AT&T Mobility Sues Over Auto Warranty Robocalls

AT&T Mobility Sues Over Auto Warranty Robocalls [Att]
from Consumerist by Chris Walters

You know those annoying robocalls on your mobile phone about renewing
your car warranty?

The companies behind the calls use spoofing to remain hidden, but AT&T
Mobility just filed suit in federal court to track down the culprits,
then hopefully make them stop. This is great news, because judging
from the quotes given to RCR Wireless, the FTC and FCC both don't seem
too concerned about the matter.

AT&T Mobility said one number alone - 800-219-7425 - made more
than 13 million calls to wireless numbers through telecom carriers
Paetec Communications, Global Crossing and MCI Inc./Verizon
Communications Inc.

AT&T said it will need to subpoena those companies and others to
determine the owner and operator of various spoofed phone numbers.

Although the calls are a violation of the Telephone Consumer
Protection Act, the government hasn't done much to put a stop to them:

Elizabeth Lordan, a spokesperson at the Federal Trade Commission,
said such telemarketing also appears to violate the agency's
Telemarketing Sales Rules governing the National Do Not Call Registry.
Lordan said she is not aware of any completed FTC investigations
involving autodial-based extended auto warranty telemarketing. Lordan
also said she was unable to say whether the FTC has any probes in
progress.

Rosemary Kimball, an FCC spokesperson, said the agency could not
immediately provide data on consumer complaints about such
telemarketing. Kimball said she was not aware of any FCC enforcement
actions on extended warranty telemarketing.

"AT&T Mobility lawsuit tackles autodialing telemarketers, claims
‘annoyance and intrusion'" [RCR Wireless]
http://www.rcrwireless.com/article/2.../902059987/-1#

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