Who called from 3058901351

I know this company very well b/c I use to work for them. Lasted about a year before I found out about their shameful business tactics. Many have got their money back but others were just taken.

If you are tired of the calls, send them a “certified” Cease and Desist letter (see sample below). Next, contact the Better Business Bureau and file a complaint with them b/c at least it assures you that Suntasia (Now Strategia Marketing) will have to respond. This is another thing they don’t like to do. It forces them to give a response to the BBB and thus give back the money owed if you were ripped off. Also contact your local media (IE new stations) and let them know about these crooks. They were exposed 3 times last year on tv by local news stations around the country.

Finally, whether you do or don’t get a response from Suntasia contact your local tv news station anyway. Most news channels in your area have a consumer complaint tip hotline. Go on the net and log on to their site. I know this would be a “juicy” story for them especially during the months of November, February and May b/c of the ratings period. They need unique stories to get their audiences attention.

I also suggest you file a complaint with your state attorney generals office and in Florida as well letting them know the situation. There was an active State investigation which began in June of last year which I believe is still on going.

Below is a sample of the Cease and Desist letter you can use to make them stop calling you.

Your Name
Address
Date

Attn: Donald Booth
Suntasia Marketing (Now Strategia)
8751 Ulmerton Road,
Largo, FL 33771

Dear Mr. Booth:

I request that you CEASE and DESIST in your efforts to market your products to my phone (insert number(s) here). I am NOT interested in anything your company has to offer.

Also if you don’t comply with my request I will seek legal action against your company as well as contacting the local media and the Better Business Bureau. It is my personal policy not to deal with marketing companies that solicit over the phone without my consent.

You are hereby instructed to cease and desist any marketing efforts immediately by deleting my name, address and phone number(s) from your dialing system or face legal sanctions under applicable Federal and State law.

GIVE THIS LETTER THE IMMEDIATE ATTENTION IT DESERVES (scumbag is optional here)

Cordially

Your name here

End of letter

Note:

Make sure you sign the letter otherwise it is not legal. Also, make sure you certify the letter when you send it. This way you have proof they received it. One last thing, remember to list ALL the phone numbers in your home including cellphones so they don’t have a chance to slip through the cracks and call you.

Your name, address and phone number are obtained through a third party company that they purchase it from. The third party company gets their information by the products you buy, or any other transactions you do that contains your personal information. They DO NOT and are NOT allowed to have or sell your SS#, DOB etc. Once the information is bought by companies like Suntasia, it is put into their dialer system to call you. The dialer clearly labels the list of names that are brand new leads and also how many times that specific list has been called. Unfortunately, this information is only seen by the manager of the room. He or she has access to it from the bridge (the big, high desk overseeing the agents when you enter the room).

Vericheck is a software system connecting Suntasia (Now "Strategia") to all the banks nationwide that confirm whether you have an open checking account or not. Grocery stores, retail stores all use them to scan your checks to make sure your account is legit.

The only information the agent has on their computer at the time when they call you is your name, address and telephone number. That’s it. After they give you their mumbo jumbo script about how you qualified and the “free” gifts (gas, airline vouchers etc) you’ll be receiving, they tell you it’s a reward for maintaining an active checking and ONLY active checking account holders qualify. They ask you for your bank name and the city you opened it in. The reason is b/c they can obtain your routing number through what else? That’s right Vericheck! It is only then that many are fooled to believe that the agent has your account number as well. The excuse the agent uses is, “we need you to verify the number to make sure it’s you”, but when you call their bluff they either hang up or put a manager on the phone to push for the sale and get the account. Their tactics are slick even downright insulting.

They usually say that you made a purchase through one of their 400, 1000, 1700 affiliates (pick a number yourself) and that is how your name was entered into their system for this special promotion. ALL A BIG FAT LIE! Like I said before, they bought the names and numbers from another company for anywhere from .20 cents to up to .60 cents per name. Oh and by the way this same information that can be sold to another company by the people who bought them in the first place.

If you make them mad the agent can recycle your name back into the system. B9 is the code for DNC (Do Not Call List) on their system but unfortunately many times it is not used b/c they want to get back at you. The only way to get these people off your phone is by sending them a "certified" CEASE and DESIST letter to their corporate address. Donald Booth is their lawyer and the letter should be addressed to him. When they call again ask them for their FULL name and let them know they need to code your phone call as a B9 (Do Not Call), after you hang up with them.

This company was raided by the feds a couple of years ago. They were there to look at what the agents were saying over the phone with their scripts. This is why management watches the agents to make sure they are not using any other scripts but their own. Sadly many managers turn a blind eye when their top sellers re-word the script to their own liking just to make a sale. I have one of those scripts that are used.

If you visit other sites like google or ripoffreport.com and type in the search box “Suntasia Marketing” (Now "Strategia") you will see there are many, many people out there ticked off just like the rest of you.

