| Comment Number: | OL-113059 |
| Received: | 1/10/2005 8:12:00 AM |
| Organization: | |
| Commenter: | Carnavos |
| State: | FL |
| Subject: | Trade Regulation Rule on Telemarketing Sales |
| Title: | Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Request for Comment |
| CFR Citation: | 16 CFR Part 310 |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
To whom it may concern: I am very concerned about the proposed changes being considered with regards to the Do Not Call registry. The changes that would allow the increased numbers of prerecorded messages would create once again a public nuisance, and this time, consumers would not be able to tell these companies not to call back or they are not interested. It is very frustrating to pick up the phone only to be greeted by a prerecorded message advertising a product I am not interested in whatsoever, or could possibly use. The benefit would lie with the businesses not the consumer. Not that I enjoyed having live persons interupt my dinner or rest, but allowing companies to augment their allowance for prerecorded messages will give them an incentive to cut their staff and force more people to lose their jobs. I cannot see how this would benefit customers whatsoever. I personally do not appreciate coming home to find ten minute prerecorded messages on my answering machine. In addition, the idea of consumers having to contact companies individually to opt out is impossible because all to often, these organizations have phone numbers that cannot be traced and these companies will leave messages telling customers, for example, to call this number to find out about a prize they could win but never saying what company these consumers are contacting. The onus would fall entirely on customers to protect their privacy and even if they wanted to, the organizations do what they can to make sure customers cannot find them to delete their names off the list. The impersonal method that these organizations are using to attract customers is going to far and more and more, we are being bombarded with unecessary advertising in our homes, on our computers, on television. When will this end??? I should not have to waste my time listening to messages sent out at random by companies hoping to discover a customer just because I have a phone number. Enough is enough. I hope you will listen to a concerned citizen who is tired of being harrassed by companies which I will never patronize in my life and having my privacy violated by people looking to make a profit off of my phone number. I implore you to keep with the intent of the original Do Not Call list that was created to protect consumers from UNWANTED CALLS. If for some reason, you side with the businesses hoping to circumvent the goals of the Do Not Call list by reducing unsolicited phone calls, I beg you to require these prerecorded messages must state the company they are representing and must have a number that can be traced so that customers can opt out readily and that you will ensure that consumers can opt out. Furthermore, I feel that the Do Not Call list should extend to any type of phone call from businesses to which a person has no prior connections and therefore, the public can be shielded from prerecorded messages as well as from live calls. Please do not be persuaded into thinking that we enjoy having these phone calls or that they are beneficial. Most people do not like being harrassed by these hounds, why do you think the DNC list was so popular? I hope you will serve the interests of the public and protect the right to privacy and peace in our homes. Thank you!