double POSITIVE Marketing Group, Inc.

“Hey this is Jim, Mortgage Rates are at their all time low due to the government bailout. Press 1 to speak to a specialist right now” We all get them on our cell and home phones, even though we are on the do not call list!

If you are in the mortgage, loan modification, auto or debt vertical you want to read this.

The FTC is banning Voice Broadcasting as of September 2009.

I remember when we started DoublePositive, Fax Blasting was very popular. I was competing against so called marketing companies that were selling Fax Blasted (Junk Fax) Leads. Once the government started to take action and send out fines with cease and desist orders that all changed pretty quickly. The so called competitors that were selling leads via junk fax had to go into a different form of shady marketing or just shut down completely. Then all of a sudden this voice broadcasting thing starting growing and growing and growing. You get the point.

Look…. its dirt cheap, easy to host and companies have made tons of money doing it. But it’s wrong! It’s not a true expression of interest and finally the government has put their foot down once again.

Here is an excerpt from the FTC press release from August of 2008:
The first will expressly bar telemarketing calls that deliver prerecorded messages, unless a consumer previously has agreed to accept such calls from the seller. This means the current forbearance that permitted calls to consumers with whom an EBR existed is coming to an end. This provision requiring the consumer’s permission prior to delivering a prerecorded message will go into effect on September 1, 2009. Also, beginning on December 1, 2008 prerecorded messages must at the outset of the message include an automated keypress or voice-activated interactive opt-out mechanism so that consumers can opt-out as easily as they can from a live telemarketing call. The amendments will not affect consumers’ ability to continue to receive calls that deliver purely “informational” prerecorded messages – notifying recipients, for example, that their flight has been cancelled, that they have a service appointment, or similar messages. Such purely “informational” calls are not covered by the TSR because they do not attempt to sell the called party any goods or services. FTC Chairman William E. Kovacic was quoted as saying “Just like the provisions of the Do Not Call Registry, these changes will protect consumers’ privacy.” “The amendments now directly enable consumers to choose whether they want to receive prerecorded telemarketing calls.”

Our next webinar’s topic is telemarketing compliance, with a focus on voice broadcasting. There are so many companies that my sales team and I speak to on a daily basis have no clue it’s illegal. In troubling economic times your company can’t afford to take a compliance hit.
PossibleNow is offering this webinar FREE because of their relationship with DoublePositive. Since DoublePositive opened back in 2004, we have always made sure we stayed on top of the telemarketing rules and regulations. These folks are specialists in the space and do this 24/7, 365 days a year.

No more Voice Broadcasting, Are you compliant?
Wednesday, May 20th @ 2PM EST.

No more cold calling, no more fax blasting, no more voice broadcasting…… What’s left? Find out during the webinar!

Hope to see you there!

Joey