| How To File A Complaint About A Sales Call
If you think a sales call is in violation of the Federal Trade Commission rule
and want to file a complaint, use the online resource at www.ftc.gov
and click on the "File a Complaint Online" link.
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There is a Federal Trade Commission rule that defines what telemarketers can and
cannot do when making a sales call. Callers must:
- Provide the seller's name
- Disclose that the call is a sales call
- Tell you exactly what they're trying to sell
- Disclose the total cost and other terms of sale before you make any payment
for the goods or services
- Tell you if they don't allow refunds, exchanges or cancellations
If a prize is involved, the caller must give you the odds of winning, inform you
that no purchase is necessary, and tell you how to get instructions for entering
without buying anything.
It's illegal for telemarketers to:
- Misrepresent what they're offering
- Call before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m.
- Threaten, intimidate or harass you, or call again if you ask them not to
This FTC rule applies even when you receive a call from a telemarketer in another
state or country. It also applies if you make a call to a company in another state
or country in response to a mail solicitation.
The rule generally does not apply when you call to order from a catalog or in
response to an ad on television or radio, or in a magazine or newspaper. It also
does not apply to solicitations you receive by fax or e-mail. Be aware that certain
types of businesses, including nonprofit organizations, investment brokers and
advisors, banks and financial institutions, are exempt from the rule.
File complaints concerning this rule with FTC.
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