Jefferson City, Mo. – Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster has joined an effort asking Congress to reject legislation letting businesses 'robo-call' customers on their cell phones.
The pending bill is the Mobile Informational Call Act of 2011 (H.R. 3035). It would allow debt collectors and telemarketers to contact consumers on their mobile phones, leaving those who pay by the minute or who have limited minutes on their phone picking up the tab.
Current federal law bans robo-calls to cell phones unless the consumer gives prior consent. The bill under consideration would make businesses free to call any consumer who has provided his or her phone number during the course of a transaction--even if the consumer asks not to be contacted.
Koster says he would like to see a similar state law prohibiting robo-calls to cell phones and let consumers to add their cell phone numbers to Missouri’s no-call list.
