settlements or court-ordered injunctive or other equitable relief. Public Input Cases before the Commission may originate through complaint by a consumer or a competitor; the Congress; or from Federal, State, or municipal agencies. Also, the Commission itself may initiate an investigation into possible violation of the laws it administers. No formality is required in submitting a complaint. A letter giving the facts in detail, accompanied by all supporting evidence in possession of the complaining party, is sufficient. It is the general policy of the Commission not to disclose the identity of any complainant, except as permitted by law or Commission rules.

Upon receipt of a complaint, various criteria are applied in determining whether the particular matter should be investigated. Within the limits of available resources, investigations are initiated that are considered to best support the Commission's goals of maintaining competition and protecting

consumers.

Under the Federal Trade Commission Act, an order to cease and desist or to take other corrective action-such as affirmative disclosure, divestiture, or restitution becomes final 60 days after date of service upon the respondent, unless within that period the respondent petitions an appropriate United States court of appeals to review the order, and also petitions the Commission to stay the order pending review. If the Commission does not stay the order, the respondent may seek a stay from the reviewing appeals court. The appeals court has the power to affirm, modify, or set the order aside. If the appeals court upholds the Commission's order, the respondent may seek certiorari to the Supreme Court and ask that the appeals court or the Supreme Court continue to stay the order. Violations of a cease-and-desist order, after it becomes effective, subject the offender to suit by the Government in a United States district court for the recovery of a civil penalty of not more than $10,000 for each violation and, where the violation continues, each day of its continuance is a separate violation.

In addition to, or in lieu of, the administrative proceeding initiated by a formal complaint, the Commission may, in some cases, request that a United States district court issue a preliminary or permanent injunction to halt the use of allegedly unfair or deceptive practices, to prevent an anticompetitive merger from taking place, or to prevent violations of any statute enforced by the Commission.

Compliance Activities Through systematic and continuous review, the Commission obtains and maintains compliance with its cease-and-desist orders. All respondents against whom such orders have been issued are required to file reports with the Commission to substantiate their compliance. In the event compliance is not obtained, or if the order is subsequently violated, civil penalty proceedings may be instituted. Cooperative Procedures In carrying out the statutory directive to "prevent" the use in or affecting commerce of unfair practices, the Commission makes extensive use of voluntary and cooperative procedures. Through these procedures business and industry may obtain authoritative guidance and a substantial measure of certainty as to what they may do under the laws administered by the Commission.

The Commission issues industry guides, administrative interpretations in laymen's language of laws administered by the Commission for the guidance of the public in conducting its affairs in conformity with legal requirements. Guides provide the basis for voluntary and simultaneous abandonment of unlawful practices by members of a particular industry or industry in general. Failure to comply with the guides may result in corrective action by the Commission under applicable statutory provisions.

Consumer Protection Consumer protection is one of the two main missions of the Commission. The Commission works to increase the usefulness of advertising by ensuring it is truthful and not misleading; reduce instances of fraudulent, deceptive, or

unfair marketing practices; and prevent creditors from using unlawful practices when granting credit, maintaining credit information, collecting debts, and operating credit systems. The Commission initiates investigations in many areas of concern to consumers, including health claims in food advertising; environmental advertising and labeling; general advertising issues; health care fraud; telemarketing, business opportunity, and franchise and investment fraud; mortgage lending and discrimination; enforcement of Commission orders; and enforcement of credit statutes and trade regulation rules. The Commission has issued and enforces certain trade regulation rules important to consumers. The Used Car Rule requires that dealers display a buyers guide containing warranty information on the window of each vehicle offered for sale to consumers. The Mail Order Rule requires companies to ship merchandise that consumers order by mail or telephone within a certain time, and sets out requirements for notifying consumers about delays and offering them the option of agreeing to the delays or canceling their orders. The Funeral Rule requires that price and other specific information regarding funeral arrangements be made available to consumers to help them make informed choices and pay only for services they select. The Franchise Rule requires the seller to provide each prospective franchisee with a basic disclosure document containing detailed information about the nature of its business and terms of the proposed franchise relationship. The R-Value Rule requires manufacturers to disclose the Rvalue (a measure of resistance to heat flow) of their home-insulation products. Under the Cooling-Off Rule, consumers can cancel purchases of $25 or more made door-to-door, or at places other than the seller's usual place of business, within 3 business days of purchase. Maintaining Competition (Antitrust) The second major mission of the Commission is to encourage competitive forces in the American economy. Under the Federal Trade Commission Act, the Commission seeks to prevent unfair

