FL Officials Seek To Stop "Do Not Call" Violators
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) -- Florida Regulators are going after companies who they say are violating the state's "Do Not Call" telephone solicitation law.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel is reporting officials have identified several companies they believe are responsible for placing pre-recorded calls to homes from the Treasure Coast down to South Florida.
"There are four business entities that we believe are behind some or all of these calls," said Terry McElroy, spokesman for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in Tallahassee. "All are involved in heating and cooling, to one extent or another.
"I can't provide the names because we haven't sued them yet," he added.
Similar lawsuits have fined companies up to $10,000 if they break the law, plus an injunction against future call violations.
The calls began reaching people's homes in the summer and have generated many complaints from people on the state and federal "Do Not Call" list. The automated message asks the homeowner to press "1" if they want a company representative to visit the home and conduct a free energy use audit. If the homeowner presses "1", it leads to a message selling a product to enhance energy savings.
If the homeowner presses "2", it is supposed to alert the company to take the number off of the calling list.
Homeowners say pressing "2" is worthless. One woman pressed "2", but still received similar phone calls almost every day for a month. Another homeowner was so fed up with the calls, he pressed "1" to get someone to come to his home and confront him face to face.
"They never showed up," said Stuart Resident Tom Sinotte.
Florida, Power and Light got involved in the investigation, concerned that their company was incorrectly involved in the calling campaign.
"We do want customers to know that they're not affiliated with us and that we offer [energy audit] services for free," FPL spokeswoman Jackie Anderson said. "We do not cold-call customers directly to offer those services."
Now that state officials have the companies they believe are responsible for the calls, they will decide next month whether or not to file lawsuits.
Source: The South Florida Sun-Sentinel
