JACKSON - The Public Service Commission is close to filing complaints against three telemarketers for violating the Mississippi's no-call law, which would bring to eight the number of companies cited since the law took effect Oct. 1.
These companies are facing fines that total about $2.3 million.
A ninth company that the commission had been on the verge of filing a complaint against, DirectTV, has agreed to work with the commission to negotiate a settlement rather than let the matter go to a formal hearing.
Once a complaint is filed, a company has 30 days to respond before the commission holds a formal hearing, at which time fines of up to $5,000 per violation could be levied.
DirectTV, a satellite television service provider, is facing up to $500,000 in fines.
"We haven't met with them yet, but they contacted us and agreed to work with us," said Steve King, director of Mississippi's no-call program.
The five companies the commission has already filed complaints against face fines totaling about $1.5 million.
The three other telemarketers the commission is close to filing complaints against are facing fines totaling about $300,000.
Of the five companies who have already had complaints filed against them, only one - Florida-based Krane Products Inc., which sells septic tank cleaners - has contacted the commission.
"They intend to work with us," King said. Krane has already been fined twice by Missouri, fined once by Kentucky and warned by Tennessee for violating those states' no-call laws.
The other companies with outstanding complaints are four debt-management firms: Debt Management Foundation, Credit Foundation of America, Debt Relief Group and Lighthouse Credit Foundation.
The commission doesn't release the name of a company until a complaint has been formally filed, but King said the three companies the commission may soon file complaints against are all out-of-state retail companies.
Mississippi's no-call law prohibits telemarketers from calling home telephone numbers that consumers have put on the no-call registry. It also forbids telemarketers to call homes on Sunday, to use prerecorded messages or to block Caller ID.
Telemarketers also must register with the state, pay $800 a year to buy the no-call list and post a $50,000 bond. King said that 78 telemarketers have registered.
The commission has received about 1,000 consumer complaints since Oct. 1, of which about 700 lacked enough information to pursue an investigation.
"We're still getting complaints against all those companies we've already filed complaints against," King said.
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