FCC Cracking Down Harder on Robocalls

Debt collectors have long used robocalls to pursue consumers who are delinquent on their bills into making – or getting caught up with – their payments. This fast, easy, and inexpensive method of pestering consumers has led to radically increased volumes of these calls on a daily basis. In fact, many consumers have complained that they were harassed by these calls on an hourly basis, all times of the day, and even on weekends and holidays.

Need for Stricter TCPA Laws

In 1991, the FCC decided to implement TCPA laws to protect the rights of consumers and to ensure that debt collectors were not harassing consumers. Then, when texting and faxing became prevalent, the FCC had to make additions to the TCPA to ensure that debt collectors were not taking advantage of texting and faxing as loopholes in the law. Now that robocalls have increased to phenomenal amounts of calls per day due to advancements in technology, the FCC has to take another look at the TCPA – and quite possibly make another amendment to the act.

Three Call Per Month Limitation  

The The Federal Communications Commission (FCC ) believes that three calls per month provides sufficient opportunity for debt collectors of government debt to express vital information about a debt, any possible repayment terms, and any other important matters relating to the debt. According to the FCC, during this call, or even during the second phone call, the debt collector can request and obtain permission from the consumer to be able to call beyond the limit of three monthly calls.  

The current proposal would not limit debt collection calls for non-governmental debt.

Opposition to the Proposal

Of course, there is plenty of opposition to this proposal. Many companies believe that the TCPA imposes unreasonable obligations on businesses and it’s the consumer who should bear the expense of unwanted calls vs the business employing the personal and technology to insure compliance.

Not Limited to Debt Collectors

Unlike some people believe, the TCPA laws do not just apply to debt collectors. These federal laws also apply to any entity that is trying to deliver information to consumers using robocalls, prerecorded calls, mass texts, and unsolicited faxes. This could be a company that wants to send out fraud alerts, a presidential campaign trying to recruit voters, and any other entity sending out unwanted faxes or texts or robocalling consumers.

Are You a Victim of Unsolicited Calls?

However, if companies and businesses did not abuse these technological advancements and bully consumers, there would be no need for TCPA laws and litigation in the first place. It will be interesting to see how this new proposal turns out. Consumers who have received unwanted phone calls that violate the TCPA can file a complaint with the FCC. If you want to seek compensation under TCPA law because you have been harassed with unwanted calls from a company, you should contact Keogh Law LTD today at (866) 726-1092.