Voice Broadcasting Auto Dialers

Introduction

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued the amended Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) on January 29, 2003. Like the original TSR issued in 1995, the amended Rule gives effect to the Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act. This legislation gives the FTC and state attorneys general law enforcement tools to combat telemarketing fraud, give consumers added privacy protections and defenses against unscrupulous telemarketers, and help consumers tell the difference between fraudulent and legitimate telemarketing.

One significant amendment to the TSR prohibits calling consumers who have put their phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry. Another change covers the solicitation of charitable contributions by for-profit telemarketers.

Other key provisions:

• require disclosures of specific information
• prohibit misrepresentations
• limit when telemarketers may call consumers
• require transmission of Caller ID information
• prohibit abandoned outbound calls, subject to a safe harbor
• prohibit unauthorized billing
• set payment restrictions for the sale of certain goods and services
• require that specific business records be kept for two years

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) enforces the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), which also regulates telemarketing. The FCC recently amended its TCPA regulations, which touch on many of the topics covered by the TSR. For more information about the TCPA, contact the FCC at www.fcc.gov. The TSR and the TCPA regulations cover nearly all telemarketing with
similar rules.

Many states also have laws regulating telemarketing. The FTC and the FCC are working with states to harmonize Do Not Call requirements at state and federal levels for a unified national system enabling “one-stop” service for consumers, as well as businesses seeking to comply with the requirements. For information about a particular state’s laws, contact the state attorney general’s office or another state consumer protection agency.

If your telemarketing campaigns involve any calls across state lines—whether you make outbound calls or receive calls in response to advertising— you may be subject to the TSR’s provisions. This guide describes the types of organizations and activities that are subject to the TSR and explains how to comply. It is the FTC staff ’s view of the law’s requirements and is not binding on the Commission.

If you have questions after reading this guide, contact:

Division of Marketing Practices
Bureau of Consumer Protection
Federal Trade Commission
Washington, DC 20580
(202) 326-3737

The Amended TSR at a Glance

Briefly stated, the amended TSR:

• supplements the company-specific Do Not Call provision of the original Rule with new provisions based on a National Do Not Call Registry.
• creates an “established business relationship” exception to the National Do Not Call provisions so that a company may call a consumer with whom it has such a relationship, even if the consumer’s number is on the Registry.
• allows a company to call a consumer who has given the company express written permission to call, even if the consumer’s number is on the Registry.
• prohibits denying or interfering with a consumer’s Do Not Call request.
• prohibits misuse of Do Not Call lists.
• covers charitable solicitations placed by for-profit telefunders. The National Do Not Call Registry provisions do not apply to for-profit telefunders; rather, for-profit telefunders must keep their own Do Not Call lists and honor donors’ requests not to be called.
• requires sellers and telemarketers to obtain express verifiable authorization when payment is made by methods other than credit card or debit card, and limits the use of the written confirmation method.
• requires sellers and telemarketers offering credit card loss protection plans to disclose specific information.
• prohibits misrepresentations in the sale of credit card loss protection plans.
• requires sellers and telemarketers making an offer that involves a negative option feature to disclose specific information.
• prohibits misrepresentations about negative options.
• specifies that all required disclosures be made truthfully.
• requires additional disclosures for prize promotions.
• prohibits disclosing or receiving, for consideration, unencrypted consumer account numbers.
• requires sellers and telemarketers to get a consumer’s express informed consent before submitting the consumer’s billing information for payment.
• sets out guidelines for what constitutes evidence of express informed consent in transactions involving “pre-acquired account information” and “free-to-pay conversion” offers.
• requires telemarketers, for purposes of Caller ID, to transmit the telephone number, and, when made available by the telemarketer’s telephone company, the telemarketer’s name.
• prohibits telemarketers from abandoning any outbound telephone call, subject to a safe harbor.
• extends the applicability of most provisions of the Rule to “upselling.”
• requires telemarketers and sellers to maintain records of express informed consent and express agreement.
• narrows certain exemptions.
• clarifies that facsimile transmissions, electronic mail, and similar methods of delivery are direct mail for purposes of the direct mail exemption.

Charities and For-Profit Telemarketers Calling on Their Behalf

The USA PATRIOT Act, passed in 2001, brought charitable solicitations by for-profit telemarketers within the scope of the TSR. As a result, most of the TSR’s provisions now are applicable to “telefunders”—telemarketers who solicit charitable contributions.

Telefunders are required to:

• make certain prompt disclosures in every outbound call.
• get express verifiable authorization if accepting payment by methods other than credit or debit card.
• maintain records for 24 months.
• comply with the entity-specific Do Not Call requirements, but are exempt from the National Do Not Call Registry provision.

Telefunders are prohibited from:

• making a false or misleading statement to induce a charitable contribution.
• making any of several specific prohibited misrepresentations.
• engaging in credit card laundering.
• engaging in acts defined as abusive under the TSR, such as calling before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., disclosing or receiving consumers’ unencrypted account information, and denying or interfering with a consumer’s right to be placed on a Do Not Call list.

Who Must Comply with the Amended TSR?

