DirecTV and Comcast to pay fines for "Do Not Call"

By Kathy Shwiff
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--DirecTV Group Inc. (DTV) agreed to pay $2.3 million and Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) $900,000 to settle charges of violating the federal "do not call" law.

The satellite-television provider and Comcast, the nation's largest cable-TV concern, were accused of having employees or telemarketers call consumers who specifically told the companies not to call them again.

A DirecTV telemarketer also agreed to pay a $115,000 penalty for making prerecorded sales calls to consumers who asked not to be called.

The Federal Trade Commission said DirecTV violated a 2005 court order barring it from making such calls. The company paid $5.3 million under that order. "What makes DirecTV's actions especially troubling is that it is a two-time offender," said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz.

Article - WSJ.com



In this day and age, do telephone marketers actually make money by cold calling (or from a list) people? Man, shame on Direct.

Wow if I asked to be removed from a list, I better be removed from that list. That is why my mom has an unlisted phone number. When I get a house I want my number unlisted as well.

Is this what "free enterprise" is all about? If you google complaints about Direct TV, Dish Network, and Comcast.net you will get a "book" of complaints about not only violating DNC rules but unfair billing practices. The $2,000,000 and $900,000 fine that Direct TV and comcast paid was as injurious to them as a parking ticket was to me (my opinion only).

Originally Posted by dreamr802

Wow if I asked to be removed from a list, I better be removed from that list. That is why my mom has an unlisted phone number. When I get a house I want my number unlisted as well.

Unlisted numbers aren't even a guarantee. I have an unlisted phone number. A lot of companies use automated dialing. It's just a sequential program, so it means little to have an unlisted number.

Originally Posted by STAN

Is this what "free enterprise" is all about? If you google complaints about Direct TV, Dish Network, and Comcast.net you will get a "book" of complaints about not only violating DNC rules but unfair billing practices. The $2,000,000 and $900,000 fine that Direct TV and comcast paid was as injurious to them as a parking ticket was to me (my opinion only).

Comcast was on that list a year ago about the worst companies in terms of customer service. Their response was that it was bound to be because they have a higher volume of customers (right -- cough).

In my opinion, Comcast needs to lower their prices or add more punch to what they deliver because where I live, it's pretty pitiful.