BBB Calls New Restrictions Good News for Consumers
Robocalls — those annoying prerecorded commercial telemarketing calls — will soon be a thing of the past beginning Sept. 1. And it applies whether or not the consumer has done business with the seller.
“This is very good news for the consumer who has been inundated with recorded phone calls almost daily,” said Pam King, president/CEO of the Better Business Bureau serving northern Colorado and greater Wyoming. “And oftentimes there’s been no way to opt out from receiving them.”
The new requirement is part of amendments to the Federal Trade Commission’s Telemarketing Sales Rule that were announced a year ago. After Sept. 1, sellers and telemarketers who transmit prerecorded messages to consumers who have not agreed in writing to accept such messages will face penalties up to $16,000 per call.
There are, however, exceptions to the FTC’s amended Telemarketing Sales Rule:
• It does not prohibit calls that deliver “informational” recorded messages, such as those notifying recipients about a doctor’s appointment, that their flight has been canceled or that their child’s school opening is delayed.
• It does not apply to calls concerning collection of debts where the calls do not seek to promote the sale of goods or services.
• It does not include calls from politicians, banks, telephone carriers and most charitable organizations.
• It does not apply to certain health-care messages.
In addition, telemarketing robocall messages covered by the TSR must tell consumers how to opt-out of further calls at the start of the message, and provide an automated opt-out mechanism that is voice- or keypress-activated. Prerecorded messages left on answering machines must also provide a toll-free number that connects to the automated opt-out mechanism.
Consumers who receive prerecorded telemarketing calls but have not agreed to get them should file a complaint at the www.ftc.gov Web site or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP.
Start With Trust. For free consumer information and tips you can trust, visit wynco.bbb.org or call 970-484-1348 or 800-564-0371.
About the BBB
The Better Business Bureau, founded in 1912, is a champion for ethics and trust in the marketplace. Only businesses that meet the high BBB standards are invited to become BBB Accredited Businesses. Today, 128 BBBs across the United States and Canada rate more than 3 million local and national businesses and charities with scores ranging from A to F. Only a BBB Accredited Business may elect to participate in BBBOnLine, one of the most trusted and recognized Internet seal programs in the world.
The BBB serving northern Colorado and Wyoming is trending toward 1 million instances of service to consumers and businesses in 2009. These services include reliability reports on local companies and charities, access to companies that can be trusted by industry, help with dispute resolution, and trustworthy information on consumer and business topics.