HOUSTON – We’ve received more than 600 comments on our Facebook Live explaining how to turn robocalls into cash.
If you missed Amy Davis' story, read it by clicking on the hyperlink below.
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READ: How you can get paid if you've been robocalled
Here are answers to the top 5 most common questions:
Can you get money for robocalls to landlines?
No, the section of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act that allows consumers to collect money from robocallers only applies to cellphones. This is because lawmakers realized that unwanted phone calls to your cellphone can cost you money in minutes when you answer the calls.
Why do I have to buy the kit you told us about in the story to get the money?
As I stated in the story, you don’t have to buy the kit, but it will make it easier for people who don’t know how to do much research to find the corporate offices of a company and get the name of the CEO and registered agent of the company. If you don’t know how to write a demand letter and you don’t want to try, you can get a template demand letter in the kit that lets you fill in the blanks with the name of the company calling you, etc.
Does this really work?
Yes! You do have to make some effort. It took me about two hours total from talking with the person who called my cellphone with an auto dialer, researching online to find the CEO and registered agent and address of the company, filling in the template demand letter, printing it and finally driving to a post office to send it via certified mail.
Can you send me a draft of your demand letter so I know what to write?
I used the template letter in the kit. Compton has copyrighted the kit, so I cannot just publish his work. I can tell you every demand letter should contain the following: what happened and when, what law was broken or act was committed that was harmful to you, an amount you are demanding for the violation, a date or deadline in which you want them to respond and your contact information so they can reach you by email, mail and phone.
What about those calls claiming to be from the IRS and Social Security Administration? Can I get money from those callers?
No. Those scammers are using auto dialers, but the Federal Trade Commission says they are outright fraudsters phishing for your personal information. They will not pay you because they broke a law. It is just what they do. The robocallers you can get money from are legitimate businesses trying to sell you a product. They are using auto dialers to reach a larger number of potential customers, but they have an actual product or service to sell. They don’t want the attention of the federal government on them. They would rather pay you than face a federal lawsuit from the FTC if it becomes widely known that they are breaking the law.