Consumer Law

Stop Telemarketing Calls (and Sue if They Keep Calling)

By Sam Glover

If you do not already know about the National Do Not Call Registry, hie thee hither and put your name down. Once you are on the registry, telemarketers may not call you for five years. There are a couple of exceptions. Businesses may call you for 18 months after you have bought something from them or used their services, but you can ask to be put on their internal do-not-call list when they do so.

For various reasons, telemarketers sometimes have a hard time “getting it,” however. Fortunately, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act gives consumers a remedy: $500 per violation, or up to $1,500 if the telemarketer violated the TCPA on purpose.

Best yet, you do not need a lawyer to sue. Just head on over to your town’s small claims or conciliation court and file your complaint there.

For the story behind the image, follow this link to Consumerist, who wrote up these tips first:

Hey, How Do I Sue Telemarketers Who Ignore The Do Not Call List? | Consumerist

Full post as published by Caveat Emptor on October 05, 2009 (boomark / email).