Robocalls seem to have become a common nuisance for many Americans. While it may seem like you have no choice but to deal with these annoying phone calls, for many who were dealing with robocalls from a debt-collection company in California, they have received justice in a recent settlement.
The settlement involves IQor Holdings and its subsidiary, Allied Interstate. Allied Interstate is alleged to have harassed consumers in 18 California counties with thousands of robocalls. The lawsuit was originally filed by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. Later, Santa Clara, San Diego and Los Angeles counties joined, and these counties were then followed by Solano, Sonoma, Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties.
Out of this $9 million, $1 million will go towards covering the government’s attorney’s fees and legal expenses. The rest of the settlement will be divided appropriately between the counties listed in the lawsuit. The largest four counties will each receive $1.6 million, and the rest will be divided among the other counties.
Allied Interstate refused to admit any wrongdoing and insisted in a statement that the calls mentioned in the lawsuit involved calls dating back to 2011 and that technology had evolved based on interpretations of the law. The company maintained that the calls were within legal requirements and that their new policies have been adjusted in accordance with the law.
However, this case was the eleventh one filed against the company in over ten years. Before the most recent settlement, the largest payout was $1.75 million, paid to the Federal Trade Commission. In 2017, the company also paid $500,000 in a settlement brought by five other states.
The company is also required to provide training to its employees about regulations regarding debt collection calls. In addition, the company is required to keep records of calls and complaints and conduct third-party annual audits for the next five years.
This lawsuit does not represent an isolated instance. Callers are contacted every day from robocalls. According to data from YouMail, a robocall blocking service, in the month of August 2018, consumers were bombarded with over 148.8 million automated messages daily. These figures break down further to 1.6 calls every second for an average of 13 calls per person per month. Many people get even more than these numbers indicate.
You do have rights if you are one of the Americans being harassed by repeated robocalls. One can hope that this lawsuit will send a warning to other companies doing the same, but in the event it does not, these calls should be reported to the FTC and your local law enforcement.
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If you have questions on this topic or are in financial crisis and considering filing for bankruptcy, contact an experienced Miami bankruptcy attorney who can advise you of all of your options. As an experienced CPA as well as a proven bankruptcy lawyer, Timothy Kingcade knows how to help clients take full advantage of the bankruptcy laws to protect their assets and get successful results. Since 1996 Kingcade Garcia McMaken has been helping people from all walks of life build a better tomorrow. Our attorneys’ help thousands of people every year take advantage of their rights under bankruptcy protection to restart, rebuild and recover. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade Garcia McMaken website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.
Related Resource: https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/10/31/robocalls-gone-wild-illegal-calls-cost-firm-9-million/