JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Federal Trade Commission is mailing 305 checks totaling $314,945 to consumers who paid up-front for worthless credit card interest rate reduction programs pitched by Payless Solutions using illegal robocalls.
According to the FTC’s complaint, filed jointly with Florida’s Office of the Attorney General, the Orlando-based defendants illegally called thousands of consumers nationwide -- including many seniors -- and claimed their program would save them at least $2,500 and enable them to pay off their debts more quickly.
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After convincing consumers to provide their credit card information, the defendants then charged between $300 and $4,999 up-front for their worthless service. The agencies also alleged that in some cases the defendants illegally charged consumers without their consent.
The FTC is providing full refunds, which average more than $1,000 each, to consumers who lost money, as identified by the defendants’ records or by complaints the consumers filed with the FTC or any agency that submits complaints to the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network.
Recipients should deposit or cash checks within 60 days, as indicated on the check. The FTC never requires consumers to pay money or provide account information to cash a refund check.
The FTC and Florida Attorney General’s Office worked with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the case.
Consumers with questions about these refunds should contact the FTC’s refund administrator, Rust Consulting Inc., at 866-759-6513. More information about the FTC’s refund program is available at ftc.gov/refunds. The FTC is no longer accepting refund requests in this case.
FTC law enforcement actions led to more than $2.3 billion in refunds for consumers between July 2017 and June 2018. To learn more about the FTC’s refund program, visit www.ftc.gov/refunds.