Complaint Review: Sterling Registry - Ronkonkoma New York

 I was solicited on the phone by someone who identified himself as Mr. Gary Couso, and he said that he was the Senior Editor of Sterling Registry.  He had seen my name and profile on the Internet and that I was listed with Continental Who's Who. He was offering a branding listing with other things (certificates, trophy, plaques, other) for $999:  I had told him that I was not inerested, especially at that price. He eventually said that I could be just listed in their registry for $99.  For $99, I said OK, not forseeing any problems.  This was inl ate March of 2015.

  I provided my Company's debit card information, which is not something I usually do.  For $99, I saw no problem as that was all I was allowing permission for on charging my Company's debit charge. I received an invoice from Sterling Registry for several hundred dollars for other vanity items such as the certificates and plaques, which required my signature to provide my entering into this transaction; furthermore, on the invoice my debit card info was listed.   I did not sign it nor agree in any form to such and I had called Mr. Cuoso and had instructed him as to my decline of any further services from him or Sterling Registry. 

  Being a very busy man, I had not thought any further of this.  I had noticed that My Company's business checking account was consistantly lower than it should have been a few times over the next few months.  In mid August, 2015, I had been notified that my Company's checking account had now been overdrawn for almost One Thousand Dollars!  I went to the bank and had been informed that Sterling Registry had taken $999.00 from the debit card, without my permission or agreement!

  Further research going back into the history of my Company account showed that Sterling Registry had repeatedly taken a total of six charges, and none of them were of the $99 amount.  A total of $2992 had been inappropriately charged from my account!  I immediately closed the debit card and contacted Mr. Cuoso, who acted as though that this incident was a mistake and he promised that he would take care of this .   A couple of weeks later, he stated that $1200 would be returned , and in early September, that did happen.  I still demanded all monies returned immediately: despite promises that the office would look into this (I had emailed him as to the charges and the dates thereof): no effect of such had been gleaned. Eventually, Mr. Cuoso would say that he had to get off of the line and that he would call back in 5 or 10 minutes, and he would never return the call.

   I had called the telephone number on Sterling Registry's website at least 8 times: twice, I had left a messages and my contact information regards this, and I have never received any answer.  I had emailed them twice and have never gotten anywhere, either.

   I had repeatedly called Mr. Cuoso about this, attempting to be patient to resolve this successfully.  I had him for the telephone numbers of the people in Sterling Registry's main office and its' owners, so I could contact them directly.  He mentioned two owners of the business, but neither name comes up in any search online.  He also gave me another telephone number for a woman by the name of Joy: it was a wrong number.  Mr. Cuoso had told me that Sterling Registry was owned by Sterling Biographies, a well known publisher.  The is no proof of that whatever, or its' affiliation to any other publishing firm.  Sterling Registry has no d/b/a listing in the Suffolk County, NY, where they have their office listed as such: there is also no listing for them in the New York State Secretary of State's Office.

   I have submitted a detailed letter of complaint to the BBB of New York, the NY State Attorney General Office's, Visa and Certififed Mail to Sterling Registry: Sterling had received the letter but I have received no answer at this time, which is now over one month.  The BBB of New York  they have sent two letters to Sterling Registry with no answer whatever.  I have made a report to the Federal Trade Commission. I am now making my further complaint here in the hopes that I can save someone else from this kind of issue: Sterling Registry has caused me over-draft fees, days of aggrevation and loss of my Company's monies that should never have been filched: yes- filched! Stolen!

   Do not trust anyone from Sterling Registry for anything:  it is even questionable as to any names of their representitves or employees are valid or real: they could be entirely ficticious. Futhermore, be very carefull of anyone that has gotten your information off of the Internet and is soliciting you - for anything!