Talbots accused of illegal telemarketing

Boston The Federal Trade Commission on Monday accused Hingham, Mass.-based Talbots of making almost 3.4 million illegal telemarketing calls last year for both its Talbots and J. Jill brands. According to the FTC, the calls violated federal law intended to protect consumers against intrusive telemarketing.

The Boston Globe reported that a lawsuit was filed by the FTC in U.S. District Court Monday, alleging that the pre-recorded sales pitches, made between February and July, violated federal telemarketing rules that make it easy for recipients to stop receiving such marketing calls.

Specifically, the FTC said Talbots did not let customers know right away that they could press a button or call a toll-free number to be added to the company’s Do Not Call list.

In the court filing, the FTC asked a judge to issue a permanent injunction barring Talbots from future violations of the marketing rules and to order the company to pay civil penalties. The rules carry a maximum penalty of up to $16,000 per violation.