When Does Telemarketing Become Harassment?
If you've been the victim of telemarketers, you may wonder if there will ever be an end to the disruptive and annoying phone calls. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) was enacted to protect consumers from telemarketing abuse, and it includes a do-not-call registry that offers some relief.
However, even if you're on the registry, you may still receive calls from telemarketers. If they harass you, you might even have a harassment case. Here's when telemarketer calls cross the line into harassment.
Telemarketers Call You at Work
If you're getting calls at work from telemarketers, this is a form of harassment. You may not want to answer personal calls at work, and you certainly don't want sales pitches interrupting your day. The TCPA specifically prohibits telemarketers from calling consumers at their place of employment.
Telemarketers Use Profane or Abusive Language
It's never acceptable for someone to use profanity or abusive language during phone calls. This is true whether the person is a telemarketer or a debt collector. If a telemarketer uses obscene or blasphemous language, you may have a harassment case.
Telemarketers Make Repeated Calls
The TCPA also prohibits telemarketers from making repeated calls or calling too early or too late in the day. If a telemarketer is repeatedly calling you, this could be harassment.
Telemarketers Call When You're Sleeping
In addition, if telemarketers are calling extremely early or late, you may have even more evidence. You can show your call logs and missed calls to show that these calls are coming in at inappropriate times.
Telemarketers Threaten You
Threats are never acceptable, and they're certainly not ok coming from a telemarketer. This could be a physical threat, a financial threat, or even a veiled threat. If you can record these calls or voicemails, you can bring this evidence to court.
Telemarketers Give False Information
If a telemarketer is deliberately providing you with false information, this could be considered fraud. This is especially true if they're trying to sell you a product or service based on this false information and they refuse to stop calling you. At that point, it becomes harassment.
Talk to a Telemarketing Harassment Lawyer
If you're being harassed by telemarketers, you may want to speak to a telemarketer harassment lawyer. They can help you understand your legal options and take action to stop the harassment. You may be able to file a lawsuit and recover damages for the calls and any damage that they've caused.
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