Lawsuit answers unwanted phone calls

Nine businesses that called people on the state's No Sales Solicitation list face fines.

Compiled from Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times
published October 8, 2002

TALLAHASSEE -- Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles Bronson is suing nine Florida companies for telephoning people who are on a state list of those who don't want to receive sales calls.

Bronson is seeking civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation against the nine companies in various courts around the state, depending on where they do business, he said Monday.

Most commercial businesses are barred under a 1990 law from calling state residents whose phone numbers are on the No Sales Solicitation list, which costs $10 to join. The list, updated quarterly, has the phone numbers of about 160,000 Florida residents.

"When companies disregard their wishes and flout the law, we will go after them as aggressively as we can," Bronson said.

The sued companies:

-- Atlantic Vinyl Windows and Doors Factory Outlet Inc., of Dunedin.

-- Crums Climate Control Inc., of Orlando.

-- Affordable Heating and Cooling Inc., of Fort Myers.

-- Dun-Rite Carpet Dry Cleaning, of Port St. Lucie.

-- Vacation Station Inc., of Ormond Beach.

-- Glenn's Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services Inc., of Wellington.

-- Carpet Cleaning Experts, of Pompano Beach.

-- DG & JG Holdings Inc., of Pompano Beach.

-- National Consumer Council Inc., of Irvine, Calif.

Richard LaBelle, a lawyer for Atlantic Vinyl Windows, said the company was in settlement talks with the state.

John Galiszewski, owner of Carpet Cleaning Experts, said the company's previous owner apparently made the calls and his company isn't calling anyone on the list now. He was also involved in the Pompano DG & JG Holdings company, which has been dissolved.

The owner of Affordable Heating and Cooling said he didn't know about the suit and couldn't comment.

Representatives of Dun-Rite, Crums Climate Control, Vacation Station, Glenn's Carpet and National Consumer could not be reached for comment.

During the past five years, the department said, it has collected more than $658,000 in penalties and fines against approximately 55 companies for making calls to residents on the no-soliciting list.

Want on the list?

Getting on the No Sales Solicitation list costs $10 per number the first year, $5 a year thereafter. Obtain an application form by calling 1-800-435-7352, toll-free, or going to the Web site www.800helpfla.com/

tmkinstruct.html.

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