Hockey Team Gets Cornered in Text Spam Class Action

By Sarah Mirando | July 22, 2013

Category: Legal News

By Jessica Tyner

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) was enacted to protect people from getting spam cell phone calls and texts, particularly when an automatic dialer is used. No company, agency or business is exempt from TCPA laws — including professional sports teams. Recently, a hockey fan in California filed a class action lawsuit against the Pittsburgh Penguins over text messages he claims were sent without his permission.

Most professional teams offer the chance for fans to opt into text message alerts. This helps people keep up to speed with trades, news, scores and everything else hockey-related. The fan in question admits he signed up for the texts, but says in the class action lawsuit that he got more texts per week that the original agreement states, which was three per week.

The disgruntled fan alleges in the class action lawsuit that the first week after subscribing, the team sent him five text messages — four texts were sent the next week. Seeing that this was clearly a TCPA violation, he filed a lawsuit. Each text can bring a penalty of $500-$1,500, so it’s easy to see how TCPA compensation can quickly add up. He claims that any texts beyond three per week were “sent in excess” and he also added breach of contract to his TCPA claim.

This is just one example of how companies can easily break TCPA rules. Big names like Steve Madden, Papa Johns and even Google have been tied up in TCPA class action lawsuits. Sometimes, the company may not realize they’re violating the rules, and that knowledge comes into play when deciding how high the penalty should be.

There are numerous TCPA class action lawsuits because if a company is texting you, they’re probably texting many other people, too. Joining forces is a great way to streamline the process and get a faster resolution. You’ll enjoy the same benefits and still get your own story told, but much of the research has already been done so it’s quicker.

Do You Have a TCPA Complaint?

Do you think you’re a victim of a TCPA violation? There are many class action lawsuits happening, and you just might qualify for a TCPA legal claim. Sometimes the only way to stop a company from harassing customers is to file a lawsuit.

Learn about active TCPA class action lawsuits at the Text Message Spam, Cell Phone Call TCPA Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Investigation. You’ll get to submit your information, and a lawyer will contact you for a free TCPA claim review if you have a case.