Attorney General's News Release
March 27, 2006
Company selling films used non-profit organization as front to try to circumvent state No Call law, Nixon says
St. Louis, Mo. — Attorney General Jay Nixon has obtained a consent temporary restraining order against a for-profit seller of DVDs and videos and a non-profit organization that promotes family films to stop sales calls to Missourians on the state's No Call list.
The temporary restraining order is part of a lawsuit alleging that Feature Films For Families Inc. of Murray, Utah, and the Dove Foundation of Grand Rapid, Mich., conspired in a scheme to evade state No Call laws. Telemarketers from the Dove Foundation claimed its status as a charitable organization provided them with an exemption to the Missouri No Call law. In reality, the Dove Foundation was using that status to solicit sales for Feature Films For Families, a for-profit organization that sells DVDs and videos. The Attorney General's No Call unit received almost 300 complaints about the calls.
Nixon obtained a temporary restraining order in St. Louis City Circuit Court today that prohibits the defendants from making sales calls to those on the No Call list.
"Whenever a program works as well as Missouri No Call has, it's not surprising that some telemarketers will try to find a way around it," Nixon said. "That's why we look into every complaint we get to see if telemarketing calls are being made that violate the law."
The lawsuit is asking the court to issue preliminary and permanent injunctions against Feature Films for Families and the Dove Foundation to prohibit the solicitation calls. The lawsuit also is asking the court to order the defendants to pay appropriate penalties to the state and to pay the state's costs of bringing the legal action.
Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).
All media inquiries should be directed to the Press Secretary.
E-mail Phone: 573-751-8844 Fax: 573-751-5818