| Comment Number: | OL-108514 |
| Received: | 12/8/2004 4:16:50 PM |
| Organization: | |
| Commenter: | Randy Rowell |
| State: | NC |
| Subject: | Trade Regulation Rule on Telemarketing Sales |
| Title: | Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Request for Comment |
| CFR Citation: | 16 CFR Part 310 |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
The phrase "has an established business relationship" allows too much leeway. Chances are, if asked to do so, very few people could name all companies with which they have an "established business relationship", and the process to unestablish a relationship could be subject to many manipulative games by telemarketers. The potential exists for individuals to have their answering machine overrun by what amounts to voice spam. And it could easily become a full time job for an individual to get themselves off all such lists. I don't see how anyone considering such means of advertising could seriously believe they are going to do so without harrassing 99 out of 100 who absolutely do not want this form of advertising. I don't see how anyone with a concious could advertise this way nor do I see how any regulatory body could in good concious approve of such advertising. Consider this potential abuse: you have a loan locked in at a low rate. Interest rates rise and the bank wants out of the loan. They have no legal recouse to raise your rate, but they may now have the power to harrass you with junk advertising to make you want to refinance your loan with someone else (at a higher rate). You have a business relationship with the bank, so they can spam your phone line. Credit card companies offer an "opt out" for you to prevent the sharing of information, but as time goes by, we get more and more out of touch with whom we have opted out with and whom we have not. No junk mail identifies who sold your information, so you don't know who to pursue. Likewise, no spam phone calls are going to identify which agency you would have to contact to prevent future phone spam. I DONT WANT ANOTHER PART TIME JOB TRYING TO KEEP MY NAME OFF PHONE SPAM LISTS.