FROM: Elliot Lake RELEASE: 16SEP03

TELEMARKETING UPDATE

Over the past few weeks the Seniors Issues Office of the Elliot Lake O.P.P. has been receiving numerous calls from the citizens of Elliot Lake about phone calls they have received from the Police Association of Ontario soliciting for funds.

It is relayed to our office that this seems to be a high-pressure solicitation and some people feel pressured to give a donation. It should be realized that in fact the Police Association of Ontario (P.A.O.) have hired a telemarketing firm to solicit on their behalf for their Cops and Kids Fishing Campaign.

As with any telemarketer that calls, you have the right not to donate money and it should be remembered that when you donate through a telemarketing firm only a portion of your donation goes to the actual cause. If you have felt pressured to donate and have received your donation request form and have now changed your mind, simply write this on the request and return it in the envelope provided. Also if you do not wish to have any further calls from the PAO’s telemarketer tell them to put you on their Do Not Call list or you can e-mail your name and telephone to the PAO at [email protected]

The Seniors Issues Office has also been in contact with the Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) who maintain a Do Not Call list for the their Member organizations, which accounts for approximately 80% of all telemarketing business. Anyone who wishes to no longer receive telemarketing calls or junk mail can contact the CMA and have their named removed from these lists. This can be done a couple of ways. For those that have a computer you can go to the CMA’s website at http://www.the-cma.org/ and point at the Consumer Information Link on the left of your screen and then go into the Do Not Contact section and register online. Or for those that do not have a computer send your name, address, telephone number to the CMA:

Do Not Contact List:

C/O CMA

P.O Box 706

Don Mills, ON

M3C 2T6

Or

CMA

1 Concorde Gate

Suite 607

Don Mills, ON

M3C 3N6

Or Fax it to the CMA at 1-416-441-4062

Once again it should be stated that this would remove your information only from those lists that the CMA provides to its own clients, but that this is a good portion of the unwanted solicitation that you receive. You should see a decrease in telemarketing phone calls and unsolicited mail within 3 months of registering and your name will be kept on file for three years before having to register again. Also if there is more than one person in your household receiving unsolicited mail their name should be added to the Do Not Contact list. Also it should be noted that this will not stop the flow of local flyers or locally delivered mail that you may receive.

If you have any questions regarding this service feel free to contact the Seniors Issues Office at 848-3009 or the Canadian Marketing Association, through their website or by mailing to the addresses above.

John Gagnon

Seniors Issues Officer

East Algoma OPP – Elliot Lake