but... there are still plenty of loopholes. And this also doesn't address the huge lack of movement by the FTC on most complaints...
[FTC press release]"New Rule Prohibiting Unwanted "Robocalls" to Take Effect on September 1 Telemarketers Must Obtain Prior Written Approval from Consumers Who Want to Receive Such Calls
"Beginning September 1, 2009, prerecorded commercial telemarketing calls to consumers - commonly known as robocalls - will be prohibited, unless the telemarketer has obtained permission in writing from consumers who want to receive such calls, the Federal Trade Commission announced today." --------------
however, there are bunches of exceptions. First are the ones which, for want of a better term, I'll call greyish:
"... do not prohibit calls that deliver purely "informational" recorded messages - those that notify recipients, for example, that their flight has been cancelled, an appliance they ordered will be delivered at a certain time, or that their child's school opening is delayed ..."
and then there are the sleazoids, namely:
..."politicians, banks, telephone carriers, and most charitable organizations"
eyup. politicians are still exempted. Suprise, surprise.
rest:
- I think a good law would be to require that every time a politician makes such a call, that person's home phone, cellular phone, office number, spouses listings, and mother-in-law... should all be appended, thus letting everyone call them right back and explain how pissed they are...
_____________________________________________________ Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key snipped-for-privacy@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]
***** Moderator's Note *****Oh my Ghod! Not the Mothers-in-law! That would be too cruel! ;-)