The amended TSR regulates “telemarketing”— defined in the Rule as “a plan, program, or campaign . . . to induce the purchase of goods or services or a charitable contribution” involving more than one interstate telephone call. (The FCC regulates both intrastate and interstate calling. More information is available from www.fcc.gov) With some important exceptions, any businesses or individuals that take part in “telemarketing” must comply with the Rule. This is true whether, as “telemarketers,” they initiate or receive telephone calls to or from consumers, or as “sellers,” they provide, offer to provide, or arrange to provide goods or services to consumers in exchange for payment. It makes no difference whether a company makes or receives calls using low-tech equipment or the newest technology—such as voice response units (VRUs) and other automated systems. Similarly, it makes no difference whether the calls are made from outside the United States; so long as they are made to consumers in the United States, those making the calls, unless otherwise exempt, must comply with the TSR’s provisions. If the calls are made to induce the purchase of goods, services, or a charitable contribution, the company is engaging in “telemarketing.”

Certain sections of the Rule apply to individuals or companies other than “sellers” or “telemarketers” if these individuals or companies provide substantial assistance or support to sellers or telemarketers. The Rule also applies to individuals or companies that provide telemarketers with unauthorized access to the credit card system.

Exemptions to the Amended TSR

Some types of businesses, individuals, and activities are outside the FTC’s jurisdiction, and therefore, not covered by the TSR. Certain calls or callers are exempt from the Rule, too. Moreover, some of the exemptions from the original Rule have been narrowed in the Amended Rule. As a result, some calls or callers may be completely exempt or they may be partially exempt—that is, they may have to comply with some of the Rule’s provisions. The following sections explain the coverage of the Rule and the exemptions. Be aware that the FCC also regulates telemarketing practices; its jurisdiction extends to some entities and activities that are not subject to regulation by the FTC. For more information about the FCC’s rules, visit www.fcc.gov

Some Types of Businesses and Individuals

Some types of businesses are not covered by the Rule even though they conduct telemarketing campaigns that may involve some interstate telephone calls to sell goods or services. These three types of entities are not subject to the FTC’s jurisdiction, and not covered by the Rule:

• banks, federal credit unions, and federal savings and loans.
• common carriers—such as long-distance telephone companies and airlines—when they are engaging in common carrier activity.
• non-profit organizations—those entities that are not organized to carry on business for their own, or their members’, profit.

These types of entities are not covered by the Rule because they are specifically exempt from the FTC’s jurisdiction. Nevertheless, any other individual or company that contracts with one of these three types of entities to provide telemarketing services must comply with the Rule.

Examples:

• A nonbank company that contracts with a bank to provide telemarketing services on the bank’s behalf is covered.
• A non-airline company that contracts with an airline to provide telemarketing services on behalf of the airline is covered.
• A company that is acting for profit is covered by the Rule if it solicits charitable contributions on behalf of a non-profit organization.

Keep in mind that a company soliciting a charitable contribution is not required to comply with the Rule’s National Do Not Call Registry provisions.

Under the provisions of the Telemarketing Act, a number of entities and individuals associated with them that sell investments and are subject to the jurisdiction of the Securities and Exchange Commission or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission are not covered by the Rule, even if they engage in a plan, program, or campaign to sell through interstate telephone calls. These entities and individuals are covered by the FCC’s telemarketing rules. For more information, visit www.fcc.gov.

Coverage of the Business of Insurance Is Limited

The McCarran-Ferguson Act provides that the FTC Act, and by extension, the TSR, are applicable to the business of insurance to the extent that such business is not regulated by state law. Whether the McCarran-Ferguson exemption removes insurance-related telemarketing from coverage of the TSR depends on the extent to which state law regulates the telemarketing at issue and whether
enforcement of the TSR would conflict with, and effectively supersede, those state regulations. Unlike the jurisdictional exemptions for banks and non-profit organizations, which do not extend to third-party telemarketers making calls on their behalf, in the case of the telemarketing of insurance products and services, the TSR does not necessarily apply simply because the campaign is conducted by a third-party telemarketer.

Some Types of Calls

Some types of calls also are not covered by the Rule, regardless of whether the entity making or receiving the call is covered. These include:

• unsolicited calls from consumers.
• calls placed by consumers in response to a catalog.
• business-to-business calls that do not involve retail sales of nondurable office or cleaning supplies.
• calls made in response to general media advertising (with some important exceptions).
• calls made in response to direct mail advertising (with some important exceptions).

Exemptions Explained

Unsolicited Calls from Consumers
Any call from a consumer that is not placed in response to a solicitation by the seller, charitable organization, or telemarketer is exempt from coverage. Because the consumer initiates the call without any inducement from the seller or telemarketer, the call is not considered part of a telemarketing plan, program, or campaign conducted to sell goods or services or to induce a charitable contribution. Some examples include calls to:

• make hotel, airline, car rental, or similar reservations.
• place carry-out or restaurant delivery orders.
• contact a department store or charity without prompting from an advertisement or solicitation.
• obtain information or technical support.

Consumer calls in response to a recorded message: Calls are not considered “unsolicited” when placed by consumers in response to a recorded message—whether left on the consumer’s answering machine, or presented when the consumer answers under the call abandonment “safe harbor.”

