Comment Number: OL-113457
Received: 1/10/2005 11:46:42 AM
Organization:
Commenter: Hudyma
State: MI
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 am writing to oppose the proposed FTC rule change to allow companies to engage in additional automated telemarketing calls. Now is not the time to loosen restrictions on telemarketing calls, particularly when telemarketers may soon be making calls to cellular numbers as well. Allowing more automated calls will permit telemarketers to make more calls, which is particularly bad if they start calling cellular numbers. In addition, regardless of whether the calls are to cellular or regular numbers, consumers, as evidenced by their overwhelming support of the Do Not Call List, clearly oppose telemarketing as intrusive and unwanted. Thus, any change that has the potential of increasing the total volume of calls is unwarranted. Finally, without a person on the other end it potentially will be much more difficult for consumers to request removal from a given company's callling list. Therefore, please do not loosen any of the FTC's existing restrictions on automated telemarketing.