I sent back the products they claim they didn't receive it. Been charged 100 dollars and another 29.95 sent to claims I had to pay so I wasn't sent to collections.
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tj
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Proactive is running a fraudulent "health product" cramming scam, set up to cram "automatic shipments" for unwanted product.
Such scams typically create barriers to consumers trying to cancel, which may include deceptively hiding the automatic ordering or cancellation terms, not answering phones consumers are supposed to call to cancel, shipping the "sample" to arrive after the cancellation deadline, ignoring or "losing" cancellation requests, requiring that unwanted shipments sent after cancelling be returned to get credit, "losing" returns, etc.
They don't make their money on the "free trials", and they don't depend on "happy customers" deciding to order at full price. They typically give them a "push", a little "incentive", at least to pay for a full priced shipment or two.
With a cramming scam, it's just too "convenient" that the returned unwanted shipment fails to arrive, since it fits in with the other deceptive tactics used by these scams to force "orders" onto consumers.
It's basically mail fraud, aided in this case by "chicken billing" by North Shore, which IS a collection agency. North Shore is well known for "chicken billing" in connection with magazine subscription renewal scams.
What sort of letter did you receive from North Shore? Did it clearly identify North Shore as a debt collector, and notify you that you had the right to dispute the alleged debt? Were you contacted by phone, by either Proactive or North Shore? What did they say?
File fraud complaints with FTC, your state Attorney General, and the US Postal Inspector.
You might also want to discuss this with a consumer attorney, as there may be grounds for a class action lawsuit with this type of fraud. You can find a consumer attorney in your state through www.naca.net
How was the product returned? If by UPS, FedEx, or USPS with delivery confirmation, did you run a tracer?
If by non-traced USPS, did you file a "lost package" complaint with the Postmaster, or US Postal Inspector?
If USPS is delivering the packages, yet the company is falsely claiming they aren't arriving, putting the blame (unprovably) onto USPS, that is mail fraud.
0
tj
FTC settlement with Expert Global Solutions and its subsidiaries, including NCO and NOrth Shore Agency.
"For Release: 07/09/2013 World's Largest Debt Collection Operation Settles FTC Charges, Will Pay $3.2 Million Penalty Largest Civil Penalty Ever Obtained by the FTC Against a Third-party Debt Collector
The world’s largest debt collection operation, Expert Global Solutions and its subsidiaries, has agreed to stop harassing consumers with allegedly illegal debt collection calls and to pay a $3.2 million civil penalty – the largest ever obtained by the Federal Trade Commission against a third-party debt collector.
In its complaint, the FTC charged that the companies violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the FTC Act by using tactics such as calling consumers multiple times per day, calling even after being asked to stop, calling early in the morning or late at night, calling consumers’ workplaces despite knowing that the employers prohibited such calls, and leaving phone messages that disclosed the debtor’s name, and the existence of the debt, to third parties. According to the FTC’s complaint, the companies also continued collection efforts without verifying the debt, even after consumers said they did not owe it.
Under the proposed order, whenever a consumer disputes the validity or the amount of the debt, the defendants must either close the account and end collection efforts, or suspend collection until they have conducted a reasonable investigation and verified that their information about the debt is accurate and complete. The proposed order also restricts situations in which the defendants can leave voicemails that disclose the alleged debtor’s name and the fact that he or she may owe a debt.
Also under the proposed order, the defendants must: stop falsely representing that they will not call a number to collect a debt; not harass, oppress, or abuse a consumer while attempting to collect a debt; not communicate with third parties about a consumer’s debt; not communicate with a consumer at his or her workplace if it is clearly inconvenient or prohibited by the consumer’s employer; except in limited circumstances, cease communications if a consumer has requested no further contact or if a consumer refuses to pay a debt; and not violate any provision of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The defendants also are required to record at least 75 percent of all their debt collection calls beginning one year after the date of the order, and retain the recordings for 90 days after they are made.
With more than 32,000 employees and revenues in 2011 of more than $1.2 billion, the Texas-based Expert Global Solutions and its subsidiaries – ALW Sourcing, LLC; NCO Financial Systems, Inc.; and Transworld Systems, Inc., which also does business as North Shore Agency, Inc. – collectively are the largest debt collector in the world. In addition to their U.S. offices, the companies operate in Canada, Barbados, India, the Philippines, and Panama. ..."