Upsells: If a seller or telemarketer “upsells” a consumer during an unsolicited call initiated by the consumer, the upsell is covered by the Rule.

Most Calls Made in Response to a Catalog
Generally, the Rule does not apply to calls placed by consumers in response to a mailed catalog if the catalog:

• contains a written description or illustration of the goods or services offered for sale;
• includes the business address of the seller;
• includes multiple pages of written material or illustrations;
• has been issued at least once a year; and
• the catalog seller doesn’t solicit consumers by telephone, but only receives calls initiated by consumers in response to the catalog, and during the calls, only accepts orders without additional solicitation. The catalog seller may provide the consumer with information about—or attempt to sell the consumer— other items in the same catalog that prompted the consumer’s call or in a similar catalog.

Business-to-Business Calls, Unless They Involve the Sale of Nondurable Office or Cleaning Supplies
Most phone calls between a telemarketer and a business are exempt from the Rule. But business-to-business calls to induce the retail sale of nondurable office or cleaning supplies are covered. Examples of nondurable office or cleaning supplies include paper, pencils, solvents, copying machine toner, and ink—in short, anything that, when used, is depleted, and must be replaced. Such goods as software, computer disks, copiers, computers, mops, and buckets are considered durable because they can be used again.

Although sellers and telemarketers involved in telemarketing sales to businesses of nondurable office or cleaning supplies must comply with the Rule’s requirements and prohibitions, the Rule specifically exempts them from the recordkeeping requirements and from the National Do Not Call Registry provisions. These sellers and telemarketers do not have to create or keep any particular records, or purge numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry from their call lists to comply with the Rule.

Most Calls Responding to General Media Advertising
The Rule generally does not apply to consumer calls made in response to general media advertising, including: television commercials; infomercials; home shopping programs; print advertisements in magazines, newspapers, the Yellow Pages, or similar general directories; radio ads; banner ads on the Internet; and other forms of mass media advertising and solicitation. Nevertheless, if a seller or telemarketer “upsells” a consumer during a call initiated by the consumer, the upsell is covered by the Rule. In addition, the Rule does cover calls from consumers in response to general media advertisements relating to business opportunities not covered by the Franchise Rule, credit card loss protection, credit repair, recovery services, advance-fee loans, or
investment opportunities.

Some Calls Responding to Direct Mail Advertising Are Exempt
Direct mail advertising includes, but is not limited to, postcards, flyers, door hangers, brochures, “certificates,” letters, email, facsimile transmissions, or similar methods of delivery sent to someone urging a call to a specified telephone number regarding an offer of some sort. For purposes of the Rule, “direct mail” is not limited to messages sent via conventional mail delivery or private couriers. The exemption for calls responding to direct mail advertising that meets the Rule’s requirements is available both to telemarketers soliciting sales of goods or services and to telefunders soliciting charitable contributions.

Sales solicitations: Generally, consumer calls in response to a direct mail solicitation that clearly, conspicuously, and truthfully makes the disclosures required by the Rule are exempt from the Rule. These disclosures are: cost and quantity; material restrictions, limitations or conditions; any “no-refund” policy; and, if the offer includes a prize promotion, credit card loss protection, or a negative option feature, the information about any of those elements of the offer required by the Rule. If you are a seller or telemarketer who uses direct mail, you may use this exemption only if your direct mail solicitation messages make the disclosures required by Section 310.3(a)(1) of the Rule clearly, conspicuously, and truthfully.

Charitable solicitations: Consumer calls in response to direct mail messages that solicit charitable contributions benefit from the limited direct mail exemption, provided they contain no material misrepresentation about the nature, purpose, or mission of the entity on whose behalf the contribution is requested; the tax deductibility of any contribution; the purpose for which the contribution will be used; the percentage or amount of the contribution that will go to a charitable organization or program; any material aspect of a prize promotion; or a charitable organization or telemarketer’s affiliations, endorsements, or sponsorships.

The exemption is for sales calls elicited by direct mail advertising that truthfully provides a consumer with the specific information required under the Rule. In the case of charitable solicitation calls elicited by direct mail advertising, the exemption applies to direct mail advertising that conscientiously avoids the prohibited misrepresentations.

There is no exemption for calls responding to any direct mail advertising that relates to credit card loss protection, credit repair, recovery services, advance-fee loans, investment opportunities, prize promotions, or business opportunities other than those covered by the Franchise Rule. This is regardless of whether the advertisement makes the disclosures required by the Rule and contains no misrepresentations.

Also, any instances of upselling following an exempt transaction are covered by the Rule.

Partial Exemptions

Some calls are exempt from most provisions of the TSR, but not all. These include:

• calls relating to the sale of 900-Number pay-per-call services.
• calls relating to the sale of franchises or certain business opportunities.
• calls that are part of a transaction that involves a face-to-face sales presentation.

Calls Relating to the Sale of 900-Number Services

The sale of 900-Number pay-per-call services, which is subject to the FTC’s 900-Number Rule, is exempt from most provisions of the TSR. Still, to comply with the TSR, sellers of pay-per-call services must not:

• call any number on the National Do Not Call Registry or on that seller’s Do Not Call list.
• deny or interfere with a person’s right to be placed on any Do Not Call Registry.
• call outside permissible calling hours.
• abandon calls.
• fail to transmit Caller ID information.
• threaten or intimidate a consumer or use obscene language.
• cause any telephone to ring or engage a person in conversation with the intent to annoy, abuse, or harass the person called.

