Telephone Canvassing

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30562, 3 October 1964, Page 12

Telephone Canvassing

Sir, —Last evening I was rung up, in what purported to be a “circulation survey,” inquiring whether I was a subscriber to “The Press.” About 18 months ago I wrote a letter, which you published, concerning the ethics of telephone advertising. This letter, which merely raised the issue in terms of principle, was occasioned by a telephone call, couched in similar language, by a rival newspaper. I should like briefly to re-state the principle involved. I regard telephone advertising as an unwarranted intrusion into an individual’s privacy. “Consumer” . magazine has reported that telephone advertising, prevalent in the United States and Australia, is becoming more widespread in some New Zealand cities. Before long our. evening peace may be disturbed by inquiries concerning refrigerators, television . sets, and underclothing.—Yours, etc., L. D. FOOTE. October 1, 1964.

Sir, —Religious canvassers at the door are comparatively harmless, and unlikely to cause the financial trouble which some professional hawkers, of shoddy collections of books or agents for photographic orders have been known to bring. But none of these nuisances has so far abused the privacy of the individual home by trying to plead their wares over the telephone. That distinction belongs to one insurance firm which, in my experience, persistently touts for orders in this way during evenings when other uninvited canvassers keep quiet. Presumably, there is no law to stop this—or is there?— Yours, etc., G. H. W. PARKER. October 1, 1964.