| Comment Number: | OL-107948 |
| Received: | 12/7/2004 2:56:46 PM |
| Organization: | I'M A PRIVATE CITIZEN |
| Commenter: | RICHARD BUCK |
| 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:
I oppose any loosening of the telemarketing laws that would allow more companies to bother me. It's especially bad if you're going to let more pre-recorded messages come through. Here's why: When a real person telemarketer calls, I have some fun with them. They'll ask for me or my wife, and I'll lie and say "They're in the other room. Hang on a second and I'll get them to the phone." I do this even if the telemarkerter is asking for me. Then I just leave the phone sitting there. These people will hang on for a LOOOOONG time if they think they're going to get a chance to speak their speil. I've had 'em on there for five minutes sometimes. Occasionally, they'll be lingering so long that I take pity on them and pick up the phone to tell them "You just don't get it, do you? Nobody's going to come..." before I hang up. This is a mildly rude thing to do, but it's more polite than yelling curses, blowing whistles or the other outwardly hostile things that some of my friends do. It also has the effect of throwing a monkey wrench into the telemarketing system, because every minute that caller spends waiting for me is a minute they can't be bothering someone else. That makes the whole business model less efficient, drives up the costs of operating that way, and will help kill that marketing technique. And maybe the telemarketers can use a break. While they're sitting there on hold waiting for me, they have a chance to relax. To whatever low-level FTC person is reading this -- I suggest you try it. You know you hate telemarketers too. This is a way to fight back. As for whether the rule will pass, I know the telemarketers will get what they want. The comments of people like me don't matter. Big businesses give lots of money to the politicians who tell you bosses's bosse's boss what to do. The powerful get what they want, and us little people have to fight back in whatever guerilla warfare way we can. If they start laying dozens of pre-recorded messages on me every day, I'll start doing things like calling back the number and placing orders to bogus addresses or something like that. FIGHT THE POWER!