Longwood Industries Aka Thebiglot Aka Autohopper Complain to their local Better Business Bureau RIPOFF Bedford Virginia

As Director of Longwood Industries, Inc., I would like to rectify some misstatements made about the law in the above comments. Longwood is a nonprofit organization located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Thus, FCC rules govern interstate calls it makes. FCC Report and Order in Rules and Regulations Implementing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991, CG Docket No. 02-278, FCC 03-153, paras. 74-85 (rel. July 3, 2003). Contrary to Calvin's assertion, Longwood, as a nonprofit organization, is legally permitted to contact numbers registered on the national do-not-call registry. See 47 C.F.R. 64.1200(c)(2) & (f)(9)(iii). Furthermore, there is no blanket prohibition on contacting cell phones to offer goods and services. In fact, federal law specifically permits certain solicitations to wireless numbers. Rules and Regulations Implementing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 CG Docket No. 02-278, Report and Order, FCC 03-153, 166 (rel. July 3, 2003).

With that said, it is not our intention to contact people who do not wish to be called. If we contacted Calvin, we apologize for any inconvenience a phone call may have caused Calvin. We simply seek to offer a premium service to a targeted audience in an effort to raise money for our exempt purpose of assisting disabled and/or economically disadvantaged local residents by providing an appropriate work environment to develop their wage potential. This service is one of many that we offer in an effort to diversify our fundraising channels in order to continue to serve our nonprofit mission.

Two last comments - It is not clear how Calvin deduced that because Longwood generates leads and offers goods and services, it therefore follows that we are selling information to other telemarketers, but I can assure you that that is not the case. Longwood is not also known as The Big Lot! or Autohopper Longwood is reselling services provided on websites which are actually owned by another company.

We appreciate the opportunity to post this rebuttal.

Sincerely,
LONGWOOD INDUSTRIES, INC

Renee Fisher, Director