SHAMEFUL: Lending Tree Lead At Center of Massive TCPA Class Action Involving Reprise Financial and the Old 999-9999 Number Trick

Check your CRM to make sure the number 541-999-9999 isn’t in there.

Go ahead. I’ll wait.

That number belongs to notorious serial TCPA litigator Chet Wilson and it is LITERALLY the oldest trick in the TCPA book. Obtain an all 9s number. Wait for marketing calls. Sue.

Rather obviously people like Wilson lack statutory standing– I made that case law way back in 2015 in the Stoops case– but that doesn’t stop Wilson from filing suit and winning many of them when Troutman Amin, LLP isn’t involved.

Here’s an example.

In Wilson v. Reprise Financial, 2026 WL 810636 (D. Or. March 24, 2026) the Court denied summary judgment to the defendant because instead of challenging Wilson’s lack of standing to bring suit they argued the SMS messages at issue weren’t telephone solicitations (and that was just a terrible argument.)

Backing up though, this is the same case where the defendant already lost the critical issue of whether SMS messages are calls– thanks for that– so I’m obviously displeased to see even more bad case law being created by these guys.

In Wilson defendant argued the messages weren’t solicitations because the number at issue was provided by a guy named Brian who filled out a form on LendingTree.com and intentionally put in a wrong number to avoid “spam” from Lending Tree.

If you’re wondering why that would make these messages not solicitations you’re not alone. Obviously Wilson did not provide his consent–some dude named Brian did, a damaging fact Defendant’s counsel decided to prove up for the Plaintiff for some reason. Might as well stipulate to liability while you’re at it.

The Defendant also argued the messages weren’t marketing on their face, even though they literally read: “We received your loan request through LendingTree. Please log in at RepriseFinancial.com to complete…” Like this is literally a request to complete a loan application. I suppose one could argue this is a transactional message under Aderhold–another case law trend I created–but there is plainly a question of fact here (and a common one!)

So Defendant lost. Massively.

And now a central issue in the case has been highlighted as common and, well, this case is likely to be certified now.

Another avoidable disaster.

As always, if you are buying leads you are buying risk.

When Lending Tree sold a 999-9999 lead it was PLAINLY selling a bad lead. And there’s no way Defendant should have bought it– but they did. And now they’re stuck in a huge and totally avoidable TCPA lawsuit.

So be smart. Pull out all those 999-9999 numbers. And have controls in place to avoid buying bad data!

For more critical–even if obvious– tips and tricks to assure TCPA compliance you MUST catch Queenie’s incredible compliance session on the first day of Law Conference of Champions IV! She will be explaining everything you need to know from an in-house perspective to stay compliant with the most dangerous marketing law on the books!

Chat soon.