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FTC probes Largo company
By Abhi Ragnunathan and Lorri Helfand, Times Staff Writers
Published July 25, 2007
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[Josephe Garnett Jr. | Times]
From left, Strategia employees Timothy Harvey and Leon Talpalar discuss the company's programs.
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LARGO - The Federal Trade Commission shut down Strategia Marketing Wednesday morning, saying it was investigating whether the telemarketing company scammed consumers in a nationwide scheme, Largo police said Wednesday. Strategia, formerly known as Suntasia, sold discount shopping cards and access to an online shopping mall. The FTC, Largo police and Pinellas County officials were searching the company's Ulmerton Road offices Wednesday. The federal seizure comes in addition to a separate civil investigation on similar charges by Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum. The office is looking into the company's marketing practices as they relate to the sale of consumer data, unfair and deceptive trade practices regarding telemarketing sales and unauthorized debiting of consumer bank and credit accounts, according to press secretary Sandi Copes and the office's Web site. Strategia's record with the Better Business Bureau of Florida's West Coast is listed as unsatisfactory. The Bureau processed 174 complaints about the company in the last 36 months concerning misrepresentation in sales practices, unauthorized billing refund disputes and delivery issues, according to a profile on the Web site. Wednesday, employees told reporters they heard that the company is accused of inappropriately accessing customer bank accounts. Tom McCarley of Dunedin said he was driving to work about 7:55 a.m. when he saw 30 unmarked law enforcement vehicles drive quickly into the company's parking lot.
[Last modified July 25, 2007, 14:14:39]
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by Me
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07/30/07 11:33 AM
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What everyone of you have to understand is there is always two sides to every story. The media only provides you with the bad and that is what the american people feed off of. I have worked there for along time and enver once have I felt I was stealn
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by Wayne
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07/26/07 03:28 PM
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We have made a lot of happy customers. Some that didn't follow the instructions are dishappy. It was a good company that employed hundreds. Where are the workers going to get money to put food on their families now?
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by James W. Pittman Jr.
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07/26/07 01:13 PM
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Please tell me how to contact Atty. Gen. Bill McCollum.
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by Todd Hansen
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07/25/07 04:56 PM
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I used to be a manager at this corrupt company for 2 years and I'm surprised they stayed in business this long. Looks like Brian Wolf (owner) will have to sell the old yacht. Thank you Chris Patti (Director of Human Resources) for "Letting me go"!
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by Irvin
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07/25/07 04:33 PM
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Having worked for a telemarketing firm, they are usually all deceptive. They (FTC) should close them ALL down and make Telemarketing illegal. Any and all. As well as collections via phone.
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by Jackie
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07/25/07 03:38 PM
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It's about time the axe came down on this organization. My friends worked there years ago and said they were scamming back then. They pay well so employees keep quiet.
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by Mary
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07/25/07 03:11 PM
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I went to work for Suntasia several years ago and left after 2 hours, I just couldn't in good conscience call people and offer 'free' stuff that would end up costing them big bucks.
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by Angela
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07/25/07 02:58 PM
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I used to work there. They are so guilty. I always wondered when they would get caught.
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by Bill
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07/25/07 02:57 PM
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Hooray for the FTC. Florida is a mecca for these "telemarketing" companies. Any one with half (heck-maybe a quarter)of a brain knows what these scammers are up to.
It's great to see some consumer protection! Get em'.
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