How the TCPA protects you from unwanted telemarketing calls.

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) protects consumers from being harassed by aggressive telemarketing tactics. Such as, sending unsolicited faxes, text messages and robo-dial calls to a consumer’s cell phone with artificial and recorded voice messages. The TCPA is designed to protect telephone consumers from the intrusion of unwanted solicitations and the additional expenses which can sometimes be associated with such solicitations. Unwanted text messages and calls to cell phones can add up to hundreds of dollars added to consumers cell phone bills every year. The same can be said for the hundreds of extra dollars in ink and paper caused by unwanted faxes. Under the TCPA, advertisers who make telemarketing calls, faxes, or texts must identify themselves and the company they work for. The identification information must also include contact information for the business on behalf of whom the call is made. Also, telemarketers are not allowed call to your home before 8:00am or after 9:00pm. If a consumer specifically requests that he or she be removed from the call list, this request must be honored. Consumers who wish to not receive telemarketing calls should register their home cell phone numbers on the National Do Not Call List, a list which is distributed to telemarketers. Business lines can be included on this list, but telemarketing calls to businesses are not considered strictly illegal, except in certain circumstances. This is not applicable to companies that you have given prior permission to contact you, a tax-exempt non-profit organization, or from a person or organization with which you have an established business relationship. An “established business relationship” exists if you have made an inquiry, application, purchase or transaction regarding products or services offered by the person or organization. If you are being harassed by telemarketers that are in violation of the TCPA or the National Do Not Call List policies you may be entitled to compensation. Please contact my office today, The Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman at (877) 449-8898.