Partial coverage under the TSR does not affect the obligation of sellers and providers of 900-Number Services to comply with the
900-Number Rule (16 C.F. R. Part 308).

Calls Relating to the Sale of Franchises or Business Opportunities

Calls relating to the sale of franchises or business opportunities that are covered by the FTC’s Franchise Rule (16 C.F.R. Part 436) are exempt from most provisions of the TSR. To comply with the TSR, sellers and telemarketers selling franchise or business opportunities subject to the Franchise Rule must not:

• call numbers that are on the National Do Not Call Registry or on that seller’s Do Not Call list.
• deny or interfere with a person’s right to be placed on any Do Not Call Registry.
• call outside permissible calling hours.
• abandon calls.
• fail to transmit Caller ID information.
• threaten or intimidate a consumer or use obscene language.
• cause any telephone to ring or engage a person in conversation with the intent to annoy, abuse, or harass the person called.

Partial coverage under the TSR does not affect the obligation of franchisors to comply with the Franchise Rule.

Calls that are Part of a Transaction Involving a Face-to-Face Sales Presentation

The TSR generally does not cover telephone transactions where the sale of goods or services or a charitable contribution is not completed until after a face-to-face presentation by the seller or charitable organization, and the consumer is not required to pay or authorize payment until then. This exemption is for transactions that begin with a face-to-face sales presentation and are completed in a telephone call, as well as those that begin with a telephone call and are completed in a face-to-face sales presentation.

The key to the face-to-face exemption is the direct and personal contact between the buyer and seller. The goal of the Rule is to protect consumers against deceptive or abusive practices that can arise when a consumer has no direct contact with an invisible and anonymous seller other than the telephone sales call. A face-to-face meeting provides the consumer with more information about—and direct contact with— the seller, and helps limit potential problems the Rule is designed to remedy.

Nevertheless, even in transactions where there is a face-to-face meeting, telemarketers must not:

• call numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry or on that seller’s Do Not Call list.
• deny or interfere with a person’s right to be placed on any Do Not Call Registry.
• call outside permissible calling hours.
• abandon calls.
• fail to transmit Caller ID information.
• threaten or intimidate a consumer or use obscene language.
• cause any telephone to ring or engage a person in conversation with the intent to annoy, abuse, or harass the person called.

If the transaction is completed in a face-to-face meeting at the consumer’s home or away from the seller’s place of business, the seller must comply with the FTC’s Cooling Off Rule (16 C.F.R. Part 429).

Requirements for Sellers and Telemarketers

Sellers and Telemarketers Must Disclose Material Information

The Rule requires sellers and telemarketers, whether making outbound calls to consumers or receiving inbound calls from consumers, to provide certain material information before the consumer pays for the goods or services that are the subject of the sales offer. Material information is information that would likely affect a person’s choice of goods or services or the person’s decision to make a charitable contribution. More simply, it is information a consumer needs to make an informed decision about whether to purchase goods or services or make a donation. Sellers and telemarketers may provide the material information either orally or in writing. Failure to provide any of the required information truthfully and in a “clear and conspicuous” manner, before the consumer pays for the goods or services offered, is a deceptive telemarketing act or practice that violates the Rule and subjects a seller or telemarketer to a civil penalty of $11,000 for each violation.

When making outbound calls, a telemarketer must promptly disclose certain types of information to consumers orally in the sales presentation.

What Information Must Sellers and Telemarketers Provide to Consumers?

The law requires that when sellers and telemarketers offer to sell goods or services, they must provide the consumer with material
information about the offered goods or services necessary to avoid misleading consumers. The term material means likely to affect someone’s choice of goods or services or decision to make a charitable contribution, or someone’s conduct with regard to a purchase or donation.

The Rule specifies six broad categories of material information that sellers and telemarketers must provide to consumers:

1. Cost and Quantity

The Rule requires sellers and telemarketers to disclose the total costs to purchase, receive, or use the offered goods or services. While disclosing the total number of installment payments and the amount of each payment satisfies this requirement, the number and amount of such payments must correlate to the billing schedule that will be implemented. For example, the Rule’s requirements would not be met if you were to state the product’s cost per week if the consumer has to pay installments on a monthly or quarterly basis. The Rule also requires you to tell a consumer the total quantity of goods the consumer must pay for and receive. You must provide both these items of material information to the consumer before the consumer pays for the goods or services that are the subject of the sales offer. You may provide this material information orally or in writing, as long as the information is
clear and conspicuous.

Sometimes, though, the total cost and quantity are not fixed when the initial transaction takes place, but, instead, are determined over time. For example, in a negative option plan, like those offered by some record or book clubs, the consumer may agree to purchase a specific number of items over a specified time period. The consumer receives periodic announcements of the selections; each announcement describes the selection, which will be sent automatically and billed to the consumer unless the consumer tells the company not to send it. Similarly, a continuity plan offers subscriptions to collections of goods. During the course of the plan, the consumer can choose to purchase some or all the items offered in the collection. Consumers who agree to buy an introductory selection also agree to receive additional selections on a regular schedule until they cancel their subscription to the plan.

