Telemarketers must often navigate a minefield of risks. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR), various Do Not Call (DNC) laws, and other regulatory statutes present a vast array of potential, costly violations. Ah, but you may be saying, “I only take inbound calls and all of these regulations apply to outbound… Continue reading Top 5 Risks for Inbound Calling Centers
Tag: FTC
How to Effectively Make Use of Telemarketing Safe Harbor Provisions
In the context of telemarketing, Safe Harbor is often a subject of confusion. This is unfortunate as understanding Safe Harbor and the multilayered rules and statutes that govern it is essential to successful compliance with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR), and both state and federal Do Not Call (DNC) Lists.
Collections Compliance: the Laws that Govern the Collections Industry
Both telemarketing and debt collection are, quite literally, risky businesses. Both fields are highly regulated, governed by complex legislation, and subject to potentially expensive penalties and litigation. Compliance in either field is complicated enough on its own but compliance for debt collectors who use telephone solicitation in order to conduct their business imposes difficulties to an extent beyond the mere sum of the complexities of either field on its own.
Pallone-Thune TRACED Act Passes Senate, Awaits President’s Signature
The Senate passed the Pallone-Thune TRACED Act by voice vote on Thursday. It has previously passed the House of Representatives by a count of 417-3. President Trump is expected to sign it into law soon. The act—whose name is an acronym for Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence—is sponsored by South Dakota Republican Senator John… Continue reading Pallone-Thune TRACED Act Passes Senate, Awaits President’s Signature
FTC Reaches Multimillion-Dollar Settlement for Violations Committed by Lead Generating Vendors
The FTC announced that it had reached a $30 million settlement to resolve charges against Career Education Corp (CEC)—an Illinois-based, for-profit education provider—resulting from unlawful tactics used by third-party lead generators. The FTC complaint alleges that CEC and its lead generators violated the agency’s requirements regarding “clear and conspicuous disclosures” in advertisements. The primary complaint… Continue reading FTC Reaches Multimillion-Dollar Settlement for Violations Committed by Lead Generating Vendors
FTC Debuts New Interactive Web Page With Years of Do Not Call and Robocall Data
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced today a new interactive web page that allows consumers to access years of historical Do Not Call (DNC) and Robocall data with information on types of calls and spikes in complaints. The page, hosted on a Tableau Public interface, will be updated quarterly with new data. Consumers can use the… Continue reading FTC Debuts New Interactive Web Page With Years of Do Not Call and Robocall Data
FTC Launches Operation Call It Quits Against Robocallers
On July 25th, 2019, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), along with its state and federal partners, announced a major crackdown on illegal robocalls. The program, called Operation Call It Quits, includes 94 actions targeting operations responsible for over one billion calls. Enforcement actions have targeted robocallers pitching “fraudulent money-making opportunities” and “medical alert systems.” Combined… Continue reading FTC Launches Operation Call It Quits Against Robocallers
Senate Overwhelmingly Approves TRACED Act
On Thursday May 23rd, 2019, the Senate approved the TRACED Act which will dramatically increase fines for illegal robocalls. The bill passed with an overwhelming 97-1 vote. Only a single vote from Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) was against the legislation. The TRACED Act’s next stop is the House of Representatives. If approved, expect an increase… Continue reading Senate Overwhelmingly Approves TRACED Act
What is the TRACED Act?
The TRACED Act (Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act) was sponsored by Senators John Thune (R-SD), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Roger Wicker (R-MS). Its purpose is to combat robocalls with stronger deterrents. As the volume of illegal calls has increased, so has the attention of regulators. They are especially concerned about calls from scammers… Continue reading What is the TRACED Act?
FTC to Increase Price of Access Fee for Do Not Call List
Fees to Access National Do-Not-Call List to Increase in 2019 Fiscal Year The FTC has announced that the fee to access the National Do-Not-Call registry will increase by $1 per area code in FY 2019, which starts on October 1, 2018. The fee per area code will be $63, and the maximum fee to access… Continue reading FTC to Increase Price of Access Fee for Do Not Call List