ATTENTION: ANOTHER BANK ALERT ON SUNTASIA MARKETING (Now Strategia)!

Like I have been saying all along, more and more alerts are being sent out by banks, tv new stations as well as the internet about these crooks.

The alert below was posted recently by Members Plus Credit Union warning it’s customers about Suntasia (now Strategia Marketing) and it’s umbrella companies like Distinct Advantage, Travel Agents Direct and Freedom Gold.

Telephone Scam - BEWARE!

Members Plus Credit Union has become aware of a fraud scheme which has targeted some of our members. In this scheme a member is called by a marketing firm and led to believe that MPCU hired this firm. They claim that the member will receive free gifts, but that they need to confirm a bank account number. The caller will read off the bank’s routing number, which is public knowledge, and ask the member to provide the account number. The account number can be used to withdraw funds from the victim’s account.

The calls are usually placed from the “727” area code. In the past, this group has used the business names of Distinct Advantage, Freedom Gold, Capital Vacations, and Suntasia Marketing. Members Plus Credit Union has not hired Distinct Advantage, Suntasia Marketing or any other marketing company to call our customers. You should be very cautious of any free offer made over the telephone. Never give out confidential information such as account numbers, social security numbers or other personal information.

End of Alert.

You can see the MPCU posting for yourself by visiting the site at:

http://www.memberspluscu.org/ASP/whatsnew.asp

Scroll to the bottom and you will see it.

Another Alert On Suntasia/Strategia Marketing's Promotions

THIS IS A BBB NEWS RELEASE ON VARIETY!, A PROGRAM PROMOTED BY STRATEGIA MARKETING(FORMERLY KNOWN AS SUNTASIA) !

Variety's Telemarketing Tactics Deceptive And Questionable
Caller ID Displays 727-252-0434, Toll-Free 877-777-2709

Spokane, WA- May 24, 2007 - Variety is targeting our region with telemarketing calls that are raising red flags which include the quoting of sensitive personal info BEFORE you even give it to them!

Variety has the following contact info:

13785 Walsingham Road, Suite 113 , Largo , FL, 33774-3221, phone (800) 869-2909 (plus a slew of other 800#s), web site: http://www.myvarietyclub.com/

This company has an unsatisfactory record with the West Florida BBB due to a pattern of complaints and has failed to correct the underlying reason for the complaints. Complaints mostly concern sales practice issues.

A regional consumer called to report that she received a call from Variety stating that she was on a "special list" and was "chosen" to receive a variety of coupons and other free offers, but they first required her social security number as well as her check numbers. The consumer refused to give this sensitive information to a cold caller.

The number that showed up on her Caller ID was: 727-252-0434.

When the BBB researched this number at: bbb.org we came up with a report for <VARIETY< i>as well as a report for Travel Agents Go Direct with the following contact info:

11125 Park Blvd., Suite 104 - 364, Seminole , FL , 33772-4757 , phone (888) 546- 8844, web site: http://www.travelagentsgodirect.com/

This company has an unsatisfactory record with the West Florida BBB due to failure to respond to one or more complaints and two or more unresolved complaints. However, the business has resolved most complaints presented by the BBB. As of the date of this release, this company has had 259 complaints in the last three-year reporting period. Complaints mostly concern billing, sales and refund issues.

The BBB did further research regarding this number by surfing online, and came up with a variety of blog sites that relayed such things about the 727-252-0434 number as:

1. "Called me today on my cell phone and said I am eligible for $100 in gas coupons. They asked to confirm my name and address, and then asked for my bank name and account number. The lady who talked to me called her supervisor, and her supervisor talked to me because I refused to give my bank info. I finally got tired of playing along, and hung up.

2. "I received an enormous amount of calls from Variety to my pre-paid cell phone. They wanted my personal information including my bank account numbers, home address and my SSN."

3. "Told me i earned 100$ in free gas vouchers for good banking account usage. Wanted the bank I used. Wouldn't give it to him. Tried to keep me on the phone and convince me he was trying to verify information. Didn't fall for it and hung up!"

4. "I recieved an obsessive amount of calls on my cell phone from Variety wanting personal information including my bank account numbers, home address and birth city. I urge you all to report this to the FCC at: [email protected]."

TIPS

1. Gain as much information on the company you are speaking to as possible before you confirm or verify ANY personal info. If the caller hesitates or refuses to answer your questions, promptly end the call by telling them to take you off their list or you will report them to the FTC and hang up.

2. If the calls become harassment, then report them to the FCC, as well.

3. Whenever your personal information is quoted back to you by someone you don't know, hang up ASAP and contact the appropriate bank or credit card company(ies) and report that your personal info was quoted to you by a stranger. Request that no unauthorized charges go through without your permission. Then----

4. Check ALL bank and credit card statements regularly. In fact, make this a habit. If any questionable or unauthorized transactions are present, you can be pro- active ASAP.

