Do you have too much positive goodwill in the community and marketplace? Need to shed some so you can pump up your bad boy image? How would you like to engage in some illegal conduct that will result in claims of invasion of privacy, harassment, aggravation and disruption in the daily life of thousands of consumers?

And, best of all, do you just happen to have a few million bucks burning a hole in your pocket? If so, have I got a deal for you! Just start a telemarketing campaign or, better yet, hire a third-party to start a telemarketing campaign for you, and start calling and texting consumers’ cell phones without doing your legal homework. That’s just what happened to one Florida Ford dealership who recently settled a federal class-action suit for millions of dollars that it allegedly violated the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

Here’s what happened.

Originally published in Tennessee Dealer News, March/April 2019.