Rent-A-Center Sued for Sending Unsolicited Sales Texts—You Could Get $500-$1,500 Per Text 

Rent-A-Center Inc. faces a class action lawsuit filed January 7, 2026, alleging the company sent unsolicited marketing text messages to consumers whose phone numbers were registered on the National Do Not Call Registry. The lawsuit claims Rent-A-Center violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) by sending promotional texts without prior express written consent.

Plaintiff Dushawn Dante Minor filed the case in California federal court, seeking damages of up to $1,500 per illegal text message. The TCPA allows consumers to recover between $500 and $1,500 for each violation, making this a potentially costly lawsuit for Rent-A-Center.

This Affects You If You Received Rent-A-Center Texts

This affects you if your phone number has been registered on the National Do Not Call Registry for at least 31 days and you received more than one promotional text message from Rent-A-Center within any 12-month period during the last four years. Understanding this lawsuit matters because you may be entitled to significant cash compensation—potentially hundreds or thousands of dollars—if Rent-A-Center sent you multiple unsolicited texts after you registered on the Do Not Call list.

The TCPA class action lawsuit provides strong consumer protections against unwanted telemarketing, allowing you to recover statutory damages regardless of whether the texts caused you actual financial harm.

What the Rent-A-Center Lawsuit Alleges

Violations of Federal Telemarketing Law

The class action complaint alleges Rent-A-Center negligently, knowingly, and willfully sent unsolicited text messages to Minor and other consumers for the purpose of soliciting business. According to the lawsuit, these promotional texts violated the TCPA because they were sent to cell phones registered with the National Do Not Call Registry.

Minor claims he received numerous unsolicited text messages from Rent-A-Center promoting the company’s goods and services. His phone number was properly registered on the Do Not Call Registry at the time he received the texts.

The TCPA was enacted to protect consumers from exactly this type of unwanted contact—unsolicited advertising and marketing messages sent to mobile phones without the recipient’s prior express written consent.

Rent-A-Center’s Text Message Campaign

According to the lawsuit, Rent-A-Center sent non-emergency advertising and marketing text messages to consumers’ mobile phones without obtaining prior express written consent. The company allegedly ignored the federal Do Not Call Registry and continued sending promotional texts to registered numbers.

The complaint claims Rent-A-Center sent these texts for the purpose of promoting its rental and lease-to-own products and services. The messages were purely commercial in nature, designed to drive customers to Rent-A-Center stores or website.

Pro Tip: If you received Rent-A-Center promotional texts after registering on the Do Not Call Registry, save all the messages. Screenshot them with dates and times visible. These text messages are evidence of TCPA violations worth $500-$1,500 each. Even if you’ve since deleted the texts, your phone carrier may have records that can help prove you received them.

What the Law Requires

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act prohibits companies from sending unsolicited commercial text messages to cell phones. To legally send promotional texts, companies must obtain prior express written consent from recipients.

This consent requirement is strict. Simply doing business with a company in the past doesn’t give them permission to text you promotional offers. You must specifically agree in writing to receive marketing texts.

The National Do Not Call Registry provides an additional layer of protection. When consumers register their phone numbers on this federal list, telemarketers must wait at least 31 days before that number becomes protected. After that waiting period, companies cannot make telephone solicitations to those numbers.

Who Can Join the Rent-A-Center Class Action

Class Definition

The lawsuit seeks to represent anyone in the United States who meets all of these criteria:

You registered your phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry for at least 31 days. You received more than one telephone solicitation from Rent-A-Center or on behalf of Rent-A-Center within any 12-month period. These solicitations promoted Rent-A-Center’s goods or services. You received these texts within the four years prior to January 7, 2026 (the date the lawsuit was filed).

This means the class potentially includes anyone who received multiple Rent-A-Center promotional texts between January 7, 2022 and January 7, 2026, if their number was on the Do Not Call Registry.

What You Could Receive

If the class action succeeds or settles, eligible class members could recover between $500 and $1,500 per illegal text message. The exact amount depends on whether the court finds the violations were negligent or willful.

Negligent violations (where the company made a mistake) typically result in $500 per text. Willful violations (where the company knowingly broke the law) can result in up to $1,500 per text—triple the base amount.

If you received 10 unsolicited Rent-A-Center texts, for example, you could potentially receive between $5,000 and $15,000. Consumers who received dozens of texts over several years could be entitled to substantially more.

How TCPA Class Actions Work

Why the TCPA Is Powerful

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act is one of the strongest consumer protection laws in the United States. Unlike many lawsuits where you must prove actual damages, TCPA violations come with automatic statutory damages.

