DirecTV Pays $5.35 Million to Settle DNC Charges
The Federal Trade Commission settled do-not-call charges against DirecTV for $5.35 million today. The agency charged that DirecTV and companies it hired to promote its programming violated the do-not-call provisions of the Telemarketing Sales Rule beginning in October 2003.The complaint named DirecTV, five firms that marketing on the company's behalf and six principals of those marketing firms.
"This multimillion dollar penalty drives home a simple point: Sellers are on the hook for calls placed on their behalf," said FTC chairwoman Deborah Platt Majoras. "The do-not-call rule applies to all players in the marketing chain, including retailers and their telemarketers."
In a morning press conference, Majoras said that even though DirecTV did not make the calls, that companies would be responsible for the behavior of their affiliates.
