Comment Number: OL-111767
Received: 12/22/2004 12:07:51 AM
Organization:
Commenter: Ron Ludwig
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:

Contrary to their popular belief, advertisers in general, and telemarketers in particular do not have an inherent right to exist. Their function is to prey on the general populace in an effort to extract money for goods and services that are often substandard. The actions taken against them, such as rules limiting who they can call, when calls can be made, the Do Not Call Registry itself, are all indications of how despised the industry is. Had the telemarketing industry made even a reasonable attempt to regulate itself, the consumer backlash would not have occurred and the need for Federal rules to regulate the industry would not have been necessary. Now then, since some rules HAVE been implemented, we are seeing SOME respite from these parasites. This is NOT the time to loosen ANY rules; in fact, the rules need to be tightened to restrict their activites even further (such as requiring an ACTUAL business relationship when cold calling). Telemarketers MUST be required to have an actual person on the line when a call is answered. If the previous point is taken, then the abandon rate would be zero. I believe that is where it should be. I do not want to be disturbed AT ANY TIME by a phone call where I am greeted by dead air or an automated recording. When that was allowed, I ALWAYS hung up on the call. And, had I known it was an automated call, I would not have answered it. If the rules governing telemarketers are relaxed, to ANY degree, then the purpose for the existence of the rules is being ignored, the will of the people is being ignored, and the agency responsible for developing and enforcing those rules (in response to the People's call for respite from the telemarketer parasites) is merely a sham.