Recorded telemarketing calls illegal without written permission begins (exemptions remain)

[sabra]

Source: Chicago Trib/South Florida Sun Sentine

Banks, debt collectors, political parties, charities exempt

You soon may be hearing a lot fewer of those maddening pre-recorded telephone pitches for everything from car insurance to debt consolidation services.

Starting Tuesday, telemarketers will need written permission from consumers in advance in order to solicit them through automated pre-recorded telemarketing messages, sometimes called robo-calls, the Federal Trade Commission said.

Even people who have not signed up for the federal Do Not Call registry, as well as those who have done business in the past with the solicitors, now are protected from unwanted automatic calls. But be warned: You still may get calls from traditional live telemarketers, unless you put your name on state or federal Do Not Call lists.

Consumer advocates called the action a huge change to the national Telemarketing Sales Rule. "We don't anticipate a lot of consumers writing to robo-callers and saying 'Please call me,' " said Bob Williams, a spokesman in Consumer Union's Washington D.C. office.



Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-091002-robocalls,0,7263977.story

[Ian David]

1. The Do-Not-Call List is one of the only 3 positive things The Bush Admin has done.

1) The Do-Not-Call List
2) Medical savings accounts
3) Blocking the merger of Whole Foods and Trader Joe's

[Gormy Cuss]

2. And to commemorate that change, I received a call from "Heather of Account Services ..."

http://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/xqjlV7R9hwBpbwjJrPDEkw

:rofl:

I guess they didn't get the memo.

[Robb]

5. Ha! I heard from her just this morning!

I'm eligible for something, she said. :D

[treestar]

12. Me too. They keep talking about your debt

I was in the bank once for some reason and I remember they pulled my credit. I had this huge debt that turned out to be my credit card limit - apparently they list that as your debt whether you use it or not.

[safeinOhio]

3. Hope that includes

introductions that have you hold for an agent. Anyone know?

[damntexdem]

4. Since the do-not-call list doesn't keep them from happening, ...

why should I trust that the written-permission rule will?

[Iowa]

6. I get more calls from politicians than from businesses...

...and politicians are exempt, of course. Bruce Braley has discovered a new way to annoy his constituents, and he's not afraid to use it. By the time the election comes around this idiot will have everyone hating him.

But the very worst offender is Telefund Inc., a corp hired to call on behalf of liberal causes. They are relentless to the point of bordering on harassment. Be very careful about donating anything to any organization that uses Telefund Inc. If you give $25, the organization will spend every penny of that (and more) paying Telefund Inc. to call you relentlessly. I always ask before donating. I refuse to donate to anyone who will spend the money I give them to pester me with unwanted calls.

[9119495]

7. Braley, an idiot?

Hmmm.

[Iowa]

9. Yes. Any politician who annoys constituents with robo-calls to blather about nothing is an idiot.

It's the very worst form of spam, and absolutely stupid from a political standpoint.

[sakabatou]

8. But now my family is getting calls from the non-profits by the bushel

We get the same company time and again.

[corpseratemedia]

10. there go all the Cadillacs I've won!

[truthisfreedom]

11. donotcall.gov works! One of the great joys in life...

stopping ALL telemarketing calls.

[Vidar]

13. Good, but too bad politicians are exempt.