Comment Number: 522418-10134
Received: 7/15/2006 7:34:09 PM
Organization: Martin International
Commenter: Carl Martin
State: NC
Subject: Business Opportunity Rule
Title: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
CFR Citation: 16 CFR Part 437
No Attachments

Comments:

I have just finished going over your proposed rule changes for independent business owners. I appreciate your efforts to clean up those businesses that prey on peoples desires to get rich; however, burning the house down to kill some bugs would seem a bit heavy handed. I would think that leveling rules to pertain to certain businesses and not others might led to wasteful, expensive litagations that would cost the American people more than your rule changes would help. A good example would be why not require you to disclose all of your financial dealings to people who might question your income. I'm not sure what you're trying to accomplish here, but I recommend you get the news media to report more accurately before you try and make everyones personal data an open discussion point. Making people wait seven days before registering in a business is a great way to stifle the legal economy. If illegal businesses are operating, do you think they care about your seven day waiting period? Are you also going to make me wait seven days to get a job teaching or flipping hamburgers? I was really dispointed in your ridiculous proposal that we hand a prospect 10 references from other IBO's in the area. They are developing their own business, I don't want them to work for me, they will want my help to develop a successful business. My last teaching job did not hand me 10 references to work for them. You might have had something positive with your allegation disclousure but you missed the mark you were shooting for. I can see diclosing judgements, pending cases or unresolved allegations, but I could accuse any one on the FTC board of fraud, true or not true. Would you want to have to report all of those? You need to be careful not to hurt the economy by trashing the system that made America what she is today, Free Enterprise. All I know is that I am very comfortable with the safeguards the Quixtar affialtes have in place. We do not rush to register people, if you don't like the business you have a six month period to be refunded. (Theres a hint for your proposal. A grace period for a registration refund!) All your rules should be fair across the board and not designed to single out a particular business. I'm not even close to being wealthy, but my income is better than what I was shown it would be for the level I have obtained and the work that I have put in it. Go after the illegal businesses, but I don't think you need a lot of cumbersome and business defeating rules; because, the illegal businesses don't follow your rules anyway. 1. Go after those business that misrepresent themselves. (Lie) 2. Go after true illegal pyramids. (A job kinda fits the present definition of pyramid) 3. Privacy should be respected. 4. Don't make it any harder for people to succeed than it already is. Closing: You might want to check the safeguards Quixtar has put into place. Everything is upfront with a money back policy. Don't hurt those of us who pay taxes in this economy!