CMOR Acts on Sugging

US research advocate body CMOR has announced that it has taken action against online sugging ['Selling Under the Guise of market research'] by a company calling itself Emarket Research Group, and has filed a complaint with the FCC and the FTC.

The offence was originally brought to the attention of the MRA by the association's members. Emarket Research Group has recently flooded the Internet with offers for free laptops or $500 gift certificates for participating in an extensive on-line survey, which on investigation by the MRA was identified as an attempt to sell multiple products and services, rather than genuine MR.

In violation of the CAN-SPAM act, the company's web site provides no substantive information about the company, where it is located, what it does, what services it offers, etc. In addition, Emarket Research Group is registered under a fictitious name in Florida and Arizona, with little information in the registration. MRA referred the problem to CMOR who filed the complaint and sent letters to the Attorneys General of Arizona and Florida concerning the company's activity.

'Do not sug' letters have been sent to the Group at its listed addresses in Arizona and Florida, demanding that it discontinue the practice and explaining the damage done by such 'misuse of the survey process' in compromising legitimate survey research as well as the offence constituted under the federal Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act.

CMOR's web site is at www.cmor.org

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.