Lionheart Group Scam Prevention Toolkit » consumers

Refunds Totaling More Than $11.8 Million to Consumers Defrauded by Q-Ray Bracelet Scam

Fri, 06 May 2011 21:28:48 +0000

An administrator working for the Federal Trade Commission is mailing 248,931 refund checks to consumers defrauded by QT Inc., Q-Ray Company, and Bio-Metal, Inc., and their owner, Que Te Park, also known as Andrew Q. Park, who made false and misleading advertising claims that the Q-Ray bracelet provided immediate and significant pain relief and deceptively advertised their refund policy. More than $11.8 million is being returned to people who purchased the Q-Ray bracelet and filed a claim form. Purchasers will receive an average of about $47. Consumers who receive the checks should cash them by mid-June 2011. The FTC never requires consumers to pay money or provide information before redress checks can be cashed. Q-Ray consumers with questions should call the redress administrator, Analytics Inc., at 800-269-0056 or visit the FTC’s Q-Ray bracelet webpage . Source: FTC Federal Trade Commission v. QT, Inc.; Q-Ray, Company; Bio-Metal, Inc.; Que Te Park, also known as Andrew Q. Park; and Jung Joo Park (Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division) .

Report Finds 60 Percent Increase in Pharmaceutical Industry Deals That Delay Consumers’ Access to Lower-Cost Generic Drugs

Wed, 04 May 2011 01:07:26 +0000

Pharmaceutical companies struck an unprecedented number of deals in Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 in which the manufacturers of branded products paid potential generic rivals and generic companies agreed to defer the introduction of lower-cost medicines for American consumers, according to an overview of industry data released by the staff of the Federal Trade Commission . The FTC staff report found that the number of these deals skyrocketed more than 60 percent, from 19 in FY 2009 to 31 in FY 2010. Overall, the agreements reached in the latest fiscal year involved 22 different brand-name pharmaceutical products with combined annual U.S. sales of about $9.3 billion. “Collusive deals to keep generics off the market are already costing consumers and taxpayers $3.5 billion a year in higher drug prices,” said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz. “The increasing number of these deals is a win-win proposition for the pharmaceutical industry, but a lose-lose for everyone else.” Millions of Americans rely on generic drugs to make medicine affordable, and generics also help hold down costs for taxpayer-funded health programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Generic prices are typically at least 20 to 30 percent less than the name-brand drugs, and in some cases are up to 90 percent cheaper. In recent years, certain brand-name companies have paid generic challengers to settle their patent challenges and delay the introduction of lower-cost medicines. An FTC staff study has found that such settlements that include a payment delay generic entry by 17 months longer on average than those that do not include a payment. The FTC has challenged a number of these patent settlement agreements in court, contending that they are anticompetitive and violate U.S. antitrust laws. The agency also has supported legislation in Congress that would prohibit settlements that increase the cost of prescription drugs. Source: FTC

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Report Finds 60 Percent Increase in Pharmaceutical Industry Deals That Delay Consumers’ Access to Lower-Cost Generic Drugs

Direct E-Cig ‘Free’ Offer for Smokeless Cigarettes Turned Into a Real Drag … – Tucson Citizen

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 21:42:59 +0000

Direct E-Cig 'Free' Offer for Smokeless Cigarettes Turned Into a Real Drag … Tucson Citizen by bbbconsumeralert on Apr. 28, 2011, under alert, Life, scam , Tips Consumers who tried to take advantage of “free” Internet offers for smokeless cigarettes say they were burned by unexpected charges that totaled $100 or more, Better Business Bureau … and more

Bud Hibbs Wants Your Junk Debt Buyer Affidavits from Debt Collection Lawsuits

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 14:41:00 +0000

Bud Hibbs is attempting to collect affidavits to show that junk debt buyers engage in signing documents where they claim to have firsthand knowledge of the accounts and that these affidavits are routinely

Maker of Rascal Scooters to Pay $100,000 for Violating Do Not Call Law

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 01:42:09 +0000

Called Consumers on Registry Using Phone Numbers Gathered From Sweepstakes Entry Forms The manufacturer of Rascal Scooters, used by disabled and senior consumers with limited mobility, will pay $100,000 to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it illegally called millions of consumers who had chosen to avoid unwanted telemarketing calls by listing their phone numbers on the national Do Not Call Registry. The FTC alleges the firm illegally used phone numbers gathered from sweepstakes entry forms to contact consumers whose numbers are on the Registry. The FTC’s complaint charges scooter manufacturer Electric Mobility Corporation and its owner Michael Flowers with making more than three million illegal sales calls since 2003 to consumers on the Do Not Call Registry who had entered the company’s “Win a Free Rascal” sweepstakes. According to the FTC, in small print under the part of the sweepstakes form provided for the entrant’s phone number, EMC reminded consumers to list their numbers so the company could contact them if they were “the next lucky winner.” EMC encourages consumers to enter its sweepstakes through direct mailing, newspapers, and television advertisements. The FTC charged that its conduct violated both the FTC Act and the Do Not Call provisions of the Telemarketing Sales Rule. The FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule allows a company to call a consumer on the Do Not Call Registry for up to 18 months if it has an “established business relationship” with the consumer and he or she has not asked the firm to stop calling. However, under the Rule, a company may not rely on a completed sweepstakes entry form to establish a business relationship with a consumer. In fact, the FTC consistently has said that simply obtaining a consumer’s phone number – as EMC did with its sweepstakes – does not establish a relationship that would exempt it from the Do Not Call rules. The order settling the FTC’s charges bars EMC from using sweepstakes entries as the basis for claiming an established business relationship with any consumer. The order also includes monitoring and reporting requirements to ensure that EMC complies with its terms. In addition, the order imposes civil penalties against both EMC and Flowers for their alleged violation of the FTC Act. Flowers will pay $100,000, and EMC is subject to a $2 million penalty, which is suspended based on its inability to pay. If EMC is found to have misrepresented its financial condition, the full penalty will become due immediately. Source: FTC United States of America, Plaintiff, v. Electric Mobility Corporation, doing business as Rascal Scooters, and Michael J. Flowers, individually and as an officer of Electric Mobility Corporation, Defendants (United States District Court for the District of New Jersey) Case No. 1:11-cv-02218-RMB-KMW