Both negative option and continuity plans are structured to provide consumers the opportunity to purchase a series of products over time. The cost of the plan as a whole is determined by the number and type of items in the series the consumer decides to accept, and at the time of the initial sales offer, neither the seller nor the consumer necessarily knows how much product the consumer will purchase, or the total cost of the products.

To comply with the Rule, a seller or telemarketer offering a negative option or a continuity plan must disclose the total costs and quantity of goods or services that are part of the initial offer; the total quantity of additional goods or services that a consumer must purchase over the duration of the plan; and the cost, or range of costs, to purchase each additional good or service separately. Some negative option plans are subject to the FTC’s Negative Option Rule.

2. Material Restrictions, Limitations, or Conditions

The Rule requires sellers and telemarketers to disclose all material restrictions, limitations, or conditions to purchase, receive, or use goods or services that they are offering to the consumer. Material information is information that a consumer needs to make an informed purchasing decision. A material restriction, limitation, or condition is one that, if known to the consumer, would likely affect the decision to purchase the goods or services offered; to purchase them at the offered price; to purchase them from that particular seller; or to make a charitable contribution. Examples of material information that must be disclosed include:

• a requirement that a consumer pay for offered goods or services by cashier’s check, money order, or in cash.
• in the case of an offer of a credit card, a requirement that a consumer make a deposit in order to receive and use the card offered (that is, that the credit card is a secured card).
• in the case of a vacation certificate, a restriction, limitation, or condition that prevents a purchaser from using the certificate during the summer; or that requires a purchaser to make reservations a year in advance to travel using the certificate; or that requires the consumer to incur expenses beyond the price of the certificate to redeem the certificate for a vacation.
• the underlying illegality of goods or services, such as the illegality of foreign lottery chances.

Sellers and telemarketers may disclose orally or in writing information about material restrictions, limitations, or conditions to purchase, receive, or use the goods or services being offered, as long as the information is clear and conspicuous and disclosed before the consumer pays.

3. No-Refund Policy

If there’s a policy of honoring requests for refunds, cancellations of sales or orders, exchanges, or re-purchases, sellers and
telemarketers must disclose information about the policy only if they make a statement about the policy during the sales presentation. If the sales presentation includes a statement about such a policy, it must also include a clear and conspicuous disclosure of all terms and conditions of the policy that are likely to affect a consumer’s decision on whether to purchase the goods or services offered.

If the seller’s policy is that “all sales are final” — that is, no refunds, cancellations of sales or orders, or exchanges or re-purchases are allowed —the Rule requires you to let consumers know before they pay for the goods or services being offered. You may give this information to consumers orally or in writing, and the information must be clear and conspicuous.

4. Prize Promotions

A prize promotion includes (1) any sweepstakes or other game of chance, and (2) any representation that someone has won, has been selected to receive, or may be eligible to receive a prize or purported prize. A prize is anything offered and given to a consumer by chance.

For the element of chance to be present, all that is necessary under the Rule is that the consumer is guaranteed to receive an item, and, at the time of the offer, the telemarketer does not identify the specific item that the person will receive. For example, say you send a solicitation promising recipients that they will receive one of four or five listed items but you do not tell recipients which of the listed items they will receive. In that case, any item the consumer receives is a prize, and the solicitation is a prize promotion.

A seller or telemarketer that offers a prize promotion must provide consumers with several items of information before the consumer pays for any goods or services being offered. This information may be given to consumers orally or in writing, and the information must be clear and conspicuous. You must tell consumers:

• the odds of winning the prize(s). If the odds can’t be calculated in advance because they depend on the number of people who enter the promotion, for example, you must tell that to consumers, along with any other factors used to calculate the odds.
• that they can participate in the prize promotion or win a prize without buying anything or making any payment, and that any purchase or payment will not increase the chances of winning. When offering a prize promotion in outbound calls, you must
  disclose this information orally and promptly. A legitimate prize promotion does not require any purchase or payment of money for a consumer to participate or win. If a purchase or payment of money is required for eligibility for a prize, it is not a prize promotion; it is a lottery, which is generally unlawful under federal and state lottery laws.
• how they can enter the prize promotion without paying any money or purchasing any goods or services. This disclosure must include instructions on how to enter, or an address or local or toll-free telephone number where consumers can get the no-purchase/no-payment entry information.
• about any material costs or conditions to receive or redeem any prize. For example, if one of the offered prizes is a "vacation,” but the recipient must pay for her own accommodations, that’s a cost or condition that is likely to affect the consumer’s response to the offer and therefore, must be disclosed.

5. Credit Card Loss Protection

A seller or telemarketer offering a credit card loss protection plan—one that claims to protect, insure, or otherwise limit a consumer’s liability in the event of unauthorized use of a customer’s credit card—must disclose the limits on a cardholder’s liability under federal law for unauthorized use of a credit card (15 U.S.C. § 1643). Since the law limits cardholder liability for unauthorized use—for example, when a credit card is lost or stolen—to no more than $50, disclosure of this information to consumers will help ensure that they have the material information necessary to decide whether the protection plan offered is worth the cost.

