01Overview

This Disclosure describes how Healthy Basement Society ("HBS," "we," "us," or "our") complies with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 ("TCPA"), 47 U.S.C. § 227; the Federal Communications Commission's implementing regulations at 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200; the Federal Trade Commission's Telemarketing Sales Rule, 16 C.F.R. Part 310; and applicable state telemarketing and consumer-protection laws.

HBS conducts non-commercial research interviews. Calls are placed by trained human researchers for the sole purpose of inviting voluntary participation in scholarly studies on basement and foundation conditions. HBS does not sell goods or services and does not generate sales leads from research calls.

02Scope

This Disclosure applies to all outbound and inbound voice, SMS, and email contact placed or received by HBS personnel, contractors, and authorized research partners in connection with the research program. Communications regarding privacy-rights requests, press inquiries, and partnership coordination are governed by ordinary business-correspondence norms and our Privacy Policy.

03Calling Practices

• Live human researchers only. All outbound research calls are placed by trained, identifiable human callers. HBS does not use automatic telephone dialing systems ("ATDS") or pre-recorded voice messages for survey solicitations.
• Calling hours. Outbound calls are placed only between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. local time at the recipient's location, consistent with 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200(c)(1) and stricter state limits where applicable.
• No mobile autodialing. HBS does not place autodialed or artificial-voice calls to wireless numbers without prior express consent.
• Non-commercial purpose. Calls are limited to research inquiry. We do not solicit purchases, donations, or referrals during research calls.
• Frequency limits. No more than two attempts per household within a thirty-day period; no more than five attempts per household within twelve months. A clear "no" or unanswered call after voicemail prompts no further attempts.

04Consent Framework

At the start of every research call, our agents read a standardized consent script that:

• identifies HBS by name and the research purpose of the call;
• confirms that participation is voluntary;
• states that no goods or services are being sold;
• explains that responses will be anonymized and aggregated;
• discloses the approximate length of the survey;
• confirms verbally that the recipient is willing to participate before any survey questions are asked.

If the recipient declines, the call is ended immediately and the household is added to our internal Do-Not-Call list. The consent script is reviewed annually by counsel and updated to reflect changes in law.

05Do-Not-Call Compliance

HBS is registered as a subscriber to the National Do-Not-Call Registry maintained by the Federal Trade Commission. We scrub our outbound dialing list against the Registry and against all applicable state Do-Not-Call lists at intervals not greater than thirty-one (31) days, consistent with 16 C.F.R. § 310.4(b)(3)(iv).

HBS maintains an internal Do-Not-Call list. Any number that requests not to be called, or that is associated with a household that declines participation, is added to this list within twenty-four (24) hours and suppressed for a minimum of five (5) years from any future outbound dialing. Internal Do-Not-Call requests are honored across all HBS researchers and partners.

Although the TCPA contains an exemption for non-commercial calls placed by tax-exempt organizations, HBS voluntarily complies with Do-Not-Call requirements as a matter of ethics and best practice.

06Caller Identification

Every outbound research call transmits accurate caller-ID information identifying HBS by name and a working callback number, consistent with the Truth in Caller ID Act, 47 U.S.C. § 227(e), and 47 C.F.R. § 64.1601(e). The callback number is monitored during normal business hours and connects to a live operator or dedicated voicemail. We do not spoof, mask, or rotate caller-ID numbers.

07Opt-Out Procedures

You may opt out of any HBS communications at any time, by any of the following methods:

• tell the agent on the phone that you do not wish to be contacted;
• email [email protected] from any address, with the phone number to suppress in the body or subject line;
• submit the request via our contact page, selecting "Opt-out / Do-Not-Call" as the inquiry type;
• mail a written request to: Healthy Basement Society, Attn: Compliance, 212 W Wayne St, Suite 305, Fort Wayne, IN 46802.

Opt-out requests are processed within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt and confirmed in writing within five (5) business days. No verification, fee, or follow-up communication is required to honor an opt-out, and no retaliatory action of any kind is taken against persons who opt out.

08Call Recording

HBS does not routinely record research calls. In the limited cases where a call may be recorded for quality-assurance or training purposes, the recipient is informed at the outset of the call and explicit consent is obtained, consistent with the strictest applicable two-party consent state law. If consent is declined, the call proceeds without recording or is ended at the recipient's preference. Recordings, when made, are stored on access-controlled infrastructure for no more than ninety (90) days and are not displayed publicly under any circumstance.

09SMS & Email Practices

HBS sends SMS messages only to numbers that have provided prior express written consent under the TCPA, and only for purposes consistent with that consent. SMS messages include the HBS name and clear opt-out instructions ("Reply STOP to unsubscribe"). STOP requests are honored within minutes by automated suppression and confirmed once.

HBS email communications comply with the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, 15 U.S.C. § 7701 et seq. Every email identifies the sender, includes a physical mailing address, accurately describes its subject, and provides a working unsubscribe mechanism honored within ten (10) business days.

10Agent Training

All HBS researchers and contractors who place outbound calls complete a documented training program covering: TCPA fundamentals, the federal and state Do-Not-Call regimes, our consent script, opt-out handling, caller-ID requirements, recording rules, and ethical interview practices. Refresher training is required annually and after any material change to applicable law. Training completion is logged in our compliance management system and made available to auditors on request.

11Audits & Records

HBS retains records of compliance activity, including DNC scrubs, consent logs, opt-out requests and confirmations, training completions, and the full text of every consent script in use, for a minimum of five (5) years. Independent counsel conducts an annual audit of TCPA compliance and provides a written attestation. Material findings are remediated within thirty (30) days and disclosed in our annual transparency report.

12Complaints

If you believe HBS has contacted you in violation of the TCPA, the Telemarketing Sales Rule, or applicable state law, please contact our compliance team at [email protected] or (260) 555-0140 so we can investigate and remediate. You also have the right to file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission at consumercomplaints.fcc.gov, the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov, and your state attorney general's office.

13Contact

• Compliance email: [email protected]
• Opt-out email: [email protected]
• Mailing address: Healthy Basement Society, Attn: Compliance, 212 W Wayne St, Suite 305, Fort Wayne, IN 46802
• Phone: (260) 555-0140