BEDMINSTER, N.J.-Verizon Wireless has forced two telemarketing firms to stop making illegal sales pitches to the wireless carrier’s customers.
As part of court-approved settlements, Verizon Wireless won permanent injunctions against Intelligent Alternatives of San Diego, Calif., and Resort Marketing Trends of Coral Springs, Fla., which used auto-dialers and recorded messages to contact Verizon Wireless customers.
Federal law bans the use of such technology in calls to cellular phones. Verizon Wireless filed its lawsuits in late August, after the firms reportedly made hundreds of thousands of illegal calls during the summer. The lawsuits were based on Verizon Wireless customers and company employees who received the sales calls, according to the company.
In addition to halting future sales calls, Intelligent Alternatives also will pony up $20,000 in damages, which Verizon Wireless has pledged to donate to the Family Justice Center Foundation in San Diego on behalf of the carrier’s Hopeline program against domestic violence.
The settlements stand as Verizon Wireless’ latest legal action to defend customer privacy. Within the past few months, the company has received a court order to stop a Tennessee-based company from obtaining and selling confidential customer telephone records; obtained an injunction against a private investigative agency in Florida which was trying to gather customer information; and filed a lawsuit against another Florida company to stop it from sending tens of thousands of “wireless spam” text messages to Verizon Wireless customers.
“These actions demonstrate once again our commitment to protecting our customers against invasions of their privacy,” said Steven Zipperstein, general counsel and vice president of legal and external affairs at Verizon Wireless.
