The Federal Trade Commission recently issued a second Federal Register Notice (FRN) on a proposed qualitative survey of consumers to learn about their experiences in buying and financing vehicles at dealerships, and is seeking clearance from the Office of Management and Budget to conduct the study.

FTC officials explained the second FRN also calls for additional public comments as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act.

The proposed consumer survey, which will include consumer interviews and receipt of consumers’ purchase and finance documents, is designed to assist the FTC by providing useful insights into consumer understanding of the automobile purchasing and financing process at the dealership.

Last December, the FTC issued a Federal Register Notice seeking public comment on the proposed survey. The FTC received 17 comments in response to that notice that are addressed in the second FRN.

The FTC now invites further comments concerning the accuracy of burden estimates on surveyed consumers and ways to minimize the information collection burden.

When the FTC first began this process, the American Financial Services Association and the Consumer Bankers Association submitted a letter to the agency asking seven specific questions about what the regulator plans to do.

Stemming from concerns that there may be an element of bias in the survey that the FTC is proposing, AFSA executive vice president Bill Himpler and CBA regulatory counsel Kate Larson authored the letter that touched on what the organizations described as “the importance of objectivity” as well as “separating research and enforcement.”