Mike Thompson: “I lend my strong support for Senate approval of S. 335, the Deceptive Mail Prevention and Enforcement Act. This bill…”

“I lend my strong support for Senate approval of S. 335, the Deceptive Mail Prevention and Enforcement Act. This bill will establish new consumer protections to shield consumers from falling victim to deceptive and fraudulent practices found in some sweepstakes and mail promotions. Thanks to the hard work of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, under the leadership of Senator Susan Collins, we have become privy to the operations of some of these sweepstakes companies. As the hearings pointed out, sweepstakes companies are now sending out more than one billion mailings per year. In the course of these mailings, some recipients have been led to believe that their chances of winning large amounts of money could be increased through the purchase of the promoter's products or merchandise. Whether through the use of unclear and ambiguous language, symbols, or documents, these mailings have been a source of confusion and have lead to some readers spending significant sums of money ordering products in the mistaken belief that this would increase their chances of winning. S. 335, for the first time, would establish specific guidelines and parameters for mailings containing sweepstakes, games of skill and facsimile checks. The legislation requires clear and conspicuous disclaimers that 'no purchase is necessary' on the sweepstakes claim or entry form. The legislation also improves restrictions on government look-alike mailings.”