Verizon spams businesses, gets sued

You know, we’ve long praised Verizon for their consumer friendly practices, which includes suing rogue telemarketers using their network. However, these actions are now in question, as Verizon themselves have been taken to court over similar rogue practices. You see, in order to send faxes advertising your products, you have to obtain permission from the recipient. Apparently, Verizon did not take this vital step, and are now out $6 million in settlement and over $2 million in attorneys’ fees in this case.

The case is one of about a dozen class-action lawsuits in Baton Rouge federal court alleging companies broke federal and state bans on unsolicited faxed advertisements. At issue is the decade-old Telephone Consumer Protection Act — a federal law that prohibits advertisers from sending junk faxes unless the sender has prior permission. It imposes fines of up to $1,500 per violation.

Normally, when we see a large corporation being taken to court, we tend to think it’s someone just trying to squeeze someone who is normally willing to settle. This, however, seems completely legitimate. We used to work at a place where we had to fax rates to other businesses, and we were told we would be fired if we did not obtain permission first. Apparently, Verizon sent over 10,000 faxes to this effect, and that’s just in Baton Rouge. We seriously wonder if this settlement will spur a series of lawsuits against Verizon. Hey, it’s legit, and there’s guaranteed money in it. [2 The Advocate]]]>