On Wed, 25 May 1994 09:31:20 -0400, Bob Henry wrote:
>Any of you familiar with FCC regulations about fax machines?  Well if
>not, here is an something new you can learn.  The FCC has provided that
>junk faxes are illegal, and will impose a fine of up to $500 per fax! The
>fine goes to the fax machine owner who lost time, and fax paper, to the
>fax advertiser.
 
$500 will hardly cause Carter & Siegel to draw breath.  According to the
article in the San Jose Mercury News, the cost of spamming 250 to 300 lists
is about $50.  $50 or $550 hardly makes a difference if the response rate
makes the effort worthwhile in the first place.  The production costs for a
low budget, professional 30 second television commercial runs into six
figures and the media charges PER INSERTION on a national network run into
six figures again.  A national mail campaign of a one page flyer also runs
up postage bills in the six figure category.  Carter & Siegel's proposed
service (if its allowed to flourish) will be a dyed-in-the-wool bargain!
There's simply no other way of harrassing the market that's anywhere as
close to being so cheap.  Where else do advertisers get the customers to
pay for unsolicited sales pitches (well there's Prodigy, but if you pay for
that you KNOW what you're buying)?
 
/s Murphy A. Sewall <[log in to unmask]> (203) 486-2489 voice
   Professor of Marketing                          (203) 486-5246 fax