6. Negative Option Features

The term “negative option feature” is used in the Rule. It is when the seller interprets the consumer’s silence, or failure to take an affirmative action to reject goods or services or cancel an agreement as acceptance of the offer. One type of negative option offer is a “free-to-pay conversion” offer (also known as a “free-trial offer”), where customers receive a product or service for free for an initial period and then have to pay for it if they don’t take some affirmative action to cancel before the end of the period. Other types of negative option features include continuity plans and other arrangements where consumers automatically receive and incur charges for shipments in an ongoing series unless they take affirmative action to stop the shipment.

Under the TSR, any seller or telemarketer whose offer of a product or service involves a negative option feature must truthfully, clearly, and conspicuously disclose three pieces of information:

• the fact that the customer’s account will be charged unless he or she takes an affirmative action—such as canceling—to avoid the charge.
• the date(s) on which the charge(s) will be submitted for payment.
• the specific steps the customer must take to avoid the charges.

While the best practice is to provide an actual date on which payment will be submitted, it is acceptable to disclose an approximate date if you don’t—or can’t—know the actual date, provided the approximate date gives the consumer reasonable notice of when to expect the debit or charge. As for disclosing how the consumer can avoid charges, it is not sufficient under the Rule to disclose that a consumer would have to call a toll-free number to cancel without disclosing the number.

Prompt Disclosures in Outbound Telemarketing Calls

Oral Disclosures in Outbound Sales Calls and Upselling Transactions

An outbound call is a call initiated by a telemarketer to a consumer. The Rule requires that a telemarketer making an outbound sales call promptly disclose the following four items of information truthfully, clearly, and conspicuously:

The identity of the seller. The seller is the entity that provides goods or services to the consumer in exchange for payment. The identity of the telemarketer, or person making the call, need not be disclosed if it is different from the identity of the seller. If the seller commonly uses a fictitious name that is registered with appropriate state authorities, it is fine to use that name instead of the seller’s legal name.

That the purpose of the call is to sell goods or services. The Rule requires that the purpose of the call be disclosed truthfully and promptly to consumers. How you describe or explain the purpose of the call is up to you, as long as your description is not likely to mislead consumers. For example, it would be untruthful to state that a call is a “courtesy call,” if it’s a sales call.

The nature of the goods or services being offered. This is a brief description of items you are offering for sale.

In the case of a prize promotion, that no purchase or payment is necessary to participate or win, and that a purchase or payment does not increase the chances of winning. If the consumer asks, you must disclose—without delay— instructions on how to enter the prize promotion without paying any money or purchasing any goods or services.

These same disclosures must be made in an upselling transaction if any of the information in these disclosures is different from the initial disclosures (if the initial transaction was an outbound call subject to the Rule) or if no disclosures were required in the initial transaction, such as a non-sales customer service call. For example, in an external upsell, where the second transaction in a single telephone call involves a second seller, you must tell the consumer the identity of the second seller—the one on whose behalf the upsell offer is being made. On the other hand, in an internal upsell, where additional goods or services are offered by the same seller as the initial transaction, no new disclosure of the seller’s identity is necessary because the information is the same as that provided in the initial transaction.

Oral Disclosures in Outbound Calls to Solicit Charitable Contributions

Telefunders must make two prompt oral disclosures clearly and conspicuously:

The identity of the charitable organization on whose behalf the solicitation is being made. The charitable organization is the entity on whose behalf a charitable contribution is sought. The identity of the telemarketer, or person making the call, need not be disclosed. If the charitable organization commonly uses a fictitious name that is registered with appropriate state authorities, that name may be disclosed instead of the charitable organization’s legal name.

That the purpose of the call is to solicit a charitable contribution. The Rule requires that the purpose of the call be disclosed promptly to consumers. How the purpose of the call is described or explained is up to you, as long as your description or explanation is not likely to mislead consumers.

Misrepresentations are Prohibited

The Rule prohibits sellers and telemarketers from making false or misleading statements to induce anyone to pay for goods or services or make a charitable contribution. For example:

• you cannot falsely claim that you need a consumer’s bank account number or credit card number only for identification purposes, when, in fact, you will use the number as payment for the goods or services offered.
• a seller of precious metals cannot induce anyone to invest by falsely claiming that the seller offers the metals at or near wholesale price.
• it would be illegal under the Rule to solicit a charitable contribution by claiming that 100 percent of the funds collected would benefit the stated charity, when only 30 percent of the money goes to the charity.

In addition, the Rule prohibits sellers and telemarketers from misrepresenting specific categories of information about a telemarketing transaction that are likely to affect a consumer’s decision to purchase the goods or services offered. The Rule also prohibits both express and implied misrepresentations. Sellers and telemarketers cannot circumvent the Rule by creating a false
impression in a consumer’s mind through the artful use of half-truths or misleading or incomplete information.

