| Comment Number: | OL-101321 |
| Received: | 11/27/2004 6:09:36 PM |
| Organization: | None |
| Commenter: | Kenneth Williams |
| State: | CA |
| Subject: | Trade Regulation Rule on Telemarketing Sales |
| Title: | Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Request for Comment |
| CFR Citation: | 16 CFR Part 310 |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
As a citizen of the USA, I appreciate the Federal Government's restriction of telemarketer's interruption of my day. The only reason that they use the telephone is that it is cheaper and quicker than contacting me by mail. I have been called in from an awkward, perhaps dirty, location in my yard while gardening to answer a telemarketer's call. I have had my dinner and relaxing evenings interrupted as well. I resent these intrusions by unknown people, and have appreciated the lack of these intrusions since we entered our name on the do-not-call list. Now, you appear ready to relax some of the rules that have been placed on telemarketers. Whether I am in a current business relationship with a company or not, I do not want them calling me to sell me something and, again, causing the unnecessary interruptions to my day's activities. Likewise, I resent having telemarketers leave messages on my answering device. My answering device has limited capacity and was acquired for my personal use; not for unwanted callers. Then, too, when I am out of town, I must make a toll call to my answering device to receive my phone calls. There are few things more irritating than to have to pay a long-distance toll just to listen to some sales pitch for something I don't want in order to get to subsequent valuable calls. The firms that I am currently doing business with can and do communicate with me by mail. It takes little time and no money for me to determine whether or not I am interested in the item they are attempting to market. There is no reason to give firms, whose calls are unwanted, an opportunity to use the telephone to make their pitch. As for the question of opting-in or -out, I think that the Government has leaned too far toward the advertiser. A citizen should have the opportunity to opt-in rather than having to opt out of the pleasure of having his personal time interrupted. In summary, I think that the Government is already giving too much opportunity to the telemarketers and they should be required to obtain permission from a citizen before they are allowed to market to him. Why, other than for financial interests (lobbying?) should government personnel allow citizens to be hassled by these people? Respectfully, with hope that you will further restrict, rather than be more lenient with the telemarketer, K. M. Williams P.S. Mr. Hile, why must the FTC rules agree with the FCC rules? At least the FTC has it right now. Don't open the floodgates more. If the businesses contemplating using telemarketing use the Postal Service, maybe USPS would not need to request a postage increase next year. Stop being so lenient with these people, please! KMW