FTC, with a supporting letter of your own, asking: * for a 180-day extension for comments, and * that it reinstate the $500 exemption in the proposed April 12th Rule.