FTC Takes Action Against Prerecorded Sales Calls

Reprinted with permission from FindLaw.com

Do you hate prerecorded sales calls? If so, you are not alone. Indeed, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been inundated with complaints about such calls. As a result, the FTC has just announced an amendment to the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) that expressly bars telemarketing calls that deliver prerecorded messages, except as to people who have agreed in advance to receive these calls from specific sellers.

It is important to note that this amendment does not stand in the way of calls that provide solely "informational" prerecorded messages. These types of calls notify recipients of information, such as notifications about flight changes and cancellations, appointment reminders and the like. These calls are not within the scope of the amendment prohibition because the prerecorded messages do not attempt to sell goods or services.