Attorney General's News Release

September 27, 2011

Attorney General Koster settles with New York telemarketing company for violation of no-call laws --state receives $10,000 settlement--

Jefferson City, Mo. – Attorney General Chris Koster said today his office has signed an agreement with a New York company that called Missourians on the state No-Call list soliciting home-improvement contracting.

Koster said William C. Bergmann, a Missouri resident, and his New York company, C. Michael Exteriors, Inc., have signed an assurance of voluntary compliance (AVC) and paid the state $10,000. The AVC was filed in Jackson County Circuit Court.

Koster said that in addition to paying the state $10,000, the defendants are prohibited from making any telemarketing calls to Missourians on the No-Call list. In addition, they must obey Missouri’s 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.