Longwood Industries - The Big Lot Ripoff FRAUD Improperly using a tax sheltered charity to abuse customers and circumvent the intent of the law Bedford Virginia
To the Consumer and Mr. Renee Fisher,
I have deduced the following facts from several phone calls placed to me from Longwood Industies:
1) Longwood Industries makes use of automated telecom equipment to place calls to millions of consumers. It gathers its phone data from numerous online classified sources nationwide. It then uses its equipment to call and if a voice mail or answering machine picks up, to leave a message to call back 800-430-1965. If a human answers the phone, the system hangs for a few seconds then terminates the call. The caller ID for these placed calls is (540)527-9990.
2) The number (540)527-9990 is not traceable and rings to a line that has been disconnected. If you reverse trace it using internet directories you find that it is a land line based in Roanoke Virginia and its service provider is Telcove (L3 communications). If you call Telcove and say that you have been receiving unsolicited phone calls that hang up on you, they will not give you any information other than to say that the same thing is happening to MILLIONS of people and to call 1-800-430-1965 and choose option #4.
3) The number 1-800-430-1965 goes to www.thebiglot.com. The CSRs will not give any information about the abusive telecom system that they operate, they will only offer to take your number off the list. If you mention the Do Not Call Registry, the tell you that they are a charity and don't abide by it.
The Big Lot is owned by Longwood Industries and is abusing it's tax sheltered status by using aggressive and consumer unfriendly tactics to get people to pay $89.95 for a car ad. Tell me again what this charity does? Oh yeah, it takes disadvantaged people and lets them work for the telemarketing/car ad place. Nice racket guys!
I knowlets open a charity to provide our lucrative telemarketing scheme a source of cheap labor! I don't know how long you have operated under the radar, but that is going to change!
This is how the automatic calling system works: After the lead is fed into the system, it starts a pattern of scheduled calling during normal working hours. Since I work from home, I answer my phone during the day and the system hangs then disconnects. The one day I was out on a job, it gets the machine and leaves a message to call Jeff back. The end result is that if you are home during the day, you are stuck in an endless cycle of being hung up on!
I want to hear from Mr. Renee Fisher how much he makes from all companies under the purview of Longwood Industries and compare that to reasonable compensation for a non-profit. Post your tax returns for usor else get ready for an audit!
Sam
Saratoga Springs, New York
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Sam
Saratoga Springs,New York,
U.S.A.
Threatened by Ms. Fisher
#4Author of original report
Mon, September 18, 2006
Today I called Longwood Industries to try and get some answers. I had Ms. Fisher paged to the phone -- I could only get my name out when she said the following:
"I am only going to tell you this once. If you call this facility again I am going to file harrasment charges" CLICK.
Longwood does a great job hanging up on people!
Ok Ms. Fisher. Apparently it is against the law to ask questions.
You still have not addressed my questions posted above:
Talk to me about the autodialer.... How does your "arrangment" with Adventis Inc work?
www.thebiglot.com has 189 cars listed in my area code (518). There are AT LEAST 400 active area codes in the US.
189 x 400 x $89 x 4 bill cycles = $27,000,000
That is a conservative estimate for your yearly revenue.
Where does it all go?
Sam
Saratoga Springs,New York,
U.S.A.
Canned Response by Renee Fisher...address my questions please!
#4Author of original report
Fri, September 15, 2006
Renee,
First, sorry for referring to you as a male in my original complaint.
Your response does not address the fact that Longwood Industries operates an auto-dialer in open violation of US Code 47 part 227.
law.cornell.edu/uscode/html /uscode47/usc_sec_47_00000227----000-.html
You also take active steps to mask your telecommunications activities.
I would like to know explicitly what your relationship is with Adventis Inc and thebiglot.com so I can try to understand why Longwood employees are calling on their behalf. Your refusal to abide by the National Do Not Call registry is puzzling. Your calls are made by a tax sheltered entity on behalf of a for-profit one? This is an interesting arrangement that can in no way be legal.
I would like to discuss it further. Please call me at 718-5xx-xxxx.
Thanks,
Sam
Renee
Bedford,Virginia,
U.S.A.
You Are Misinformed
#4UPDATE Employee
Fri, September 15, 2006
Longwood Industries is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization incorporated in the state of Virginia on July 17, 1972. Longwood has served disabled and disadvantaged citizens of Bedford City and County for over 30 years.
Longwood was founded for the purpose of providing employment opportunities for disabled and disadvantaged citizens of Bedford. Our mission statement clearly addresses the purpose of our company, which is to develop wage potential in an appropriate work environment and to achieve financial success while encouraging an environment of trust and integrity.
Longwood realizes that coming together as a diverse enterprise will help to meet the challenges of the future. In early 2000 we established an initiative to provide employment for our clients that helps them to achieve up-to-date working skills. This is part of our ongoing effort to rehabilitate our workers by giving them access to technology that translates to a real-world marketable skill set.
One of our many projects is purchasing wholesale internet advertisements from a variety of websites. The Big Lot is one such website. The process of reselling these value-added publications provides our clients with the type of career training needed for real-world job opportunities.
The Big Lot is not owned by Longwood Industries, and the characterization of the relationship between Longwood and The Big Lot in this report is erroneous.
Longwood Industries has a standard practice of performing an annual audit by IRS licensed CPAs. It is of paramount importance to Longwood that all of our relationships are deemed legitimate by the IRS and are governed by acceptable standard accounting practices.
For more information about Longwood Industries, please visitlongwoodinc.com.
Sincerely,
Renee Fisher
Director
Longwood Industries, Inc.