“Hey! We currently have a great deal on our triple-play package. Sign up with us and get cable, Internet & phone for only $60 per month!”
We’ve all received a call like this at least once, whether it’s from the cable company promoting a misleading offer or the bank offering an “interest-free” mortgage loan—or so they say. There is never a good time to receive these aggravating automated calls but sometimes they seem to come at very inopportune times, like when you’re working on a tight deadline and your boss walks in just as you answer the phone.
If you receive a call from a company you had no prior dealings with, and there’s a pause before the person or automated voice speaks, this could be a violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). Many people are targeted when they update their number and receive automated calls that were meant for the person who previously owned that phone number. Companies are not allowed to contact you without permission, however many of them are cold calling consumers or sending solicitations in the form of an automated voice to promote their services. The fine for breaking these laws can be up to $1500 per violation.
Dish Network was recently hit with a record-breaking fine of $280 million due to telemarketing violations, which include breaking TCPA laws. After being sued by the Federal Trade Commission, Dish was exposed in court for illegally calling numbers listed on the National Do Not Call Registry. According to the National Law review, the satellite service provider also delivered prerecorded messages to consumers through illegal telemarketing calls.
Whether you are on the Do Not Call list or not, no company can call you without your consent. These violations also include spam texts or faxes. When you get a random text from an app you’ve never interacted with, this can also be a violation of the TCPA.
No one should have to deal with unwanted calls from a robot or telemarketer offering such annoyances as a “new low-rate on auto loans,” especially when they are pestering you nearly every day.
Carter Law Firm is one of California’s top employment and consumer law attorneys. We have an experienced legal team that understands the laws of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and your rights as a consumer. Please use the contact form below, and we will reach out to you.
