Complaint Correction
Complaint
Diana Cheek
Country: United States
I am the owner of Consumer Advocates, Inc., located in Yorba Linda California. I do not use auto dialers, this posting is incorrect. I operate a legitimate Debt illumination Back End company. I do not solicit clients directly. There is a company in Fountain Valley, CA that is using my company name on their auto dialer. If you talk to them they will give you their real name and phone number. They claim to be consumer advocates and therefore use that name in their automated message. I suggest you answer the auto call and talk to them if you want to get to the truth.
Comments
The problem created by autodialer users is that those who abuse the devices often do so in multiple ways. They typically spoof caller id, use generic, deceptive, or multiple names to hide who they are, use deceptive messages and sales pitches, etc. Many of them are running outright scams, trying to get account numbers to run up charges and then break off contact, so the niceties of phone courtesy are not even a consideration.
This creates a practical problem for legitimate businesses who may wish to preserve their good name.
The problem is not consumers filing complaints against some name, as they only have whatever information they know of to associate with the problem caller, and the perpetrator is intentionally clouding the picture. Complaints will continue as long as scammers continue to use it, and just as there is an infinite supply of suckers from the scammers point of view, there is an infinite supply of new consumers to report new Do Not Call or fraud violations.
You may think that by incorporating, registering DBAs or trademarks, or whatever, you own your name and reputation. The problem is that there are practical limits to effectively maintaining control of your name. To the extent your name is relatively generic, it is likely to be used by less reputable "operations", and your options are to, what? sue what you already may know is a fly-by-night operation? How long before another one happens to pick the same name?
Generic sounding names expose you to increased risk of damage by such operations, and limit your legal remedies. They are also likely to be harder to protect as trademarks.
The more practical solution for legitimate businesses is to use more distinctive names, both because scammers are less likely to steal them, and because they are more legally protectable.