Comments
Such scams typically create barriers to consumers trying to cancel, which may include deceptively hiding the automatic ordering or cancellation terms, not answering phones consumers are supposed to call to cancel, shipping the "sample" to arrive after the cancellation deadline, ignoring or "losing" cancellation requests, requiring that unwanted shipments sent after cancelling be returned to get credit, "losing" returns, etc.
They don't make their money on the "free trials", and they don't depend on "happy customers" deciding to order at full price. They typically give them a "push", a little "incentive", at least to pay for a full priced shipment or two.
With a cramming scam, it's just too "convenient" that the returned unwanted shipment fails to arrive, since it fits in with the other deceptive tactics used by these scams to force "orders" onto consumers.
It's basically mail fraud, aided in this case by "chicken billing" by North Shore, which IS a collection agency. North Shore is well known for "chicken billing" in connection with magazine subscription renewal scams.
What sort of letter did you receive from North Shore?
Did it clearly identify North Shore as a debt collector, and notify you that you had the right to dispute the alleged debt?
Were you contacted by phone, by either Proactive or North Shore?
What did they say?
File fraud complaints with FTC, your state Attorney General, and the US Postal Inspector.
You might also want to discuss this with a consumer attorney, as there may be grounds for a class action lawsuit with this type of fraud. You can find a consumer attorney in your state through www.naca.net
If by UPS, FedEx, or USPS with delivery confirmation, did you run a tracer?
If by non-traced USPS, did you file a "lost package" complaint with the Postmaster, or US Postal Inspector?
If USPS is delivering the packages, yet the company is falsely claiming they aren't arriving, putting the blame (unprovably) onto USPS, that is mail fraud.
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2013/07/nco.shtm
"For Release: 07/09/2013
World's Largest Debt Collection Operation Settles FTC Charges, Will Pay $3.2 Million Penalty
Largest Civil Penalty Ever Obtained by the FTC Against a Third-party Debt Collector
The world’s largest debt collection operation, Expert Global Solutions and its subsidiaries, has agreed to stop harassing consumers with allegedly illegal debt collection calls and to pay a $3.2 million civil penalty – the largest ever obtained by the Federal Trade Commission against a third-party debt collector.
In its complaint, the FTC charged that the companies violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the FTC Act by using tactics such as calling consumers multiple times per day, calling even after being asked to stop, calling early in the morning or late at night, calling consumers’ workplaces despite knowing that the employers prohibited such calls, and leaving phone messages that disclosed the debtor’s name, and the existence of the debt, to third parties. According to the FTC’s complaint, the companies also continued collection efforts without verifying the debt, even after consumers said they did not owe it.
Under the proposed order, whenever a consumer disputes the validity or the amount of the debt, the defendants must either close the account and end collection efforts, or suspend collection until they have conducted a reasonable investigation and verified that their information about the debt is accurate and complete. The proposed order also restricts situations in which the defendants can leave voicemails that disclose the alleged debtor’s name and the fact that he or she may owe a debt.
Also under the proposed order, the defendants must: stop falsely representing that they will not call a number to collect a debt; not harass, oppress, or abuse a consumer while attempting to collect a debt; not communicate with third parties about a consumer’s debt; not communicate with a consumer at his or her workplace if it is clearly inconvenient or prohibited by the consumer’s employer; except in limited circumstances, cease communications if a consumer has requested no further contact or if a consumer refuses to pay a debt; and not violate any provision of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The defendants also are required to record at least 75 percent of all their debt collection calls beginning one year after the date of the order, and retain the recordings for 90 days after they are made.
With more than 32,000 employees and revenues in 2011 of more than $1.2 billion, the Texas-based Expert Global Solutions and its subsidiaries – ALW Sourcing, LLC; NCO Financial Systems, Inc.; and Transworld Systems, Inc., which also does business as North Shore Agency, Inc. – collectively are the largest debt collector in the world. In addition to their U.S. offices, the companies operate in Canada, Barbados, India, the Philippines, and Panama.
..."