Pennsylvania Attorney General Mike Fisher has settled a lawsuit with a telemarketing firm over the state’s first legal action to enforce its newly enacted do-not-call law.
The investigation included about 70 complaints from consumers across 18 Central and Eastern Pennsylvania counties.
The lawsuit, filed in Commonwealth Court, claimed that Kristel Marketing LTD in Stroudsbug, PA, and its subcontractors provided telemarketing services last November for Vacation Charters to promote the sale of real estate developments and timeshares in the Pocono Mountains, the state said.
The state claimed that Kristel violated the law by contacting Pennsylvanians whose names were on the first edition of the do-not-call registry. More than 2.2 million Pennsylvanians have registered for the list.
"When consumers confronted the callers about violating the law, the telemarketers claimed that they were exempt or that the law had not gone into effect," Fisher said in a statement. "We contend that these claims were untrue and failed in their attempt to fool consumers."
Under the terms of the settlement, Kristel does not admit to any wrongdoing and is required to cease all telemarketing activities in violation of state law. Kristel also agreed to pay $33,500 in civil penalties and $1,000 for investigative costs.
The state’s Federal Bureau of Consumer Protection has received more than 3,000 complaints from consumers who suspect that they were contacted illegally by telemarketers. Those complaints resulted in 53 investigations.
"While the majority of companies and telemarketers are complying with the law, those who don’t will be prosecuted," Fisher said.
