August 2011
Closed encounters of the third kind
Savvy executives like to stay in the loop on FTC activities that could affect their industry. They make it a habit to scan the headlines or check for relevant workshops or reports. But there’s a third category of information a bit less understood: closing letters from BCP staff.
Throwing the book at 'em
A fax comes through at the office looking like it’s a form to re-up your existing phone directory listing. It includes information about your business, a “Yellow Page ID number,” and a familiar “walking fingers” logo. The fax, not addressed to any particular person or department in your company, instructs the recipient to sign and send the form back by an impending deadline. Buried in fine print is the only indication the fax is really a solicitation for new business.
Handle with care
If there were a master list of topics that need to be addressed gingerly, death and debt would rank at the top. For debt collectors attempting to collect the debts of a deceased consumer, a recent policy statement issued by the FTC addresses changes in state probate procedures and emphasizes debt collectors’ obligation to make sure they’re acting within the law.
The road ahead
As big wheels in the automotive industry know, the FTC is sponsoring a series of workshops across the country to discuss consumer protection issues related to the sale, financing, and leasing of cars, SUVs, and trucks. The next pit stop for The Road Ahead: Selling and Financing Motor Vehicles is San Antonio, Texas, on August 2-3, 2011.