Up until the new budget, it was illegal to make robocalls to a cell phone. That changed with the new budget. Congress snuck in a provision to allow debt collectors to use cell phones to collect debts on anyone with educational loans or other federal debts including back taxes. Congress did not allow amendments to the back door plan.
It modifies the communications act to allow the calls starting in nine months. That means students could become inundated with calls from debt collectors by next year. The government has made getting a college education even harder for those of limited means.
This is a give away to the debt collectors and further grows the economic gap between the 1% and the rest of us. Consumers Union has noticed and has launched a counter-attack. Follow the advice of Consumers Union support the "hang up" movement to repeal this legislation and allow Americans to use their phones as they wish.
Here's what the Consumers Union says,"
It is currently illegal for debt collectors to robocall your cell phones without permission.
A sneak provision in the federal budget rushed through Congress this week (no amendments allowed) would change that -- but lawmakers are already feeling your wrath and have filed a separate bill to repeal the provision before it takes effect.
Section 301 of the budget authorizes debt collectors to robocall anyone with educational loans or other federal debt including back taxes. It lets the debt collectors call their relatives, their references and even any unrelated person who happens to have the reassigned cell phone number of any of the above.
Debt collectors have already been robocalling cell phones illegally, and not necessarily the right cell phones.
Just this week we heard stories like this: "We got a robocall from a debt collector two days ago. When we called back they asked for someone who has nothing to do with us. I verified the number is ours, but we do not know this person."
Now Congress and the President have given them the nod to go ahead legally unless the HANG UP Act passes quickly. If lawmakers had been required to vote on this idea as a stand alone bill, it wouldn't have had a chance. No American -- regardless of philosophy -- wants robocalls to their cell phone. So now we have that stand-alone bill. Tell your lawmakers to support the HANG UP Act!
The FCC receives 255,000 complaints about robocalls a year. Anyone who has a federal tax issue or a problem with their home loan through the FHA could also be receiving nuisance calls.
Giving one of the most abusive industries in the U.S. free rein to inundate people with robo-calls to their cellphones is a terrible idea,” said Margot Saunders, Of Counsel to the National Consumer Law Center. “Cellphone calls can distract people while driving, interrupt them at their jobs, and needlessly impose a cost on struggling families by using up scarce minutes. Debt collectors regularly call land lines to harass and threaten friends, family, and even strangers with similar names to the debtor. No one will be safe from receiving abusive calls on their cell phones if this provision goes through.
Don't be silent. Support the "hang up" act to take back your cell phone rights.