Attorney General's News Release

June 30, 2011

Attorney General Koster signs agreement with Florida telemarketers over No-Call violations --telemarketers to pay state $25,000--

Jefferson City, Mo. – Attorney General Chris Koster said today he has signed an agreement with a Palm Beach, Florida, company that called Missourians on the state No-Call list soliciting grocery coupon subscriptions and diabetic supplies.

Koster said Ernest Ganz III and Earnest Ganz IV, managers of J.E.C.C., LLC, have signed an assurance of voluntary compliance (AVC) agreeing to pay the state $25,000. The AVC was filed today in St. Louis City Circuit Court.

Koster said in addition to paying the state $25,000, the defendants are prohibited from making any telemarketing calls to Missourians on the No-Call list. In addition, they must obey Missouri’s Merchandising Practices and No-Call laws as set out in Missouri statutes. He said the settlement also includes the stipulation that the defendants will pay $5,000 per violation for any future violations of Missouri’s consumer protection laws.

"Missouri's No-Call law is clear, and businesses should understand that we will stop them if they ignore the law," Koster said. "The Attorney General's office will continue to aggressively pursue telemarketers who ignore our laws and continue to make prohibited calls."

Koster reminds Missourians they can sign up for the Do-Not-Call hotline on his website at www.ago.mo.gov or by calling 1-866-buzzoff (1-866-289-9633). He encourages consumers who receive harassing solicitation calls to file a complaint at 1-866-662-2551.