Dateline: 12/19/02
Additions to its telemarketing rules which are created to boost the nationwide "do not call" registry even more by the Federal Trade Commission has been announced.
Stipulations to the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) included in the progression of new developments are:
- cut back on telemarketer billing that is not permitted.
- enforce new boundaries on the procedure of "call abandonment" - where customers pick up the phone, just to hear stillness, or "dead air", and
- demand telemarketers to broadcast Caller-ID information, so when the consumers that sign up for the Caller-ID services receive a call, they know who is on the other line.
The fine for telemarketers who have violated the new rules can be for up to $11,000.
It will require some extra time for the "do not call" registry to be finished, although the rules above are being enforced right away. For more information on the TSR modifications and the "do not call" registry, visit http://www.ftc.gov/donotcall. Approximately four months after Congress approves the financial support is the FTC's goal to be ready to start taking on customer enrollments. Telemarketers will have access to the registry to go through their call lists about two months after the gradual registration, so that they can evade calling customers who are on the list. The Commission will put the "do not call" registry conditions into effect a month later. For five years, or until the customer moves or modifies his/her telephone number, the registration will be good.
"These amendments redefine the nature of telemarketing for both consumers and businesses," said FTC Chairman Timothy J. Muris. "They protect consumers' privacy, give them a choice about whether to receive most telemarketing calls, and provide enhanced protections against fraudulent telemarketers. Soon, signing up for the national "do not call" registry will be just a mouse click or toll-free call away."
The National "Do Not Call" Registry
One of the benefits for the consumers who use the "do not call" registry is that they will be able to get rid of telemarketing calls they don't want just by making one request per
