FTC sues DISH Network for telemarketing violations

Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against DISH Network for contacting millions of consumers in violation of the agency’s telemarketing rules.

The lawsuit alleges that DISH Network first violated FTC’s telemarketing sales rule September 2007 when the company began to contact consumers to sell them its satellite-TV system, even though the consumers previously asked the company not to call them.

FTC says DISH Network violated its telemarketing sales rule because, even if a consumer isn’t in the national Do Not Call registry, a company can’t contact a consumer for sales purposes if the consumer requests to be added to that specific company’s Do Not Call list.

In March 2009, FTC filed charges against DISH Network for soliciting consumers who had signed up to be included in the national Do Not Call registry. Department of Justice is litigating this case on FTC’s behalf.