Navigating a particularly difficult stretch on the road during rush hour, you receive a phone call. Thinking it’s probably from the office asking why you’re delayed, you flick on your hands-free set to receive the call. Turns out you’re being redirected and as you decide to hold on, you begin to hear a pre-recorded message from Fifth Third Bank telling you about your overdue bill amount and the pay-by date. Meanwhile you miss an opening in the lane ahead and fall behind a few more minutes.
This is an example of an auto dialer call. While they can be a nuisance, they do also have the potential to result in injury and trauma. Fifth Third Bank is no stranger to this. There have been lawsuits in the past against Fifth Third Bank, citing harassment. You can read more about some of them cases here and here .
What Are Harassing Auto Dialer Calls?
- Auto dialer harassment is common. Auto dialer calls have the potential to cause a nuisance to consumers by: Calling from unknown numbers at unexpected times
- Playing music before connecting to a human voice
- Consistently making calls, especially if the initial one is disconnected. Could be from same or different numbers
- Upon answering, playing a recorded message; may be followed by a human voice if individual is willing to wait
This is just a partial list. Click here for a glance at past complaints against Fifth Third, alleging auto dialer harassment.
How To Deal With The Harassment?
Understanding auto dialer call harassment is the first step to stopping it. Auto dialer calls are also called robocalls. You can stop Fifth Third Bank robocall harassment as well, by understanding your legal rights.
Because auto dialer calls have the potential to cause trauma, they are regulated by laws. The Telephone Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA) established guidelines to prevent the misuse of telephone systems, including cellphones and auto dialers.
Here are some things that are restricted by TCPA guidelines:
- Calling you any time of the day, including late night or early morning. Calling you at your workplace
- Passing information about your debt to another person; giving debt-related information to the person who answers the phone. Leaving a message regarding details of your debt with friends or relatives or neighbors
- Not informing you that the responsibility of collecting your debt has been handed over to a debt collection agency
- Communicating about your debt on social networks like Facebook
- Producing paperwork that implies that your debt is now a legal matter
- Suggesting ways in which you can pay off the debt, including selling your home or taking on another line of credit
- Debt collectors must identify themselves. Posing as an officer of the court is illegal
However, did you know that TCPA places great stress on express consent? Unless a consumer provides his or her contact number, they cannot be contacted. Further, if there is a written request to cease attempts at contact, this request must be honored by organizations.
Stop Fifth Third Bank Robocalls
TCPA violations are eligible for monetary compensation. However, the journey towards stopping the harassment isn’t easy. Here are a few tips to help you out, or to share with someone you know who is undergoing harassment due to auto dialers:
- Reach out to a professional who understands TCPA
- Understand your case and where you stand when it comes to gathering evidence of TCPA violations
- Ensure you start maintaining records and proof of all communication; do not delete call logs, etc.
- If you make written requests to stop the harassment, keep records of the correspondance and of having sent it out
- Ideally, reach out to a TCPA lawyer who can help guide you correctly. Also, this will help you prepare better for your case
About Us:
Legal Rights Advocates, PLLC is a law firm that specializes in helping clients who are facing harassment from telephone systems in any form, including auto dialer communication. Our team of attorneys over the years, has helped countless clients get freedom from harassment stemming through indiscriminate auto dialer use.
If you are interested in learning more about how to safeguard yourself better, call us at (855) 254-7841 for immediate assistance.