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Freedom Gold, Suntasia scam, ripoff, fraud, fraudulent billing and unethical phone solicitation Largo Florida
My wife also got scammed by Freedom Gold. She got the call offering free gas coupons and airline vouchers because we have good credit. The telemarketer had our bank name address, routing number and what my wife thought was the account number, which he rattled off to my wife. She did not know the account info so got a check and verified what our info was (yes she knows now how dumb that was). He said the conversation needed to be recorded and proceeded to talk as though the phone call just began, said was was being offered, had her repeat the account info, and at some point my wife decided she did not want to get the package and the telemarketer basically said it was too late and she had to wait for the package to decline it. I know down the line the topic went from free stuff to something like $19.95 but he rattled off everything so fast that she was not sure what was said.
The package never came and two weeks later a charge for $149 was on the account. I called our bank (USAA) and they said if we filed a police report and faxed it to them that they would do a reverse transaction. I also contacted the FBI locally by phone and online, The Florida Attorney General's office, Florida Better Business Bureau, and my local police department. I contacted Freedom Gold as well and they gave a big run-around about sending written cancellation for a refund. They also played back the recording of my wife's conversation but denied that not all of the conversation is recorded. When the police were at my house for the report, they even called Freedom Gold and got the run-around.
The Florida Attorney General's office contacted Freedom Gold about the complaint, which Freedom Gold responded back to with a cheesy statement and a check for $149 back to us. I also got a letter from an Attorney General investigator who I will be calling soon because getting my money back is not enough. They need to be stopped and people like you and I need to make a big stink to every agency we can until it becomes big enough of a problem that the government has to act.
Here is the letter sent from Guardian Marketing Services' (Freedom Gold) legal counsel Donald L. Booth:
"Guardian Marketing Services Corp. is a telemarking service company doing, among other things, customer ervice for companies in the telemarketing industry. This is the case with Ms. *****. As a part of our customer service policy, this office handles customer service complaints that reach the level of a written complaint to a third party.
At your request, a review of the ****** account occurred. While a review of the account, records of conversation with customer service representatives and the digital verification record, seems to support the sale; we've requested a refund from Freedom Gold. Enclosed in Ms. *****'s copy of this letter is a reimbursement check in the amount of $149.00 per her request.
Ms. *****'s telephone number, obtained from her complaint, is on the company's Do Not Call list by visiting www.donotcall.gov.
Unless Guardian Services Corp. hears further on this matter, it will be considered resolved. Should you require anything further, please do not hesitate to contact the undersigned."
What a bunch of bull. If these people scammed you, contact the following agencies:
-FBI: www.ic3.gov to file an online report and contact your local FBI office as well
-Florida Attorney General's office: to file an online complaint go to http://myfloridalegal.com/contact.nsf/contact
-Florida Better Business Bureau: http://www.bbbwestflorida.org to file a complaint and see the many complaints already on file
-US Post Office: If you did get the package from them, you might be able to file a complaint through them also at www.usps.com/postalinspectors/fraud/MailFraudComplaint.htm
-Florida Dept. of Consumer Services:
http://www.800helpfla.com/
-Hillsborough County Consumer Protection Agency:
www.hillsboroughcounty.org
Kevin
Colorado Springs, Colorado
U.S.A
NOTICE!
_____________________________________________
---IMPORTANT File your Rip-off Report now---
FYI, Attorneys General nationwide, FTC, FBI, US Postal Inspectors, Homeland Security, US Justice Department and most other Authorities Including Government Authorities in more than a dozen other countries and Local & National News Media all view Rip-off Report,.. Well put YOU in contact with them if you want them to help further your cause, YOU make that choice when you sign into your Rip-off Report account.. It is important to file with the authorities, but, consumers and other authorities never get to see what consumers filed with any other agency not even the BBB! All they do is suck in your info and no one else gets to see it. That is why it is important to ALSO file with us here at Rip-off Report. Your filed Rip-off Report will more than likely be prominent on the search engines. Lawyers sue us all the time to remove them, but we NEVER do! All other independent consumer websites remove claims made by victims when they are sent a letter from the Reported businesses lawyers.. WE DO NOT.
Lawyers read Rip-off Report too, those attorneys interested in helping your situation or if a Class Action Lawsuit is being filed, Rip-off Report will contact YOU with their contact information. We dont give out your info!
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Angela
Carrollton,Virginia,
U.S.A.
I DID RECEIVE HELP (((LINKS)))
#3Consumer Suggestion
Sun, February 11, 2007
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN SCAMMED LIKE I WAS: PLEASE TRY WHAT I DID AND HOPE YOU GET AS FAR AS I DID. THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION LISTED HERE ON RIPOFFREPORT.COM. BECAUSE OF THIS I WAS ABLE TO RECEIVE MY $149.00 BACK THAT I DID NOT AUTHORIZE!
-FBI: www.ic3.gov to file an online report and contact your local FBI office as well
-Florida Attorney General's office: to file an online complaint go to http://myfloridalegal.com/contact.nsf/contact
-Florida Better Business Bureau: http://www.bbbwestflorida.org to file a complaint and see the many complaints already on file
-US Post Office: If you did get the package from them, you might be able to file a complaint through them also at www.usps.com/postalinspectors/fraud/MailFraudComplaint.htm
-Florida Dept. of Consumer Services:
http://www.800helpfla.com/
-Hillsborough County Consumer Protection Agency:
www.hillsboroughcounty.org
OUT OF THE ITEMS ABOVE THESE HELPED ME AND TO BE ABLE TO FILE COMPLAINTS!
I WISH WE ALL COULD DO MORE TO TAKE THEM OUT OF BUSINESS. BUT ALTEAST YOU MAY GET YOUR MONEY BACK! I STARTED WITH MY BANK. THEN WENT TO FLORIDA BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU. THEN I WENT TO FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL OFFICE. I DID ALL THIS ON LINE AND WAS RESPONDED BACK BY E-MAIL AND RECEIVED LETTERS IN THE MAIL FROM BOTH OF THEM WITH A CHECK OF $149.00. THEY STATE IF I FAX THEM MY OVER DRAFT FEES I MAY GET REIMBURSED ALSO. I'LL LET YOU KNOW.
BUT AGAIN THANK YOU FOR YOUR POSTING OF THESE COMPANIES/PEOPLE TO HELP OUT. IN MY CASE, IT HELP. (I STILL DO NOT KNOW HOW THEY GOT MY ACCOUNT?)
HOPE THIS HELPS SOME ONE ELSE!
Joe
Here,Florida,
U.S.A.
Another Warning Sent Out On Distinct Advantage And Other Programs Marketed By Suntasia!
#3UPDATE EX-employee responds
Tue, November 28, 2006
THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA SENT OUT AN ALERT TO THEIR STUDENTS ABOUT DISTINCT ADVANTAGE AND OTHER PROGRAMS PROMOTED BY SUNTASIA!
The following alert is from the UVA website.
Scams from new sources:
11/15/06 - Be aware of a phone scam.
The caller is claiming that the person has won a gift from their financial institution for being a member or customer in good standing.
We know of these calls being placed from the "727" area code. In the past, this group has used the business names of Distinct Advantage, Freedom Gold, and Capital Vacations. Do NOT give your account number, social security number, bank name or any other personal or financial information in response to any unsolicited phone call.
End of Alert.
This is the 8th warning sent out on this company in the last few months. Six of those alerts cam from banking institutions and the other two are from the Better Business Bureau and UVA.
If you want to read the scam alert for yourself from the UVA website, just copy and paste the link below.
http://www.wise.virginia.edu/oit/security/scams.html