AAG Telemarketing Class Action Settlement

UPDATE 2: On Dec. 9, 2020, Top Class Actions viewers started receiving checks in the mail from the AAG Telemarketing class action settlement worth up to $267.40. Congratulations to everyone who filed a claim and got PAID!

UPDATE: The AAG Telemarketing Class Action Settlement was granted final approval on September 29, 2020. Let Top Class Actions know when you receive a check in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.

American Advisors Group (AAG) has agreed to pay $3.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging the company bombarded consumers with prerecorded telemarketing calls.

Those who may benefit from the settlement agreement include consumers in the United States that received a call from or on behalf of AAG between Jan. 1, 2017 and May 1, 2020.

The lead plaintiff, Stewart Abramson, alleged in the AAG telemarketing class action lawsuit that the company, both directly and through third-party advertising companies, called him and other consumers, advertising their services without consent.

The plaintiff claimed AAG violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, a federal law that restricts the use of telemarketing activities.

AAG is a company with a principal place of business in Orange, California. The class action contended that the company not only called the plaintiff, located in Pennsylvania, but also consumers nationwide with its annoying telemarketing messages.

Under the TCPA, companies are prohibited from contacting consumers with telemarketing messages via phone, fax and even text message without first obtaining consent from those consumers. The law was enacted by Congress in 1991 in an effort to turn the tide of telemarketing calls disturbing consumers at all hours of the day.

Violations of the TCPA carry high penalties, including fines of between $500 and $1,500 per violation. This means that a company making thousands of telemarketing calls a day in violation of the law may be on the hook for millions in these fines.

In addition to restricting telemarketing activity without consent, the use of automatic dialing systems and prerecorded messages, also known as robocalls, are prohibited as well.

According to the AAG class action lawsuit, AAG not only contacted consumers without consent, but also used “technology capable of generating thousands of similar calls per day,” a further violation of the TCPA.

Abramson alleged that in April 2019, he received a prerecorded telemarketing call from AAG. He says he did not consent to such a call. In addition, the call contained the following prerecorded message:

“Hey, it’s James with reverse mortgage saving center on a recorded line. Can you hear me OK?”

This statement was followed with an advertising message about AAG, says Abramson. Unfortunately, this was not the last call the plaintiff received from AAG. It was followed by several other calls, noted the complaint. The plaintiff says that he ended up calling a representative from AAG in an attempt to verify the source of the calls.

“Plaintiff and other call recipients were harmed by these calls,” contended the AAG telemarketing class action lawsuit. “They were temporarily deprived of legitimate use of their phones because the phone line was tied up, they were charged for the calls and their privacy was improperly invaded.”

The complaint also states that the calls were “frustrating, obnoxious, annoying,” and a nuisance to the plaintiff and other Class Members. For alleged violations of the TCPA, the class action lawsuit sought damages on behalf of the Class Members.

AAG admitted no wrongdoing, but agreed to pay $3.5 million to exit the class action lawsuit. In addition to paying claims to Class Members, the company has agreed to pay the plaintiff’s attorney costs and fees totaling $1.1 million, as well as a plaintiff’s award totaling $10,000. In addition, should any settlement funds remain, the amount will go to a public interest group and not back to AAG.

Under the terms of the AAG telemarketing class action settlement, Class Members are expected to receive between $20 and $40 depending on the number of valid claims submitted.

To make a claim in the settlement, Class Members must submit a claim form either online or by mail by Aug. 4, 2020. Class Members who wish to submit a claim online must have a claim number. Those who do not have the claim number can print and mail in a claim form.

The deadline for Class Members to opt out of or exclude themselves from the AAG telemarketing class action settlement is also Aug. 4, 2020.

A fairness hearing for the final evaluation of the settlement by the court is scheduled for Sept. 29, 2020.

Who’s Eligible

Class Members include consumers in the United States that received a call from or on behalf of American Advisors Group (AAG) between Jan. 1, 2017 and May 1, 2020.

Potential Award

Between $20 and $40.

Proof of Purchase

No proof of purchase, but Class Members without a Claim ID number will need to print and mail a claim form and cannot file a claim online.

Claim Form

CLICK HERE TO FILE A CLAIM »

NOTE: If you do not qualify for this settlement do NOT file a claim.

Remember: you are submitting your claim under penalty of perjury. You are also harming other eligible Class Members by submitting a fraudulent claim. If you’re unsure if you qualify, please read the FAQ section of the Settlement Administrator’s website to ensure you meet all standards (Top Class Actions is not a Settlement Administrator). If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other open class action settlements you may be eligible for.

Claim Form Deadline

08/04/2020

Case Name

Abramson v. American Advisors Group, et al., Case No. 2:19-cv-01341-MJH, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania

Final Hearing

9/29/2020

Settlement Website

TCPASettlementAAG.com

Claims Administrator

AAG TCPA Settlement Administrator
c/o KCC Class Action Services
P.O. Box 43513
Providence, RI 02940-3513
1-855-786-0906
admin@TCPASettlementAAG.com

Class Counsel

Anthony Paronich
PARONICH LAW PC

Defense Counsel

Eric J. Troutman
SQUIRE PATTON BOGGS LLP

Join a Free TCPA Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you were contacted on your cell phone by a company via an unsolicited text message (text spam) or prerecorded voice message (robocall), you may be eligible for compensation under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

GET A FREE CASE EVALUATION NOW

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