Compliance & Legal

​

Important: You Must Comply

Outbound calling has strict legal requirements. Breaking the rules can result in:

• Large fines (TCPA violations: $500-$1,500 per call)
• Lawsuits from customers
• Account suspension
• Criminal liability (in extreme cases)

We handle most compliance automatically, but you are responsible for:

1. Having the right to call people
2. Respecting their opt-out requests
3. Following timing rules
4. Recording consent where required

​

Do Not Call Registry

The Do Not Call (DNC) Registry is a list of people who don’t want to receive calls. We automatically check against this list. If someone is on it, we won’t call them.

​

Exceptions

You CAN call people on the DNC list if:

• They’re an existing customer (called in past 18 months)
• They explicitly opted in to your calls
• They’re family/close personal friends (rare in business)

​

Managing Opt-Outs

If someone says “Put me on your Do Not Call list”:

1. Clara recognizes this
2. Call is immediately stopped
3. Their number is added to your internal DNC list
4. We never call them again
5. (Also honor their request—don’t call manually)

You must honor opt-out requests within 30 days (we do this immediately).

​

Calling Times

You can only call between:

• 8:00 AM - 9:00 PM (in their local timezone)

Do not call:

• ❌ Before 8am
• ❌ After 9pm
• ❌ On Sundays or holidays (TCPA rules vary; we err on the side of caution)

Pro tip: Set your calling window to 9am-5pm to stay safe.

​

Recording Consent

When calling in certain states/countries, you must get consent to record. Clara automatically says:

“This call may be recorded for quality and training purposes. If you don’t consent, press 1 to hang up.”

Why? Legal requirement in “two-party consent” states (California, Florida, Pennsylvania, etc.). If they don’t consent: Stop the call and don’t record.

​

Lead Source Requirements

You can call:

• ✅ Existing customers - Anyone you’ve done business with
• ✅ Opted-in leads - People who signed up on your website
• ✅ Referred customers - People referred by existing customers
• ✅ Appointment reminders - Any customer with a scheduled appointment

You cannot call (without consent):

• ❌ Cold leads with no relationship to you
• ❌ People from purchased lists (usually illegal)
• ❌ People who haven’t given you permission

​

Documentation

Keep records showing:

• How you got their number (“They booked on our website” / “Existing customer”)
• When (date they signed up or last visited)
• Contact history (previous calls, emails, visits)

We automatically log this in your campaign records.

​

Spoofing & Number Masking

You must use a real business number. You cannot:

• ❌ Spoof your phone number (make it look like someone else’s)
• ❌ Use someone else’s business name on caller ID
• ❌ Mask your identity

Your business name or number must appear on caller ID. We enforce this automatically. All calls show your real business number.

​

Telemarketing Rules

If your calls are marketing (selling products/services):

• ✅ Required: Caller ID showing your real business name/number
• ✅ Required: Say your business name and purpose (“calling about our new service”)
• ✅ Required: Provide a callback number
• ✅ Required: Respect opt-out immediately
• ❌ Prohibited: Calling outside 8am-9pm
• ❌ Prohibited: Using pre-recorded calls (we don’t—Clara sounds real)

Informational calls (appointment reminders, surveys) are less regulated.

​

State-Specific Rules

California (strict)

• Two-party consent: “This call may be recorded”
• No calls before 8am or after 9pm (PT)
• Strict lead source requirements

Florida (strict)

• Similar to California

Texas

• Generally less strict
• Still follow DNC rules

Federal (TCPA)

• Applies everywhere in the US
• Restrictions on SMS, email, fax

Outside the US

• GDPR (Europe): Requires opt-in before calling
• PDPA (Singapore): Similar to GDPR
• CASL (Canada): Requires prior consent

When in doubt, contact a lawyer for your state/country.

​

Disclosure Requirements

Clara must identify herself clearly: She should say:

“Hi, this is Clara from [Business Name]. I’m calling about [Reason].”

Not:

“Hi, this is your friendly assistant calling.”

(Being transparent that Clara is AI is good practice, though not legally required everywhere.)

​

Complaint & Dispute Process

If someone complains about your calls:

1. We investigate - Check if call was legal
2. We show you the recording - Exactly what was said
3. You provide documentation - Proof they’re a valid lead
4. Resolution - We remove them from future calls or show proof of compliance

Keep records. You’ll need to defend your campaign.

​

Common Violations

​

Violation 1: Calling Someone on DNC List

Problem: You called John Smith, but he’s on the national DNC list. Penalty: $500-$1,500 per call (automatic lawsuit) Fix: We prevent this. We check every number against DNC before dialing.

​

Violation 2: Calling Outside Permitted Times

Problem: Calling at 10pm because you set your script to run 24/7. Penalty: $500+ per call Fix: Always set calling window to 8am-9pm in customer’s timezone.

​

Violation 3: No Opt-Out Mechanism

Problem: Customer asks to not be called and you ignore them. Penalty: $500+ per subsequent call Fix: Always honor opt-outs immediately. Clara recognizes “stop” and “remove me.”

​

Violation 4: Spoofing Caller ID

Problem: Calls show “999-9999” instead of your real number. Penalty: Up to $43,000 per call + criminal charges Fix: We use real phone numbers. Never spoof.

​

Violation 5: Calling Non-Existent Leads

Problem: Buying lead lists and cold-calling people. Penalty: Class action lawsuits, FTC involvement Fix: Only call existing customers or people who opted in.

​

Setting Up Compliance

When creating a campaign, we ask: “What is your lead source?”

• Existing customers
• Website opt-ins
• Appointment reminders
• Referrals
• Other

Select accurately. We use this to validate your campaign legally. If you select wrong, we may block your campaign.

​

Checklist Before Launch

Before launching any campaign: If you answered “no” to any, don’t launch. Fix it first.

​

Getting Legal Help

We’re not lawyers. If you have questions: Contact:

• Your lawyer - They know your state’s laws best
• TCPA.com - General TCPA compliance info
• FTC.gov - Federal Trade Commission guidance

Email us at support@agentclara.ai - We can point you to resources.

​

Questions?

Legal compliance questions? Email support@agentclara.ai and we’ll help you understand our compliance tools. Need legal advice? Hire a lawyer. TCPA violations are expensive.

---

Never skip compliance. The fines aren’t worth it.

---

Questions? Email support@agentclara.ai