This means you don’t need to show the texts caused you financial harm, emotional distress, or any other tangible injury. The mere fact that you received unsolicited commercial texts to your cell phone is enough to establish damages of $500-$1,500 per text.

Congress created these automatic damages because unsolicited calls and texts are inherently invasive. They interrupt your day, waste your time, fill up your phone, and invade your privacy. The law recognizes these harms even if you can’t put a specific dollar amount on them.

Recent TCPA Settlements

Many companies have paid significant settlements to resolve TCPA class action lawsuits over unsolicited text messages. Real estate brokerage Fathom Realty recently agreed to pay $2.85 million to settle claims it violated federal telemarketing laws by sending unsolicited texts.

Sirius XM paid $28 million to settle TCPA violations for unwanted telemarketing calls to consumers on do-not-call registries. Cash App’s parent company Block paid $12.5 million to resolve a lawsuit over unsolicited referral texts.

These settlements demonstrate that companies face serious financial consequences for TCPA violations. Even though statutory damages are “only” $500-$1,500 per violation, they add up quickly when companies send texts to thousands or tens of thousands of consumers.

What Happens Next in the Rent-A-Center Case

Case Status

The Rent-A-Center class action was filed on January 7, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The case is Minor v. Rent-A-Center Inc., Case No. 2:26-cv-00150.

Plaintiff Dushawn Dante Minor is represented by Abbas Kazerounian, David J. McGlothlin, Mona Amini, and Gustavo Ponce of Kazerouni Law Group APC—a law firm that specializes in consumer protection and TCPA litigation.

As of January 2026, the case is in its early stages. Rent-A-Center has not yet publicly responded to the allegations. The company will likely file a response denying wrongdoing and may move to dismiss the case or compel arbitration.

Potential Outcomes

TCPA class actions can resolve in several ways:

Settlement: Rent-A-Center may choose to settle rather than fight the case through trial. Settlements typically involve the company paying a monetary fund to compensate class members, plus agreeing to stop the alleged illegal practices. This is the most common outcome in TCPA cases.

Class Certification: If the case doesn’t settle early, Minor will need to ask the court to certify the lawsuit as a class action. The court will evaluate whether there are enough similar claims, whether common legal questions predominate, and whether Minor can adequately represent the class.

Trial: If the case proceeds to trial and the plaintiff wins, Rent-A-Center could be ordered to pay $500-$1,500 per violation to each affected consumer, plus attorneys’ fees and costs.

Dismissal: Rent-A-Center might successfully argue the case should be dismissed. However, TCPA cases are notoriously difficult for defendants to dismiss because the law’s requirements are straightforward and violations are relatively easy to prove.

Your Rights Under the TCPA

How to Protect Yourself from Unwanted Texts

Register your cell phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry at donotcall.gov. Registration is free and permanent. After 31 days, telemarketers cannot legally send you unsolicited commercial texts or make telemarketing calls.

When you receive an unsolicited marketing text, respond “STOP” to opt out of future messages from that sender. Federal law requires companies to honor opt-out requests.

Be careful about giving out your phone number when shopping or filling out forms. Read the fine print carefully. Many companies bury consent to receive marketing texts in their terms and conditions.

Don’t check boxes or agree to “receive special offers” unless you actually want promotional texts. Your consent must be clear and specific to be valid under the TCPA.

What to Do If You Receive Illegal Texts

Save all unsolicited marketing texts you receive. Screenshot them showing the sender, date, time, and full message content. This evidence is crucial if you want to pursue a TCPA claim.

Keep track of how many texts you receive from each company. Remember, TCPA damages are calculated per text, so more violations mean more potential compensation.

Report TCPA violations to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov or by calling 1-877-382-4357. While the FTC won’t get you individual compensation, your complaint helps the agency identify companies with patterns of violations.

Consider consulting a TCPA attorney if you’ve received multiple unsolicited texts from the same company. Many TCPA lawyers work on contingency, meaning you don’t pay unless you win. The company must pay your attorneys’ fees if you prevail.

Similar TCPA Lawsuits Against Retailers

Pattern of Retail TCPA Violations

Rent-A-Center isn’t the only retailer facing TCPA claims. CVS Health faces a lawsuit over unwanted telemarketing texts filed in Georgia federal court in 2025. Anytime Fitness was sued for allegedly sending unsolicited prerecorded voicemail messages. Credit One Bank faced claims it made unsolicited calls to consumers.

These cases reveal a pattern: companies with large customer databases often use those phone numbers for marketing without obtaining proper consent. They may assume that because someone did business with them once, they have permission to send unlimited promotional messages.

That assumption is wrong under the TCPA. Past business relationships don’t automatically give companies permission to send marketing texts. Consent must be specific, clear, and documented.