In sales transactions, the Rule prohibits misrepresentations about the following:

1. Cost and Quantity

The Rule prohibits sellers and telemarketers from misrepresenting the total costs to purchase, receive, or use the goods or services offered, or the quantity of goods or services offered at the stated price. For example, you may not tell consumers that they may purchase a magazine subscription for three years at $1.50 a month, when the subscription is available at that price for
one year only.

2. Material Restrictions, Limitations, or Conditions

The Rule prohibits sellers and telemarketers from misrepresenting any material restriction, limitation, or condition to purchase, receive, or use goods or services offered to the consumer. For example, you may not falsely claim that a hotel certificate may be used any time at any major hotel chain in the country, when it can be used only at certain times or at a limited number of hotels.

3. Performance, Efficacy, or Central Characteristics

The Rule prohibits sellers and telemarketers from misrepresenting any material aspect of the performance, efficacy, nature, or central characteristics of the goods or services offered to the consumer. For example, it is a violation of the Rule to claim falsely that:

• a water processor offered for sale can eliminate all known contaminants from tap water.
• a service offered by the seller can improve a person’s credit rating.
• a machine will operate properly without maintenance.
• precious metals outperform other types of investments.
• a seller can recover money lost by the consumer in a previous telemarketing transaction.
• a purchaser of a business venture can earn “more money in a week than you now earn in a year” or achieve specific levels of income.

4. Refund, Repurchase, or Cancellation Policies

The Rule prohibits sellers and telemarketers from misrepresenting any material aspect—one that likely would have an effect on the onsumer’s purchasing decision—of the nature or terms of the seller’s refund, cancellation, exchange, or repurchase policies. For example, the Rule prohibits you from claiming that “our policy is to make our customers happy—if at any time you’re not absolutely delighted, just send the merchandise back,” if there are time limits, “restocking” charges, or other important restrictions on the return of the goods. It also prohibits sellers and telemarketers from claiming that tickets may be cancelled any time up to the date of an event when cancellation requests like that would not be honored.

5. Material Aspects of Prize Promotions

The Rule prohibits sellers and telemarketers from misrepresenting any material aspect of a prize promotion: you may not lie about any aspect of a prize promotion that is likely to affect a consumer’s decision to buy any goods or services offered in conjunction with a prize promotion, to buy them at the offered price, or to buy them from you. For example, you may not misrepresent:

• the odds of being able to receive a prize (for example, falsely saying that everyone who enters is guaranteed to win a prize, or falsely claiming that a particular person is “the top winner in the entire state”).
• the nature or value of a prize (for example, falsely claiming a prize is an “expensive genuine diamond tennis bracelet,” when the prize has only nominal value or doesn’t contain any diamonds).
• that a purchase or payment is required to win a prize or participate in a prize promotion (for example, falsely claiming that
  a consumer must buy magazine subscriptions to enter a prize promotion).

6. Material Aspects of Investment Opportunities

The Rule prohibits sellers and telemarketers from misrepresenting any material aspect of an investment opportunity. You may not make any false or misleading statements about an investment opportunity that are likely to affect a prospective purchaser’s decision to invest. You may not misrepresent any information needed to make an informed investment decision. Examples of material aspects of an investment opportunity include: the risk involved in the investment, the liquidity of the investment, or the earnings potential or profitability of the investment. Depending on the nature of the investment opportunity, other material aspects may include markup over acquisition costs; past performance, marketability, or value of an investment; or fees charged in credit-financed purchases of precious metals.

7. Affiliations, Endorsements, or Sponsorships

The Rule prohibits sellers and telemarketers from misrepresenting affiliations with—or endorsements or sponsorships by—any person, organization, or government entity. For example, you cannot falsely claim that you’re a member of the Better Business Bureau or the local chamber of commerce, or that you’re affiliated with the local police or some national charity. Neither can you create the impression in a consumer’s mind that the postal permit number displayed on a mail solicitation is a sign that the U.S. Postal Service has approved a promotion. In addition, sellers and telemarketers cannot falsely claim or create the impression in a consumer’s mind that they are related to or affiliated with a company with which the consumer usually does business.

8. Credit Card Loss Protection

The Rule prohibits sellers and telemarketers from misrepresenting that any customer needs offered goods or services to receive protection against unauthorized charges that he or she already has under federal law (15 U.S.C. § 1643). For example, you cannot falsely claim that a consumer who doesn’t purchase the credit card loss protection you’re offering might be liable for thousands of dollars in unauthorized charges should a credit card be stolen. In fact, the law caps a customer’s liability for unauthorized charges on her credit card at $50.

9. Negative Option Features

The Rule prohibits sellers and telemarketers from misrepresenting any material aspect of a negative option feature of an offer, including: the fact that the consumer’s account will be charged unless the consumer takes an affirmative action to avoid the charges, the dates the charges will be submitted for payment, and the specific steps the customer must take to avoid the charges. For example, the Rule prohibits you from representing that to avoid being charged, the consumer need only call a tollfree number to cancel if, in fact, the number is never answered. In this case, you would be misrepresenting the specific steps the customer must take to avoid the charge, because the steps described wouldn’t achieve that purpose.

