BASKING RIDGE, N.J.—Verizon Wireless settled a lawsuit with a telemarketing firm that had placed more than 500,000 Spanish-language calls to the carrier’s customers, telling them that they had won a trip to a resort and directing them to call a toll-free number to claim the prize.
Verizon Wireless sued All Star Vacations and Marketing Group Inc. of Miami in February, along with another Florida-based travel company, and recently amended the complaint to include Southeastern Bell Corp. and its principal officers Orlando Guitan and Juan Serrano. According to Verizon Wireless, All Star Vacations engaged Southeastern to actually place the marketing calls.
As part of the settlement, Verizon Wireless won a permanent injunction against All Star Vacations making telemarketing calls to the carrier’s customers. All Star Vacations paid Verizon Wireless $5,000, which the operator plans to donate to Casa de Esperanza on behalf of Verizon’s Hopeline program, which assists victims of domestic violence through handset recycling. Casa de Esperanza works against domestic violence in Latino communities.
