NEWS
	Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554	News media information 202 / 418-0500 Fax-On-Demand 202 / 418-2830 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: 202/418-2555
	This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Circ 1974).
	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 16, 1999 NEWS MEDIA CONTACT Emily Hoffnar 202/418-0253
	COMMON CARRIER ACTION FCC Issues Citations to Several Alleged Violators of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act
	This week, the Common Carrier Bureau's Enforcement Division (Enforcement Division) issued citations to several companies that apparently have violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA) and the Commission's telemarketing rules. The Enforcement Division's actions were based upon consumer complaints asserting that the cited companies had sent unsolicited advertisements to the consumers' telephone facsimile machines. The citations place each company on notice that subsequent violations may result in monetary forfeitures of up to $11,000 per violation. In the citation letter, the alleged violators are informed that they have 21 days to respond to the allegations, either by attending a personal interview at a Commission Field Office, or by submitting a written statement to the Commission. In their response, the alleged violators must specify what actions have been taken to ensure future compliance with the TCPA and applicable Commission rules. The following companies received citations this week: Headset Discounter, LLC, San Francisco, CA; Get-Aways, Inc., Camarillo, CA; US Notary, El Cajon, CA; Tri-Star Marketing, Everett, WA; and Carolina Liquidators, Irving, Texas. Currently, the sending of unsolicited advertisements to facsimile machines is the top TCPA-related complaint to the Commission, which has handled over a thousand such complaints so far this year. Complaints against these companies have been received from consumers nationwide. To remedy this problem, the Commission will continue to issue citations to companies that have allegedly violated the TCPA or the Commission's telemarketing rules. Action by the Common Carrier Bureau, Enforcement Division, by citation. -FCC- Common Carrier Bureau contacts: Jennifer Myers Kashatus at (202) 418-0960 Colleen Heitkamp at (202) 418-0960 TTY: (202) 418-2555