The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia ruled unanimously Thursday that, under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), consumers may withdraw their consent to have robo-callers contact them by cell phone. The ruling directly applies to debt collectors that use automated calls to notify customers of delinquent payments. Now, if a consumer says in writing (s)he wants robo-calls to stop, collection agencies have to comply. <more>