John Matthews
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON — (WMAL) So long, Rachel from Cardholder Services!
Federal Regulators are set to vote Thursday on proposals that would essentially create a new “Do Not Call” list for consumers who want to avoid receiving telemarketing calls, as well as “robocalls” – pre-recorded phone pitches from telemarketing companies that clog voice mailboxes and interrupt dinner for many on a nightly basis.
Under new rules being proposed by Federal Communications Chairman Tom Wheeler, consumers would be allowed to opt out of telemarketing calls by simply giving a verbal order telling the intruding caller not to call again. The FCC is also working with phone companies to adopt products that can automatically block robocalls, and a separate rule would clearly define the definition of auto-dialing technology so telemarketers could not use loopholes to continue pestering consumers.
The FCC says it gets thousands of angry letters and calls every month about abusive marketing, adding up to more than 215,000 complaints from the public last year.
“We have, for many years, gotten calls from consumers complaining about telemarketers calling them when they’re eating dinner or taking a nap,” said Eric Friedman, Director of Montgomery County’s Office of Consumer Protection in an interview with WMAL. “It’s very challenging, but it’s not a new issue.”
It’s unclear whether the new rules being proposed by the FCC would apply to political candidates. Friedman says technology may be able to help sort those calls out.
“If the consumer doesn’t want to be contacted by a telemarketer, but does want to hear from someone running for President, they’d have that ability to do so,” says Friedman. “It’s new technology, and it’s very challenging,” he added.
The FCC Chairman says it’s all about giving you a say in who gets to call you at home.
“Consumers have the right to control the calls and texts they receive,” said Wheeler in a blog post. “And the FCC is moving to enforce those rights and protect consumers against robocalls, spam texts, and telemarketing.”
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