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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
 Posted - 02/16/2002 : 23:51:02
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The FTC has finally lowered the boom on Miss Cleo and Access Resource Services. I don't know what took so long but it was bound to happen eventually. You can read the FTC press release at:
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2002/02/accessresource.htm
This makes me very happy.
The Evil Skeptic
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
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Snake
SFN Addict
USA
2511 Posts |
 Posted - 02/17/2002 : 00:27:35 [Permalink]
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quote:
The FTC has finally lowered the boom on Miss Cleo and Access Resource Services. I don't know what took so long but it was bound to happen eventually.
Yes, I heard that on the news. But damn, I liked watching those commericals. Her accent was so intriguing, love people with accents.
*
Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2002 : 04:50:58 [Permalink]
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Yeah, it's about time.
But, I'm going to miss her (if indeed, she goes). She brought a little fun into the old grift. At least, fun for we who observe. Not so much fun for those paying the phone bills.
Nature abhors a vacumn. I wonder who and/or what'll replace her.
f
A hundred years before the advent of Hitler, the German-Jewish poet, Heinrich Heine, had declared: "Wherever books are burned, human beings are destined to be burned too."
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Snake
SFN Addict
USA
2511 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2002 : 13:08:58 [Permalink]
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quote:
Not so much fun for those paying the phone bills.
f
How can one really be sorry for those people?
*
Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2002 : 22:17:09 [Permalink]
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quote:
How can one really be sorry for those people?
The adds promised the first three minutes for free. Almost no one got anything free. Access also double billed. They billed for calls that were never made. They billed for time spent on hold.
I have a phone bill here from a woman that shows two billed calls made from the same number at the same time. This person has only one line.
Being curious or credulous does not make it OK for a company like access to rip you off.
If you want to spend your money foolishly, fine. But these people were taken. That's not OK.
If you go to Vegas and play blackjack and find out later that the dealer was cheating, should I not feel sorry for you because in my opinion you should not be gambling?
The Evil Skeptic
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous. |
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Lisa
SFN Regular
USA
1223 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2002 : 20:05:40 [Permalink]
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Just saw this on the news myself. At first I had a small chuckle of satisfaction. Then I was a tad dismayed. Did you notice why she's getting the boot? Illegal and fraudulent billing, mostly. Why hasn't anyone pointed out that you can't tell a person's future with a deck of cards! Who cares whether or not the first three minutes are free, she's taking money under false pretenses. It doesn't matter if she uses cards, ouija boards, or goat entrails, it still ain't gonna work.
In a way (a small way, rest assured) I feel sorry for the folks who fall for these scams. Do they find the real world so intimidating and frightening that they have to pay for fantasy reassurances?
Lisa
If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room. |
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Snake
SFN Addict
USA
2511 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2002 : 01:26:43 [Permalink]
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quote:
quote:
How can one really be sorry for those people?
The adds promised the first three minutes for free. Almost no one got anything free
We are talking about two different things. I didn't know about the fraud. You know I meant the people who call because they think she's for real.
And if there was double billing etc. there is recourse for that. One should never pay a phone bill until varifing it's correct and if not call the phone co.
*
Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.
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Snake
SFN Addict
USA
2511 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2002 : 01:37:05 [Permalink]
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quote:
At first I had a small chuckle of satisfaction. Then I was a tad dismayed. Did you notice why she's getting the boot? Illegal and fraudulent billing, mostly. Why hasn't anyone pointed out that you can't tell a person's future with a deck of cards! Who cares whether or not the first three minutes are free, she's taking money under false pretenses. It doesn't matter if she uses cards, ouija boards, or goat entrails, it still ain't gonna work.
IMO, the authorities don't want to ofend anyones beliefs but that's probably not it either, they can't prove a case for phoney card tricks. They can prove wrong phone bills.quote:
In a way (a small way, rest assured) I feel sorry for the folks who fall for these scams. Do they find the real world so intimidating and frightening that they have to pay for fantasy reassurances?
Lisa
We go to movies, read books, sports events, there are any number of distractions(for a price) any person can have. IMO, fantasy in there own way. If you don't want anyone to have fantasies, we'd live in a communist country where everyone just works and strugles for a living. Or be Muslim.
*
Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2002 : 20:44:03 [Permalink]
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quote:
We are talking about two different things. I didn't know about the fraud. You know I meant the people who call because they think she's for real.
And if there was double billing etc. there is recourse for that. One should never pay a phone bill until varifing it's correct and if not call the phone co.
The person who's bill I have did get the phone company to not charge her for one of the calls. Then Access Resource Services started calling her. They have their own collection agency. In fact, I bet that they are the main source of income for Access. Anyway, they called and used all the usual collection tactics like threatening to ruin her credit. They were very aggressive. When it was pointed out that the call could not have been made they were not swayed in any way.
Her roommate freaked out and paid the bill. I found out about that when I
called them on her behalf. I got them to acknowledge that she couldn't have placed both calls at the same time. But their position was that since the bill had been paid, the case was closed and they had no obligation to return the money. They got what they wanted, case closed...
While on the phone with me they denied being anything but a client of Miss Cleo's tele marketing service. When I pointed out that there was an article in Newsweek naming Access Resource Services as the company that brought us Miss Cleo, they said that the article was a lie. Of course, they were lying. This company is scum and total annihilation is what they have coming.
And that is all beside the point of selling a bogus product.
The Evil Skeptic
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous. |
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Tim
SFN Regular
USA
775 Posts |
Posted - 02/21/2002 : 15:35:04 [Permalink]
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I don't think we need to worry about Miss Cleo. She seems to be a fairly accomplished actress. Perhaps, she could land her own sitcom on the WB.
The people who call for their daily cold readings will not be down for long. There is plenty more psychic toilets to flush their money down.
"The Constitution ..., is a marvelous document for self-government by Christian people. But the minute you turn the document into the hands of non-Christian and atheistic people they can use it to destroy the very foundation of our society." P. Robertson |
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Snake
SFN Addict
USA
2511 Posts |
Posted - 03/16/2002 : 20:02:03 [Permalink]
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quote:
I don't think we need to worry about Miss Cleo. She seems to be a fairly accomplished actress. Perhaps, she could land her own sitcom on the WB.
Don't know if this is posted anywhere on this site, the date of the news story is recent though, since these posts have stopped but:
This is an article from ABC.com on the news link. I'd copy it but there's a note at the end saying they will arrest me if I do. All the nuts are in California, sigh.
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/misscleo020315.html
*
Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.
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@tomic
Administrator
USA
4607 Posts |
Posted - 03/27/2002 : 13:14:04 [Permalink]
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Hey! Check out this article on Slate: http://slate.msn.com/?id=2063700
I love that someone is going after Miss Cleo herself.
@tomic
Gravity, not just a good idea...it's the law! |
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