Does a Spouse's Opt-in Count?

In Rodriguez v. Premier Bankcard, the plaintiff filed a TCPA lawsuit after a financial company made unsolicited calls to her cell phone. While the plaintiff had never opted-in to receive the calls, it turns out that her husband had included her number as a valid way to contact him when he was signing up for financial services from the defendant. The husband was the subscriber to the number, although the plaintiff was the primary user of the line. The Court held that a subscriber may give consent for a phone number to be called, even if the subscriber is not the primary user of the line. Read the full opinion here. Learn more about telemarketing compliance. What telemarketing fines are there? Contact a TCPA lawyer if you are facing a telemarketing lawsuit.

FTC Shuts Down Debt Collection Business

In a settlement with the FTC, a Georgia debt collection business has been banned from operating in the debt collection industry. The FTC alleged that the defendants used false claims and threatening tactics to get people to pay debts. Additionally, they allegedly tried to collect on debts that had already been paid and illegally contacted consumer's employers and other third parties. Most FTC actions are a result of consumer complaints. Ensure that reducing and resolving consumer complaints is one of your business' top priorities. Read the FTC's press release about this case here. Make sure you consult with a TCPA attorney to understand different telemarketing rules so that you can avoid trouble like this.

FCC to Seek Comments Regarding Implementation of Kari's Law

The FCC has released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding Kari's Law, which was signed into law by the president. In 2013, Kari Hunt was murdered by her husband in a motel room. Their daughter tried to call 911 on the motel phone, but the phone line didn't' have the capacity to make an emergency call without a pre-dialed digit. Kari's law will make it a requirement for phone systems in complex buildings like hotels, hospitals, schools, etc. to have the ability to dial 911 without any prefixes.  The FCC has released the notice and asked for comments in order to get feedback on the best way to implement the law. Read the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking here. Make sure you understand all telemarketing regulations.