GATINEAU – On Friday, the CRTC issued a request for proposal asking for a contractor to carry out investigations of all telemarketing complaints, as it said it would last month.
The selected bidder will also monitor compliance with the telemarketing rules and with the National Do Not Call List.
Interested parties must submit proposals that demonstrate that they meet certain requirements. Amongst other factors, bidders must:
* Provide a company profile describing their relevant knowledge and experience.
* Possess a qualified management team capable of developing and implementing investigation and compliance services regarding telemarketing complaints for the duration of the contract.
*Demonstrate to the CRTC the absence of a conflict of interest.
The RFP is publicly available through the MERX web site, www.merx.com, and will close on March 25, 2008.
The National Do Not Call List (DNCL) is intended to reduce the number of telemarketing calls that Canadians receive. Bell Canada will run the list.
Individuals who prefer not to receive unsolicited calls will be able to add, at no charge, their numbers to the National DNCL. Telemarketers will have to pay a fee to subscribe to the list, and will be prohibited from calling numbers that are registered on the list.
There are several types of telemarketing calls that will be exempt from the National DNCL. Calls made by or on behalf of, or for the following purposes include: registered charities; political parties; opinion polling firms; general-circulation newspapers; organizations that have an existing business relationship; and organizations to business consumers.