practices that may keep one company from competing with others. Under the Federal Trade Commission Act and the Clayton Act, the Commission attempts to prevent mergers of companies if the result may be to lessen competition. Under some circumstances, companies planning to merge must first give notice to the Commission and the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division and provide certain information concerning the operations of the companies involved.

The Commission also enforces the provisions of the Robinson-Patman Act, a part of the Clayton Act prohibiting companies from discriminating among other companies that are its customers in terms of price or other services provided. Economic Factfinding The Commission makes economic studies of conditions and problems affecting competition in the

economy. Reports of this nature may be used to inform legislative proposals, as part of a rulemaking record, in response to requests of the Congress and statutory directions, or for the information and guidance of the Commission and the executive branch of the Government as well as the public. The reports have provided the basis for significant legislation and, by spotlighting poor economic or regulatory performance, they have also led to voluntary changes in the conduct of business, with resulting benefits to the public.

Competition and Consumer Advocacy To promote competition, consumer protection, and the efficient allocation of resources, the Commission has an ongoing program designed to advocate the consumer interest in a competitive marketplace by encouraging courts, legislatures, and government administrative bodies to consider efficiency and consumer welfare as important elements in their deliberations. The Commission uses these opportunities to support procompetitive means of regulating the Nation's economy, including the elimination of anticompetitive restrictions that reduce the welfare of consumers and the implementation of regulatory programs

that protect the public and preserve as much as possible the discipline of competitive markets. The competition

and consumer advocacy program relies on persuasion rather than coercion.

Region

Address

ginia

Director

Anthony E. DiResta

Phoebe D. Morse

C. Steven Baker

Phillip L. Broyles

Denver, CO Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Ne braska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming

Los Angeles, CA-Arizona, southern California
New York-New Jersey, New York

75201

Sources of Information

Contracts and Procurement Persons seeking to do business with the Federal Trade Commission should contact the Division of Procurement and General Services, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20580. Phone, 202326-2275.

Employment Civil service registers are used in filling positions for economists, accountants, investigators, and other professional, administrative, and clerical personnel. The Federal Trade

Commission employs a sizable number of attorneys under the excepted appointment procedure. All employment inquiries should be directed to the Director of Personnel, Federal Trade

Claude C. Wild III

Ann I. Jones Michael J. Bloom Jeffrey A. Klurfeld Charles A. Harwood

Commission, Washington, DC 20580. Phone, 202-326-2022. General Inquiries Persons desiring information on consumer protection, restraint of trade questions, or to register a complaint, should contact the Federal Trade Commission or the nearest regional office.

Publications A copy of the Federal Trade Commission-"Best Sellers," which lists publications of interest to the general public, is available free upon request from the Public Reference Section, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20580. Phone, 202– 326-2222. TTY, 202-326-2502. Over 140 of the Commission's consumer publications are also available online. Internet, gopher:// consumer.ftc.gov:2416/.

Administrator of General Services

DAVID J. BARRAM, Acting

Director of Finance

Director of Financial Management

Director of Financial Management Systems General Counsel

Associate General Counsel for General Law Associate General Counsel for Personal Property

Associate General Counsel for Real Property

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICE

ROBERT E. SUDA

CAROLE A. HUTCHINSON WILLIAM J. TOPOLEWSKI EMILY CLARK HEWITT LAURENCE HARRINGTON VINCENT CRIVELLA

SHARON A. ROACH

Commissioner, Information Technology Service
Deputy Commissioner for Information Security
Director, Information Technology Integration
Director, Acquisition Support

Director, Resources Management Staff
Deputy Commissioner for Information
Technology Integration

FEDERAL SUPPLY SERVICE

JOE M. THOMPSON
THOMAS R. BURKE
JAMES ARRINGTON
GERALD TUWINER, Acting
BOBBI BRENSIC
LAWRENCE S. COHAN