Telenav Text Message Class Action Settlement Set for $3.5 Million

The wireless navigation company Telenav, hit with a TCPA lawsuit over its text alert system, has reached a $3.5 million text message class action settlement.

The lawsuit against Telenav alleges that the company sent text messages to consumers pushing them to download the Telenav app “Scout,” in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).

According to the lawsuit, consumers were targeted with text messages from the company telling them to “download Scout.” Even when consumers asked the company to stop these messages, the texts reportedly continued. The TCPA lawsuit, filed back in July 2016, has now reached a text message class action settlement in California federal court.

Telenav is set to pay funds directly to consumers affected by the text messages. The text message class action settlement will be paid in two installments. The first will be made up of smaller payments, and paid to the U.S. consumers who received at least one text message from Telenav encouraging them to “Download the Scout App.” The second installment will be made up of larger payments, to be paid to those who received more than one of these kinds of messages, continuing even after they tried to opt out of receiving the texts.

According to the company’s own estimate, around 200,000 individual consumers had received the preliminary “Download the Scout App” text message. Another 1,800 continued to receive texts even after trying to opt out by texting “NO,” “UNSUBSCRIBE,” or a similar variation that withdrew their consent.

Despite the text message class action settlement agreement, Telenav maintains that these text messages did not violate the law.

Basics of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act, or TCPA, first came about back in 1991. The TCPA was intended to protect consumers from unwanted solicitation through technology.

The TCPA has always focused on the placement of unwanted robocalls, or the use of an auto dialer or pre-recorded messaging system to contact consumers who have not given their explicit permission to receive such calls. Of course, as new technology such as cell phones has emerged over the years, the TCPA has further expanded to include text messaging as well.

According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), reports of TCPA violations are extremely common. The FCC received more than 215,000 individual TCPA complaints in the year 2014 alone.

Reporting TCPA violations or filing a lawsuit over unwanted automated text messages can help keep companies in check, and may also reward consumers with a set amount of award money per individual violation. If you have been on the receiving end of unwanted or harassing texts or robocalls from Telenav or another company without having first given your permission, you may be able to report these as TCPA violations and receive compensation.

Keep messages and phone records of the unwanted text messages and/or robocalls placed to your phone. In order for your TCPA claims to be most effective, you will need proof of these violations.

UPDATE: On Feb. 19, 2019, Top Class Actions viewers started receiving checks in the mail from the Telenav Scout app class action settlement worth as much as $850.83! Congratulations to everyone who filed a claim and got PAID!

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