What does TSR mean in MARKETING

What is Telemarketing Sales Rule?

The Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) is a federal law that requires all telemarketers to follow certain standards when engaging in any type of telephone-based sales activities. The TSR was established by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 1995 and covers both interstate and intrastate telephone sales activities. It applies to any organization that engages in direct marketing through phone calls (including calls from automated dialers) as well as text messages, emails or other electronic communications with consumers. In addition, it also covers organizations such as charities and non-profit organizations that solicit contributions over the phone.

Key Parts of the TSR

Under the TSR, there are several key provisions that all telemarketers must adhere to when soliciting sales over the phone. These include:

* Prohibiting deceptive claims made by telemarketers in order to make a sale;

* Protecting consumer privacy by requiring telemarketers to honor a consumer's request not to be called again;

* Requiring companies making “negative option” offers to clearly disclose all terms and conditions associated with their offers;

* Prohibiting companies from charging consumers' credit cards until after they have received written confirmation of their orders; and

* Restricting some types of unsolicited faxes.

In addition, the TSR also requires that companies obtain written permission from consumers before sending them commercial emails or texts about products or services for sale. Furthermore, if a company does engage in any kind of telemarketing activity (including automated dialers), they must also disclose certain information such as their name, address, phone number and whether or not there is a charge for the call prior to engaging with the consumer on the call.