In charitable solicitation calls, the Rule prohibits misrepresentations about:

1. The Nature, Purpose, or Mission of the Entity on Whose Behalf the Solicitation is Made

The Rule prohibits telefunders from misrepresenting the nature, purpose, or mission of any entity on whose behalf a charitable contribution is being solicited. It would violate the Rule for a telefunder to claim, expressly or by implication, that a charitable contribution is being requested on behalf of a charity that seeks to protect endangered species if the purpose of the charity is to support a local petting zoo of barnyard animals. And a telefunder may not represent that a charitable organization engages in cancer research if the organization simply educates the public about cancer through its fundraising calls.

2. Tax Deductibility

Whether a contribution is tax deductible—or an organization is tax exempt—may be an important consideration when potential donors are deciding whether or how much to contribute. The Rule therefore prohibits telefunders from misrepresenting, expressly or by implication, that any charitable contribution is partly or fully tax deductible, or falsely implying that an organization on whose behalf a contribution is solicited is “tax exempt.”

3. Purpose of a Contribution

The Rule prohibits telefunders from misrepresenting how the requested contribution will be used. This includes not only how a donation will be spent, but also the locality where the direct effect of the donation will be felt. The purpose for which a contribution is sought usually is important to a donor, and any misrepresentations about that would be likely to mislead a consumer. It would violate the Rule for you to state or imply that a donation will benefit sick children in the local area if the money collected is not spent to benefit sick children or is not spent to benefit sick kids in the donor’s local area. You also cannot claim that a donation will be used to pay for bullet-proof vests for local law enforcement officers if the money goes to some other purpose. The charitable purpose described to potential donors may not be peripheral or incidental to the primary purpose for which the donation will be used.

4. Percentage or Amount of Contribution that Goes to the Charitable Organization or Program

The Rule prohibits telefunders from misrepresenting the percentage or amount of the contribution that goes to a charitable
organization or program. This prohibition covers statements made in response to the questions of potential donors, as well as unprompted standalone statements. Even though the TSR does not require you to affirmatively disclose the percentage or amount of the contribution that goes to a charitable organization or program, if a potential donor raises the question, you must answer truthfully and must not misrepresent this information in any way.

5. Material Aspects of Prize Promotions

The Rule prohibits telefunders from misrepresenting any material aspects of a prize promotion in conjunction with a charitable solicitation. You may not make a false statement about any aspect of a prize promotion that could affect a donor’s decision to make a charitable contribution in conjunction with the prize promotion.

6. Affiliations, Endorsements, or Sponsorship

The Rule prohibits telefunders from misrepresenting their own or a charitable organization’s affiliation with, or endorsement or sponsorship by, any person, organizations, or government entity. For example, you cannot falsely claim that the organization on whose behalf you are calling is affiliated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, or otherwise approved by any other entity or organization. Nor could you falsely claim to be endorsed or “approved by” the local police. In addition, you cannot falsely claim — or create the impression—that you are related to or affiliated with a charity that the donor has heard of or contributed to in the past.

Payment Methods Other than Debit and Credit Cards

The Rule requires “express verifiable authorization” when the payment is made by a method other than a credit card (subject to the Truth in Lending Act and Regulation Z), or a debit card (subject to the Electronic Fund Transfer Act and Regulation E). Because many novel payment methods lack protection against unauthorized charges and dispute resolution rights should the customer be unhappy with the goods or services, the Rule requires that when customers in telemarketing transactions pay by such methods, sellers and telemarketers must meet a higher standard for proving authorization. This provision, the prohibition on sharing unencrypted account numbers, and the requirement that a consumer’s express informed consent be obtained in every telemarketing transaction, are in place to protect consumers from unauthorized charges.

Under the Rule, authorization is considered verifiable if it is obtained in one of three ways:

• advance written authorization from the consumer;
• an audio recording of the consumer giving express oral authorization; or
• written confirmation of the transaction sent to the consumer before you submit the charge for payment.

Here are the requirements for each type of authorization.

Written Authorization

Any form of written authorization from a consumer is acceptable, as long as it has the consumer’s signature. For example, a consumer may transmit written authorization to the seller or telemarketer by facsimile or may send a “voided” signed check as written authorization. An electronic signature also is valid, provided it would be recognized as a valid signature under applicable federal or state contract law.

Oral Authorization

Any audio recording of an oral authorization3 for payment must clearly demonstrate that the consumer has received each of seven specific pieces of information about the transaction and that the consumer has authorized that funds be taken from (or charged to) his or her account based on the required disclosures by the seller or telemarketer. A general question like, “Do you understand all the terms of the sale?” followed by a consumer’s “uh-huh” or “yeah” is not enough to demonstrate authorization. The tape recording must show that the consumer received each piece of information below and that, based on this information, the consumer understood and acknowledged each term of the transaction and authorized the transaction.

A consumer must be told and must acknowledge:

• the number of debits, charges, or payments (if more than one).
• the date the debits, charges, or payments will be submitted for payment.
• the amount of the debits, charges, or payments.
• the customer or donor’s name.
• the customer or donor’s billing information, identified in specific enough terms that the consumer understands which account will be used to collect payment for the transaction.
• a telephone number that is answered during normal business hours by someone who can answer the consumer’s questions.
• the date of the consumer’s oral authorization.

The Rule also requires that audiorecorded oral authorization be made available upon request to