Image via CrunchBase This is an interesting article, written by a New York Times writer, on her personal experience with debt settlement solicitation. Her reaction is to be suspicious of the upfront fees that the debt relief counselor requested for their services. She turns it into a story about the upcoming FTC TSR/Debt Relief public [...]
Detail from the FTC Public Forum on Banning Upfront Debt Settlement Fees
Image via Wikipedia Although a full and complete transcript is not available the FTC has posted some portions of the proceedings on debt settlement reform. Here are some important pointers: FTC TSR/Debt Relief Forum full agenda [PDF] and panelist Press Release announcing the FTC public forum on debt settlement Proposed rules from the FTC regarding [...]
Product Knowledge, Do You Know What You’re Selling?
Image by k-ideas via Flickr This almost seems a silly topic, but I think it is often overlooked and regularly kills deals. Your customers come to you or buy from you because of your knowledge. After all if they could do it themselves they probably would. The question is-are you staying competent enough to do [...]
Robocalls Prohibited by New FTC Rules, as of September 1, 2009
Image via Wikipedia The FTC has significantly altered the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) with two amendments. The first prevents unsolicited robocalls and the second modifies the method of calculating the maximum permissible “call abandonment” rate. Both went into affect on September 1, 2009. And you can read the press releases from the FTC directly here [...]
FTC, Protecting the Consumer or Shutting Down Their Lifeline?
Image via Wikipedia According to a recent New York Times article the FTC‘s effort to shutdown misleading debt relief companies may reach too far. Initiatives underway are calling for debt settlement to fall under the umbrella of debt collection style telemarketing rules. In addition, it will target many of the up-front fees that sustain debt-relief [...]
FTC on Real Benefits of Debt Settlement Industry
Image via Wikipedia Having been around the debt industry for a while I know that the mention of the FTC can bring chills to many in the debt industry. There has long been a perception that the FTC has a negative policy attitude towards debt settlement as a consumer service. However, recent statements by J. [...]
Caution: Pay Day Loan Leads, Asking for Trouble
Image via Wikipedia Have you ever been tempted to consider payday loan leads? Regulators and legislators have payday lending in their sights for major reform and crack-down. Marketing practices are sure to be a big part of that crack-down. So, beware of payday leads. Laden with Privacy Issues To start with, most of these payday [...]
Online Marketing Compliance, Learning the FTC “Rules of the Road”
Image via Wikipedia The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is one of the primary policing agencies for online marketing compliance. If you are marketing online it is smart to get familiar with their guidelines for compliance. Getting educated on these guidelines is as simple as researching FTC’s “Advertising and Marketing on the Internet: Rules of the [...]
