Pay $100 in ten days and there will be not further action.
If you you do file tell them will not accept less than $250 as a
settlement plus filing costs.\
If it goes to court you will request the full amount.
I have done this 5 times. Three times I got $100 the other two it was
$250 plus costs after I filed.
The most recent was last week after I got a recorded call about a
"free vacation" Calls to the number either got voice mail or rude people
who hung up when I tried to get information. I then feigned interest,
gave a live person a fake name and my hotmail address. A few minutes
later an email confirmation came with all the company info I needed,
I called and very polite person expressed concern and asked to hear
the message. He called back ten minutes later, claimed they had c
contracted out the calls, was upset and was firing the company. Asked
for my address. Two days later a check arrived.
My guess is that the firm was not fired and the money is simply a
business cost to them but imagine is just 5 percent of us did this.
We could afford a spell checker or at least read what we post.
My own rule of thumb is never to spend more than ten minutes trying
to get their information. I have found the best way is to feign interest
and then ask a few questions.
By the way, if a US company outsources these calls they are still
violating the law.
> The most recent was last week after I got a recorded call about a
> "free vacation"
I bet the call was from BEACHCOMBER TRAVEL, 623-238-6090.
I get 2-3 phone calls EVERY FRIDAY from Beachcomber Travel.
I file a complaint with the FTC but NOTHING HAPPENS. Why am I not
surprised.
The dnc complaints to FTC ARE effective, they don't handle
the violations individually. FTC go after the big fish that
have money and thumb their nose at the FTC. It can take a
year to document thousands of violations, but then FTC
assess hundreds of thousands dollars in fines. Business
news report several cases every year where FTC either gets
the money or shuts them down. FTC effectiveness depends on
list member reports, putting violators on the FTC radar.
-larry / dallas