TCPA Robocalls Settlement
On average, the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) receives 250,000 complaints regarding TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act) violations per month.
From 2010 to 2015, TCPA lawsuits increased tenfold, from 354 to 3,710. From just 2014 to 2015, there was a 45 percent increase.
These soaring numbers are due to a number of factors, including a boost in public awareness of the TCPA and the expansion and strengthening of the Act.
Violations can lead to lawsuits, which often lead to settlements. Over the past few years, for the reasons noted above, TCPA settlements have grown exponentially larger and more frequent.
If you are receiving unwanted calls or messages, contact us today to learn your rights and options under the TCPA.
Capital One Settles for $75.5 Million
The most famous TCPA settlement occurred in August 2014, when Capital One (and three collection agencies) agreed to pay $75.5 million to end a class action suit that arose from the bank’s use of an autodialer to call consumers’ cell phones.
Here are the five largest TCPA settlements in history:
- Caribbean Cruise Line: up to $76 million (Sep. 2016)
- Capital One: $75.5 million (Aug. 2014)
- Dish Network: $61 million (Oct. 2017)
- US Coachways: $49.9 million (Nov. 2016)
- AT&T Mobility: $45 million (Oct. 2014)
Bank of America Settles for $32 Million
Some other notable TCPA settlements include:
- HSBC: $40 million (Sep. 2014)
- FreeEats.com and AIC Communications: $32.4 million (Sep. 2017)
- ccAdvertising (Last Ounce of Courage): $32.4 million (Sep. 2017)
- Bank of America: $32 million (Sep. 2014)
- Midland Credit: $20.5 million (July 2016)
- Uber: $20 million (Sep. 2017)
- Ocwen Financial: $17.5 million (Sep. 2017)
- Wells Fargo: $16.3 million (July 2016)
- Cynosure Inc.: $16 million (Feb. 2017)
- Wells Fargo: $15.7 million (Feb. 2017)
- Life Time Fitness: $15 million (Feb. 2015)
- Wells Fargo: $14.5 million (Dec. 2014)
- American Eagle: $14.5 million (Dec. 2016)
Woman Awarded $229,500 for TWC Robocalls
Over a span of less than a year, Araceli King of Texas received more than 150 robocalls from Time Warner Cable (TWC). These calls reminded Ms. King to pay her bill, even though she had never been late with a payment.
In March 2014, Ms. King filed a TCPA lawsuit against TWC. Incredibly, between the time she filed the suit and the time the case went to trial, Ms. King received another 74 robocalls from TWC, which a Manhattan judge called "particularly egregious violations of the TCPA."
In July 2015, the judge ruled in Ms. King's favor, awarding her a staggering $229,500.00 ($1,500.00 per call).
Dish Network Hit with $280M Fine, $61M Verdict
In January 2017, a North Carolina jury hammered Dish Network with a $20.5 million award in a class action case filed because of 51,000 telemarketing calls. The jury awarded plaintiffs $400 per call.
Lead plaintiff Dr. Thomas Krakauer said, "This case has always been about enforcing the Do Not Call law and protecting people from nuisance telemarketing calls. I am thrilled with the jury's verdict, and thrilled we were able to win this enforcement action."
Four months later, U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Eagles tripled that award to $61 million, saying that Dish Network “repeatedly looked the other way” while its employees made unlawful calls.
Shortly thereafter, in June 2017, U.S. District Judge Sue Myerscough ordered Dish Network to pay a $280 million penalty to the federal government and four states.
The government’s investigation determined that Dish had made 55 million unlawful calls to consumers.
ClassAction.com Will Fight for You
As one of the largest consumer protection firms in the country–with 300 attorneys and a support staff of over 1,500–we are one of the few with the resources to take on Capital One, Wells Fargo, and other companies of this stature. We are trial lawyers who are not afraid to go up against big corporations, and we have the track record to prove it. To date, we have won more than $4 billion for clients.
Our firm has long handled lawsuits on behalf of consumers who received unwanted calls from debt collectors, banks, and other companies. For each unwanted call, a consumer may be able to collect between $500 and $1,500.
If you receive unwanted calls or messages from solicitors, our attorneys may be able to help you file a claim for compensation. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation legal consultation.