FTC's Changes to the Telemarketing Sales Rule

Last Up date on: 2006 December 3
Recent changes: 2003 September 18 version with new links at the bottom.

Telemarketing calls are made for only one reason. They work. People make money by calling you. If you are getting telemarketing phone calls it is because you have in the past made telemarketing profitable, and hence got yourself on sucker lists. Lists with names and phone numbers of people who have provided money to telemarketing calls are very valuable and selling this lists is itself a profitable business. Now our government is creating another list which will be provided to any and all telemarketers. It is one of the best list any telemarketer can find.

Before you quickly sign up for the Governments' 16 million dollar "Do Not Call List". (Yes, that is what we tax payers have paid, God only knows how much it will cost annually to maintain and enforce it.) Consider the following:

Check the FTC's Question/Answer Page. You will find that common carriers (such as long-distance phone companies and airlines), banks and credit unions, and the business of insurance, all charities, and political solicitations are ALL exempt. Furthermore they will have access to this list, and be free to call you! I bet putting your name on this list will increase the number of Telemarketing calls you get.

Believe me, if no one would ever purchase or make a contribution to a telemarketer, there would be no Telemarketing Calls. Companies, and "worthy causes" pay people to make these calls because it makes money for them.

The above facts were pointed out to me by an IBM representative back in 1963, and from that time on I have made certain that unsolicited calls wanting me to: contribute, buy something, or accept a "free" gift, have never been profitable. It works. I do not get two telemarketing calls a month. If I did I would not be able to forward my home phone to my cell phone, and go away for months with no ability to cancel the forwarding.

If you have time and want some fun.

You can make it an expensive call for them by tying up the caller. Act like your are interested and keep them on the line as long as possible. When it is obvious they are frustrated, explain: You put your phone in for your convenience and not for them as an advertising media; and you have intentionally taken as much of their time as possible. Furthermore, you will never buy their product, or do anything to make this harassing call profitable.

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