December 8, 2004
For many consumers, the only thing worse than a telemarketer is someone who ties up your fax machine with endless pitches for "hot" stocks and cures for baldness. In Missouri, at least, there are laws against that sort of thing.
A California company that sent out unsolicited advertising by "blast faxing" the ads to Missouri consumers has been ordered to pay a $67,500 penalty, in a default judgment.
St. Louis County Associate Circuit Judge Mary Bruntrager Schroeder issued a permanent injunction against QB Easy Inc., of Irvine, Calif., prohibiting the company or its employees from violating Missouri consumer protection laws by sending unsolicited fax advertisements to Missouri consumers. The judge also ordered the company to pay a civil penalty of $67,500 to the state of Missouri.
Attorney General Jay Nixon sued QB Easy in April 2004 after receiving complaints about 135 unsolicited fax ads that were sent advertising seminars titled "QuickBooks Training Made Easy." The defendants failed to respond to the lawsuit, and last month Nixon asked the court for a default judgment.
Nixon said some consumers continued to receive the unsolicited fax ads even after they called the opt-out number listed on the ad.
"Junk faxes are sent at the cost of the recipient," Nixon said. "This business continued its blast faxing to several consumers who asked that the faxes stop. Now QB Easy is looking at a hefty penalty in Missouri, and we will take whatever steps we need to in order to collect it."
