Just heard from a new client who says she keeps getting robocalls from a company promising to lower her credit card interest rates. Yet her phone number is registered on both the federal Do Not Call list. When she pushes 1 to talk to a rep, the person hangs up as soon as she asks for any information. Pressing 2 to discontinue the calls obviously doesn’t do a thing.
FTC spokesman, Michell Katz recommends filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, “The more complaints we get, the more likely we are to take action.”
There are exceptions to the Do Not Call List, such as political organizations or candidates, charities, polling companies and survey takers. Also, companies may call consumers who have a business relationship with them.
Although there are rogue telemarketers that harass you regardless of the fact that you are on the list, federal officials point to the many violators that have been punished. In 2011, for example, the FTC shut down a mortgage and debt relief company, a bogus medical discount company and a time share reseller.
According to Katz, The FTC also fined DirecTV $5.3 million for violations, then fined the company again after more violations. “We continue to track them down. We’re continuing to prosecute the cases that we have brought against companies that were offering fake extended warranties on cars and deceptively trying to get you to pay to lower your credit card interest rates.
“We continue to be the cop on the beat, and consumers should continue to file complaints and provide us with as much information as they can get.”
Unscrupulous callers use caller ID blocking and spoofing (in which caller ID shows a fake number) to confuse consumers. “And we’re now working on a rule that would beef up enforcement in that area,” Katz says.
Regardless of whether you are on the Do Not Call List, if you are being harassed by telemarketers there are laws that protect you, including the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, (TCPA). If telemarketers are harassing you, please give my office, The Law Office of Todd M. Friedman a call today at (877) 449-8898.
