Telemarketers: SOME OF Your ability to make robo calls is about to expire.
Starting next Tuesday, most commercial telemarketers will be prohibited from making those annoying pre-recorded telemarketing calls to consumers - whether or not they have signed up for the Federal Trade Commission's National Do Not Call Registry.
Today, under federal law, telemarketers are allowed to make recorded robo calls to people who have not signed up for the Do Not Call Registry, as long as the calls are not misleading or deceptive.
Under a new FTC rule, telemarketers can't make pre-recorded calls to anyone, even if they have done business with the person, unless they have received written permission from the customer. The fine for violating the rule is $16,000 per call.
The new rule, which takes effect Tuesday, should eliminate robo pitches like those saying your auto warranty is about to expire.
There are several exceptions to the rule:
-- It does not apply to banks or telecommunications companies because they are outside the FTC's jurisdiction. However, "It is our position that if a bank (or telecom company) hires a telemarketer to place the calls, that telemarketer has to abide by the rules. Most large companies outsource their telemarketing," says Lois Greisman, the FTC's head of telemarketing enforcement.
-- The new rule also permits recorded calls that deliver purely informational messages - such as those notifying you that your flight has been canceled or an appliance will be delivered at a certain time - as long as they are not accompanied by a sales pitch.
-- The new rule does not apply to calls from politicians, most charitable organizations, some health care messages or calls related to debt collection.
-- The new rule does not cover calls to businesses, only consumers.
-- The new rule applies only to pre-recorded calls, not calls from a live person.
