While Vermont doesn't have its own robocall law, the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act provides ample protection to citizens who receive unwanted telemarketing calls and advertising text messages. You may be eligible to file a lawsuit.
- Stop the phone harassment now
- Between $500 to $1,500 in compensation for each illegal phone call or text
- Find more information in a free consultation
Our committed Vermont robocall lawyers can help. Fill out our online questionnaire to see if you qualify to file a civil lawsuit.
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No one deserves to be harassed on their home phone or cell phone with unwanted robocalls. Unfortunately, this doesn't stop telemarketers, debt collectors, creditors, and other companies from using automated dialers and prerecorded messages to spam millions of consumers with calls they never asked for.
How To Protect Your Rights In Vermont
A federal law called the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) helps restrict certain types of robocalls and allows the victims of illegal calls to recover financial compensation. If a company has contacted you with robocalls, text messages, or unsolicited faxes and you never gave them express written permission to do so, you could recover $500 to $1,500 for each time you were contacted.
Does Vermont Have State Robocall Laws?
Vermont does not have their own state laws which specifically apply to robocalls. However, the state does have laws on telemarketing in general. According to Vermont law on unwanted telephone solicitations, telemarketing calls are illegal unless:
- The company making the calls has registered with the state directory in Vermont and,
- The company represents a state-incorporated tax-exempt or nonprofit group,
- The call is made in response to a customer's inquiry, or
- The company has an established business relationship with the customer.
While this law may not specifically mention robocalls, citizens of Vermont are still protected by the TCPA.
When Are Robocalls Illegal Under Federal Law?
According to the TCPA, robocalls are illegal without express written permission from the person being called. This means that if you have received robocalls from a company who you never gave permission to contact you with automated dialers or prerecorded messages, that company has broken the law. Furthermore, you have the right to sue that company for $500 to $1,500 for each illegal call, text, and fax. The higher $1,500 amount is applied in cases where these violations are found to be willful.
Other restrictions covered under the TCPA include:
- Text messages are considered the same as calls and subject to the same restrictions.
- Unsolicited fax advertisements are illegal.
- Calls to reassigned or wrong numbers must stop after the first call.
- Permission must be obtained from the person being called, not the intended recipient of the call.
- Calls may not be made before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. local time.
- Telephone solicitors must provide their name, the name of the person or company they're calling for, and contact information for that person or company.
Can You Revoke Express Written Permission?
Yes - the TCPA gives you the right to revoke any previously given express written permission in any reasonable way, at any time. Once this consent is revoked, the robocalls must stop. However, sometimes companies break this rule and continue to robocall customers who have requested not to be contacted anymore.
For calls which use prerecorded messages, the message must include an automated system which allows you to opt out of receiving future calls from that company.
If you've revoked permission (or never gave permission in the first place) but have received illegal robocalls anyway, you should consider speaking with an experienced Vermont robocall lawyer about your right to financial compensation.
How To Sue For Robocalls In Vermont
If you believe you've received illegal robocalls, text messages, or unsolicited faxes, it's important to document as much as you can for each potentially illegal contact. Remember, damages are awarded on a per-violation basis, meaning that you're entitled to financial compensation for each and every time you've been contacted illegally.
We suggest gathering the following information, although our Vermont robocall lawyers can help you fill in any gaps if you can't obtain everything you need:
- Dates and times you were contacted, ideally with records from your service provider
- Saved text messages and faxes
- The companies that contacted you
- The type of phone where you were contacted (cell phone or landline?)
- Details about the robocalls, including:
- Was there a prerecorded message?
- Did you speak with a live operator, and if so, when?
- Was an automated opt-out system provided during the prerecorded message?
- Were there signs of an autodialer (i.e. a click, beep, or pause after answering)?
- Did you revoke consent but continue to receive calls?
- Any other details you remember.
Once you've gathered as much evidence as you can, we recommend speaking with one of our experienced Vermont robocall lawyers in a free consultation. We're prepared to guide you through each step of your lawsuit and help you secure every cent you're entitled to for every illegal robocall, text, and fax you've received.