Academia Latino Americana

This company claims to sell instructional video tapes and other materials for leanring the english language. Their services are solicited by telemarketers and reverse telemarketing methods. In some cases the materials are advertised as free if the respondent agrees to pay for shipping. The shipping charges associated with the order are $198. If returned the customer is also said to be responsible for the return shipping fees as well.. ~~The FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule requires sellers to obtain informed affirmative consent with any telephone transaction. This means that sellers must get express agreement from buyers to be charged for the goods or services being offered and to be charged using the account number he or she provides. Any false or misleading statement to induce someone to divulge his or her account information to pay for goods or services may be considered a rule violation. Under the Rule consent is express if it is affirmatively and unambiguously articulated by the consumer. Silence is not express consent nor is an ambivalent response like “Well maybe . . . ” “Gee I don’t know about that . . . ” or a noncommital “uh-huh.” For consent to be informed a consumer prior to giving consent must receive all the disclosures required by the Rule.~~For example consent would not meet the requirement that it be “informed” if the consumer does not receive all the Rule’s required material disclosures — both the prompt oral disclosures for outbound calls and the disclosures of all material information required in all telemarketing transactions. Consent is an affirmative statement that the consumer agrees to purchase the goods or services and is aware that the charges will be billed to a particular account.~~In most situations it is illegal to send merchandise to someone unless that person has previously ordered or requested it. ~If you do not wish to pay for unsolicited merchandise you may do one of three things ; If you have not opened the package you may mark it "Return to Sender " and the Postal Service will return it with no additional postage charged to you; If you open the package and don't like what you find you may throw it away; If you open the package and like what you find you may keep it for free. In this instance "finders-keepers" applies unconditionally. In each case by law you have no obligation to the sender. Furthermore it is illegal for a company that sends you unordered merchandise to follow the mailing with a bill or dunning communication. ~~~If you are aware of violations of the federal law prohibiting the mailing of unordered merchandise or if you have personally had difficulty with such items--especially if you are sent statements demanding payment for the merchandise--you should contact you local postmaster or the nearest Postal Inspector.~~~~~ ~~ ~~