The Federal Communications Fee has declared ringless voicemails, a advertising software utilized by some automotive sellers, unlawful with out the buyer’s consent, ending a half-decade debate over whether or not the expertise fell beneath federal robocall restrictions outlined within the Phone Client Safety Act.

In its Nov. 21 declaration, the FCC stated the cellphone calls that go away a message on customers’ cellphone voicemails with out making the standard ring sound are unlawful and the FCC can implement violations or customers can file lawsuits in courtroom.

The observe has been utilized by some auto sellers, amongst different sectors similar to political campaigns, to telemarket to clients and skirt restrictions surrounding automated advertising calls.

Nonetheless, there was a surge of courtroom circumstances in recent times, with sellers paying thousands and thousands of {dollars} in settlements. In June, Moss Bros. Auto Group, a Riverside, Calif., dealership group, was ordered to pay $2.5 million in a class-action settlement.

Many client legislation specialists agreed the expertise fell beneath the Phone Client Safety Act. Ringless voicemail advocates, although, have stated ringless voicemails should not calls and subsequently don’t fall beneath the Act.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel launched a petition in February requesting the fee mandate client consent for ringless voicemails.

“Think about discovering robocallers leaving junk voicemails in your cellphone with out it ever having rung. It is annoying and it is occurring to too many people. As we speak we’re taking motion to make sure these misleading practices do not discover a means round our robocall guidelines and into customers’ inboxes,” Rosenworcel stated in a press release final week following the fee’s declaration.