The FTC has levied on DirecTV a fine 10 times greater than any other penalties related to the do-not-call law. The satellite TV provider was charged with not sufficiently overseeing the contractors it used to sell its services, reports AdAge (via MediaBuyerPlanner). The fine, at $5.4 million, could have been even larger, according to the FTC, based on the number of complaints it received about DirecTV.
The complaint, filed by the FTC, also names five telemarketing firms that made the sales calls on DirecTV's behalf. The settlement is significant in that a company is held responsible not only for its own telemarketing practices but also for those of the independent contractors it hires.
On Monday, DirecTV also agreed to pay $5 million to New York and 21 other states, as well as restitution to consumers, to settle complaints that it misled consumers about its marketing practices, MediaPost writes.