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Maker of Rascal Scooters to Pay $100,000 for Violating Do Not Call Law

Judge Issues Huge Smackdown on Debt Collectors and Industry for Harassing Consumers on Facebook and Social Media

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:41:00 +0000

This should be a warning to every debt collection company in the United States that do not reign in collectors that break the law to make a quick commission. Legal precedence and decisions such as this will cost your companies mega-bucks. Personally I hope debt collectors do continue to harass consumers this way, so that the consumers can sue the pants of of the idiots and put money in their pockets for enduring the abuse. I like getting paid for debt collectors breaking the law. I’ve made more suing devious debt collectors than they ever have from me, and as long as they flaunt the law consumers can and will get paid for the harassment. A debt collection company operating in Jacksonville Florida, MarkOne financial, has (probably fired by now)

Your Tax Dollars at Work–TSA Caught Fondling 6 Year Old Little Girl

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 02:17:00 +0000

For me this is the last straw. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has gone too far and I dare them, the department of homeland security or anyone else to stifle my thoughts and opinions of this outrage. I have a daughter. While she is an adult now if what I am about to share had happened to her, I would not have stood by and let it happen. I am a real guy and it takes a lot to affect me emotionally, what the TSA did to a six year old little girl has me choked up and almost to the point of tears. The more I think about the incident the angrier I get. FACT: The TSA has not to date ever stopped a terrorist action. Yet the continue to harass and embarrass U.S. citizens without any probable cause. Children being are being groped, breast cancer survivors are being subjected to routines normally reserved for criminals. Guess what… Your hard earned tax dollars are being spent on this useless arbitrage against citizens of this country. Call your congresspersons and other leaders and demand that the Transportation and their porno-scanners be abolished. You can bet as long as there is breath in my body I will campaign to end the TSA’s activities.

Two More Consumers Fend Off Debt Collectors in Court and Win with “THE BOOK”

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 01:00:38 +0000

I do love hearing that readers of the Stick it to Sue Happy Debt Collectors Book are fighting back against frivolous debt collection lawsuits and winning. Consumers that cannot afford and attorney can defend themselves in court again debt collectors and leave triumphant. Below are portions of emails that I received today from readers. I am so glad that I can empower people and enjoy their victories nearly as much as they d0.

Regulator Puts an End to Chikita’s Tactics of Online Advertising That Deceived Consumers Who Wanted to "Opt Out" from Targeted Ads

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 03:23:00 +0000

Chitika Inc.’s Opt-Out Expired After Only 10 Days The FTC reached a settlement with online advertising company Chitika, Inc. that ends the company’s allegedly deceptive practice of tracking consumers’ online activities even after they have chosen to opt out of online tracking on Chitika’s website. The FTC investigated Chitika as part of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers’ privacy online. Chitika, whose website states that it delivers three billion ad impressions a month, acts as a go-between for websites and advertisers. According to the FTC complaint, Chitika buys ad space on websites and contracts with advertisers to place small text files called cookies on those websites. Chitika also uses a technique known as behavioral advertising – by placing “cookies” on consumers’ computer browsers, the company tracks consumers’ activities on the web, including searches the consumer has conducted and sites the consumer has visited. Based on consumers’ online activities, the company then displays ads to them that correlate to their interests. The FTC alleged that in its privacy policy the company says that it collects data about consumers’ preferences, but allows consumers to opt out of having cookies placed on their browsers and receiving targeted ads. The privacy policy includes an “Opt-Out” button. Consumers who click on it activate a message that states, “You are currently opted out.” According to the FTC complaint, from at least May 2008 through February 2010, Chitika’s opt-out lasted only 10 days. After that time, Chitika placed tracking cookies on browsers of consumers who had opted out and targeted ads to them again. The FTC charged Chitika’s claims about its opt-out mechanism were deceptive and violated federal law. The settlement bars Chitika from making misleading statements about the extent of data collection about consumers and the extent to which consumers can control the collection, use or sharing of their data. It requires that every targeted ad include a hyperlink that takes consumers to a clear opt-out mechanism that allows a consumer to opt out for at least five years. It also requires that Chitika destroy all identifiable user information collected when the defective opt out was in place. In addition, the settlement requires that Chitika alert consumers who previously tried to opt out that their attempt was not effective, and they should opt out again to avoid targeted ads. Source: FTC In the Matter of Chitika, Inc., a corporation FTC File No. 1023087

Is American Express Violating the Credit Repair Organizations Act Using A Debt Collection Letter?

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:18:00 +0000

Last month I received and unusual letter from American Express Centurion Bank offering me a chance to repair my credit, by them offering a credit card, if I pay an alleged debt. I do believe this “offer” is an unfair and deceptive act that may violate the Credit Repair Organizations Act by promising to improve my credit. The letter gets even funnier, further down in the letter they use a carefully worded phrase (after offering me a new credit card) that states, “After you pay your balance in full we will send you a pre-qualified application for a new Optima card”.