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Fwd: Psychic Hotline Notice from Better Business Bureau By: Mark Morgan on 3/2/2001; 1:22 PM --- Barry Karr <SkeptInq@aol.com> wrote: > Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 16:54:51 EST > Reply-to: CSICOP Announcement <CSICOP-ANNOUNCE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM> > From: Barry Karr <SkeptInq@aol.com> > Subject: Psychic Hotline Notice from Better Business Bureau > To: CSICOP-ANNOUNCE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM > > Better Business Bureau Reports on Florida Psychic Hotline > > The Buffalo, NY, Better Business Bureau (a US consumer advocacy > organization) issued the following press release on February 27 regarding > more than a thousand complaints of bogus phone charges from "Miss Cleo's" > Florida-based psychic hotline--which has become moderately famous through a > series of evening and latenight infomercials broadcast nationwide: > > [Buffalo, NY] February 27, 2001 - The Better Business Bureau is receiving > calls from area consumers regarding Miss Cleo from "Mind & Spirit", a dba > for Access Resource Services, 1007 N Federal Highway, # 272, Ft. Lauderdale, > Florida. Miss Cleo is offering "free" psychic readings by calling one of > several 800 numbers. Each number then refers callers to a 900 number. > > According to information supplied by nearly 1200 consumer complaints filed > at the Florida BBB, the consumer alleges that Access Resource Services is > sending past due notices for services rendered for calls made to a 900 > number for psychic information. Consumers are informing us that either they > did not make the calls or hung up before charges should have been incurred. > > Our file experience shows that this company has an unsatisfactory record. > Specifically, our records show a pattern of no response to customer > complaints brought it its attention by the Bureau and a failure to eliminate > the basic cause of customer complaints. Complaints that have been responded > to by Access Resource's attorney state that the complainant has been > credited for all amounts billed, the complainant's name has been removed > from all mailing lists and the company will not pursue collection efforts. > > On November 1, 2000, The Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General filed > suit against Access Resource Services Inc. for violations of the > Pennsylvania's Consumer Protection Law, Debt Regulations, Telemarketing > Registration Act and the Fair Credit Extension Uniformity Act. The suit > alleges that defendants falsely promised callers placed on hold that they > would not be charged for the time they waited to be connected to a psychic > reader; that consumers were connected to a pay per call line without their > knowledge; falsely promised certain caller that they were entitled to free > gifts and additional free time with a psychic; and told consumers to call a > 900 number for a free reading, then informed them that if they hung up they > would be billed for the call, including the free reading. The lawsuit seeks > consumer refunds, permanent injunctions, civil penalties, forfeiture of all > profits derived by the defendants as a result of their alleged illegal > business practices, and payment of the Commonwealth's investigation costs. > The case is pending. > > "According to Federal regulations, any consumer finding billing errors can > call the number on your telephone bill listed with the 900 charges within 60 > days of receiving the bill. Oral notification is sufficient to begin a > billing review and payment of disputed 900 service charges is not required > during the review period. No action to collect disputed 900 charges should > be taken during the review period," says Warren King, manager of the BBB. > "Written acknowledgement of your dispute must be provided to you within 40 > days of receiving your notice if the error has not been corrected or the > billing review is not completed. The billing review must be completed within > 90 days and an explanation must be provided to you if the bill was correct > or the error must be corrected." > > If you continue to have problems, consumers can file a complaint online at > www.buffalo.bbb.org <http://www.syracuse.bbb.org> or with the Federal Trade > Commission by calling 877-987-3728. > > ### > > If you know of a friend or relative in Pennsylvania who has been billed for > possibly bogus charges from Access Resource Services, Inc., you might want > to put them in touch with the Pennsylvania Attorney General: > > Address: > Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Mailing Address: > 16th Floor, Strawberry Square > Harrisburg, PA 17120 > > Phone: > 717-787-3391 > For the appropriate e-mail contacts go to: > http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/contact/index.cfm ===== Mark Morgan: mark_morgan@yahoo.com http://www.VoicesOfUnreason.com "obeisances before the written word" CS Lewis: "We read to know we're not alone." __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/
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