Verizon Unit Wins Ban on Telemarketers
Verizon Wireless has won two legal skirmishes against telemarketers who made unwanted sales calls to its customers.
The Bedminster, N.J.-based subsidiary of Verizon Communications Inc. said Thursday that judges in New Jersey and California had banned a telemarketer from using automatic dialers or prerecorded messages in calls to Verizon cellphone users.
Verizon Wireless cited the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act and state laws prohibiting such cellphone contacts.
New Jersey Superior Court Judge Robert B. Reed signed an order Sept. 26 banning Resort Marketing Trends of Coral Springs, Fla., from making unsolicited calls to Verizon cellphone users. Verizon Wireless said the firm made more than 200,000 such calls in July and August.
On Nov. 29, California Superior Court Judge Shelleyanne W.L. Chang in Sacramento signed a similar order against Intelligent Alternatives of San Diego, which Verizon said made more than 1 million solicitations to Verizon cellphones last summer. In October, Intelligent Alternatives agreed to pay Verizon Wireless $20,000 in damages.