Why Companies Keep Violating the TCPA

Despite multimillion-dollar settlements and clear legal requirements, companies continue sending unsolicited texts. Why?

For many businesses, the revenue from text message marketing campaigns outweighs the risk of lawsuits. They calculate that even if some consumers sue, most won’t—and the sales generated by texts will exceed any legal costs.

Some companies genuinely misunderstand TCPA requirements. They mistakenly believe that existing customer relationships or outdated consent covers new marketing campaigns.

Others use third-party marketing services that send texts on their behalf. These companies may not realize their vendors are violating the TCPA until lawsuits are filed.

What to Watch For

Upcoming Developments

Watch for news about whether the court certifies the Rent-A-Center case as a class action. Class certification is a critical milestone that determines whether the case can proceed on behalf of all affected consumers or only the individual plaintiff.

If you received Rent-A-Center promotional texts while on the Do Not Call Registry, you may receive notice about this lawsuit if the class is certified. The notice will explain your rights, how to file a claim, and important deadlines.

Settlement negotiations often begin after class certification. If Rent-A-Center and the plaintiffs reach a settlement, eligible class members will need to submit claims to receive payment.

Stay informed by checking Top Class Actions and other legal news sites for updates about the Rent-A-Center TCPA lawsuit. Major developments like settlements or trial dates will be widely reported.

Protecting Your Privacy Rights

The Rent-A-Center lawsuit is part of a larger battle over consumer privacy and corporate marketing practices. As businesses increasingly rely on text message marketing, TCPA enforcement has become more important than ever.

Your phone is personal. Companies shouldn’t have unlimited access to send you unwanted ads. The TCPA recognizes this by requiring your explicit consent before businesses can text you.

By understanding your rights and taking action when companies violate them, you help enforce these important privacy protections—not just for yourself, but for all consumers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much money can I get from the Rent-A-Center TCPA lawsuit?

You could receive between $500 and $1,500 for each unsolicited text message you received from Rent-A-Center while your number was on the Do Not Call Registry. If you received 10 texts, that’s $5,000-$15,000. Actual amounts depend on whether violations were negligent or willful.

How do I know if I’m eligible for the class action?

You’re eligible if your phone number was registered on the National Do Not Call Registry for at least 31 days and you received more than one promotional text from Rent-A-Center within any 12-month period between January 7, 2022 and January 7, 2026.

Do I need to hire a lawyer to join the class action?

No. If the case is certified as a class action, you’ll be automatically included if you meet the eligibility criteria. You don’t need to hire your own attorney. The class action lawyers represent all class members.

What if I deleted the Rent-A-Center texts?

You may still be eligible even if you deleted the texts. Your phone carrier may have records showing you received them. Additionally, Rent-A-Center’s own records should show what numbers they texted.

Did Rent-A-Center admit to violating the TCPA?

No. As of January 2026, Rent-A-Center has not publicly responded to the lawsuit. These are allegations that must be proven in court. Companies typically deny wrongdoing in TCPA cases.

How long will this lawsuit take?

TCPA class actions typically take 1-3 years to resolve. Cases that settle move faster than those that go to trial. Expect to wait at least several months for significant developments.

Can I still sue Rent-A-Center individually?

Yes, unless you sign up to be part of the class action. If you opt out of the class, you preserve your right to file your own individual TCPA lawsuit. Consult a TCPA attorney to determine which option is best for your situation.

Last Updated: January 14, 2026 — We keep this current with the latest legal developments.

Disclaimer: This article provides information about the Rent-A-Center TCPA class action lawsuit based on the January 7, 2026 complaint filed in California federal court (Case No. 2:26-cv-00150). It is not legal advice, and AllAboutLawyer.com does not provide legal services. If you have specific legal questions about this lawsuit or your TCPA rights, consult a qualified consumer protection attorney. Information is based on publicly available court documents and may change as the case proceeds.

Take Action Now: If you received unsolicited Rent-A-Center text messages while registered on the Do Not Call Registry, document those texts immediately. Screenshot them with dates and times visible. This evidence could be worth $500-$1,500 per text. Stay informed about this case for settlement opportunities.

Stay informed, stay protected. — AllAboutLawyer.com

About the Author

Sarah Klein, JD, is a licensed attorney and legal content strategist with over 12 years of experience across civil, criminal, family, and regulatory law. At All About Lawyer, she covers a wide range of legal topics — from high-profile lawsuits and courtroom stories to state traffic laws and everyday legal questions — all with a focus on accuracy, clarity, and public understanding.
Her writing blends real legal insight with plain-English explanations, helping readers stay informed and legally aware.
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