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Tired of Telemarketing?

From Susan Munroe,
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The CRTC asks for public input on telemarketing rules

Dateline: 10/14/01

Are you frustrated by telemarketing calls and unsolicited faxes? Do you have constructive ideas on how they can be better controlled? The federal government Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is asking for the public's input in a review of the current rules for telemarketing in Canada.

Current Rules for Telemarketing

The CRTC has standardized its rules on telemarketing and extended them to include all telephone companies in Canada - including resellers and cell phone providers.

Those rules include

  • restricted calling hours for faxes (not voice calls though)
  • identifying information must be provided
  • "do not call" lists have to be maintained
  • sequential dialing is not allowed
  • calls are not permitted to emergency and healthcare lines.

    The use of Automatic Dialing and Announcing Devices (ADADs), which send pre-recorded or synthesized voice messages, also has restrictions. For example, ADAD calls are not allowed to be used to solicit, even for a charity, or to make referrals to a 900/976 service number.

    If telemarketers don't follow the rules, telephone companies may suspend or disconnect the telephone or fax service used.

    The CRTC now wants to know if these rules are strong enough.

    Changes Being Suggested

    Some of the questions the CRTC would like the public's opinion on are:

  • Are more restrictions needed on live phone calls from marketers, including those for non-profit organizations?
  • Are the current rules too restrictive, and unnecessarily hampering legitimate business activities?
  • Are more rules needed for unsolicited faxes?
  • Should there be restrictions on calls from market survey companies?
  • Do "Do Not Call" lists work? How can they be improved?
  • Are "hang-ups" from uncompleted marketing calls a problem?

    You can find a full list of the questions raised by the CRTC at

    Note: In May 2004, the CRTC issued New Rules for Canadian Telemarketers resulting from this review.

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