| Comment Number: | OL-101522 |
| Received: | 11/27/2004 6:45:27 PM |
| Organization: | |
| Commenter: | Frank Jaffe |
| State: | ME |
| Subject: | Trade Regulation Rule on Telemarketing Sales |
| Title: | Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Request for Comment |
| CFR Citation: | 16 CFR Part 310 |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
Speaking as a consumer who prefers not to receive telemarkting calls, I do not believe that the rules on telemarkets should be relaxed. Companies abuse the definition of a "relationship" with a consumer, and already fail to honor consumer requests to not be marketed to. Further, permitting pre-recorded marketing reduces the cost to the company, and increases the irritant factor for the innocent consumer whose interest you are failing to protect by considering this change in the rules. Instead, the FTC should consider a system where telemarketing firms are free to market to consumers by paying the consumers a pre-registered fee. Consumers could establish, with the current do-not-call registry, a price for which they are willing to accept telemarketing calls, in essence establishing their own value on their time and privacy. Marketers can then call the number, and each such call would result in a credit to the consumers telephone account. Telephone providers, such as Verizon, would be compensated a low flat fee per call for handling the billing/crediting issues. A system of this type is the only solution which is fair to the consumer who is abused by these inappropriate and intrusive marketing practices. Thank you again for the opportunity to comment on your proposed rule.