DirecTV, Comcast Fined for Calls

The Federal Trade Commission announced today that both DirecTV and Comcast are being fined today for making phone calls to people who has asked them not to call back. This violates the do-not-call law, called the Telemarketing Sales Rule.

DirecTV has faces such fines in the past. In 2005, DirecTV paid a $5.3 million settlement for violating FTC’s rules regarding the Do Not Call registry. This time, both DirecTV and Comcast are facing fines for calling people who specifically requested to be put on the companies’ internal do not call lists. DirecTV has agreed to pay a $2.3 million settlement, while Comcast’s fines reach $900,000.

last month, the FTC sued Dish Network for allegedly violating the Telemarketing Sales Rule. The company has denied these allegations and is fighting the charges, though the government says that they are its biggest violator based on over 20,000 complaints from the general public.

There are over 167 million phone numbers on the Do Not Call registry, and companies face fines of up to $16,000 per number called. Charities, political organizations, those doing surveys, and companies calling customers within 18 months of a previous purchase are exempt from these telemarketing rules.

Image via sxc.hu.