FTC bans prerecorded sales messages starting September 1, 2009

Carpet cleaners, home loan refinancers, and credit card offerers take notice: Come September 1, 2009, your robots will no longer be allowed to call people and harass them with prerecorded messages unless they have specifically requested such calls. (Who are you people?)

Prerecorded sales calls are far worse than the regular telemarketing calls, in my mind, because there's no one to yell at after you answer the phone. Opt-out instructions may be included, but not until the very end of the call (and after a long delay), and even if you press the right key to get off the list, chances are good you're not going to be taken off the list but rather will get another call from the same computer the following day. Consumers are fed up.

Despite the existence of the Do Not Call list, many telemarketers have continued automated calls whether you're on the list or not, arguing that these types of calls are not specifically addressed by the DNC. The new FTC rules closes any loophole that might have existed, without the headache of endless legal challenges.

The bad news: The rule doesn't go into effect for over a year, which means that all the robots calling my house to offer help with "my payroll needs" or offering to sell toner for my army of photocopiers have another 12 months to continue to bug the hell out of me. Sigh.

LINK: FTC to ban prerecorded sales messages