5. Check the company out with the BBB FIRST before agreeing to anything via a cold call. If you have an unresolved issue concerning this or other companies, file formal complaints with your local BBB for resolve!

END OF ALERT !

If you want to see the warning for yourself then click below.

http://www.spokane.net/stay_connected/PressReleases.aspx?prid=699

The Better Business Bureau has updated Strategia Marketing's report. It shows an unsatisfactory record including all the DBA names it has operated under such as Suntasia, FTN Promotions and so on.

Interesting to note they have created yet another LLC known as "Co-Compliance". Whatever that means. It even has an email address, [email protected]. I guess Bryan Wolf will keep creating companies until he runs out of names to call his unethical practices. Anyway, you can see the report for yourself below.

BBB Reliability Report

The Better Business Bureau®
Serving Florida's West Coast
P.O. Box 7950
Clearwater, FL 33758-7950
(727) 535-5522 (24 Hours)
http://www.bbbwestflorida.org

Strategia Marketing, LLC
8751 Ulmerton Rd
Largo, FL  33771-3832
Telephone: (929) 245-5050
Fax: (727) 254-5055
http://strategia.com

The BBB reports on members and non-members. If a company is a member of the BBB, it is stated in this report.

Original Business Start Date: November 1999
Principal: Mr. Bryon W. Wolf, Managing Member
Customer Contact: Mr. Donald L. Booth, General Counsel - (727) 471-0276 or [email protected]

Entity: Corporation
Incorporated: December 2006, FL
TOB Classification: Telemarketing Service(s), Vacation Certificates & Vouchers
BBB Membership: This company is not a member.

This company previously was named Suntasia Marketing, Inc. The company changed its name to Strategia Marketing, LLC on April 30, 2007.

This report also references Co-Compliance, LLC, an affiliate of Strategia Marketing. These companies operate out of the same offices in Largo, Florida.


Additional DBA Names

Co-Compliance, LLC
Suntasia Marketing, Inc. (previously)
Guardian Marketing Services Corporation (previously)
FTN Promotions, Inc.
Capital Vacations


Nature Of Business

Strategia Marketing, LLC conducts telemarketing services for for various companies, which are listed in detail in the Customer Experience section of this report.

This company report also references the name Co-Compliance, LLC, an affiliate of Strategia Marketing. Co-Compliance provides the customer service for Strategia Marketing and the various companies that it telemarkets.


Customer Experience

Strategia Marketing has an unsatisfactory record due to a pattern of complaints concerning misrepresentation in sales practices, unauthorized billing, refund disputes, and delivery issues.

Strategia Marketing provides telemarketing services for the products of various companies. Each of these companies has its own BBB reliability report detailing the company and its complaint history. As the telemarketing service provider for these companies' products, Strategia Marketing is the source for many of the complaints. You may get these companies' reliability reports by contacting the BBB of West Florida at 800) 525-1447 or its website, http://www.bbbwestflorida.org.

These companies include, but may not be limited to:

1. Agents Travel, 3993 Tyrone Blvd, St Petersburg, FL, (800) 432-6350
2. Distinct Advantage, 10500 Ulmerton Rd Ste 726-302, Largo, FL, (866) 545-5486
3. Florida Passport, 6822 22nd Ave N PMB 432, St Petersburg, FL, (888) 612-2894
4. Floridaway Dream Escape, 2655 Ulmerton Rd Ste 407, Clearwater, FL, (888) 488-8770
5. Freedom Gold, 10500 Ulmerton Rd, Largo, FL, Ste 726-302, (800) 853-0473
6. Prism Communications, 3665 E Bay Dr Ste 201B, Largo, FL, (888) 694-9151
7. Teliflex Communications, 3303 Seffner Dr, Holiday, FL, (866) 821-8674
8. Travel Agents Go Direct, 11125 Park Blvd Ste 104-364, Seminole, FL, (888) 546-8844
9. VersaTalk, 3303 Seffner Dr, Holiday, FL, (877) 494-7363
10. Variety, 13785 Walsingham Rd Ste 113, Largo, 33774, (800) 869-2909
11. Credit Life, 10460 Roosevelt Blvd N Ste 312, Saint Petersburg, FL, (800) 869-2909
12. Freedom Ring, 13799 Park Blvd Ste 312, Seminole, FL 33776, (866) 405-3952


Strategia Marketing's complaint information is as follows:

When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.

The Bureau processed a total of 176 complaints about this company in the last 36 months, our standard reporting period. Of the total of 176 complaints closed in 36 months, 58 were closed in the last year.

Licensing

This company is in an industry that may require licensing, bonding or registration in order to lawfully do business. The Bureau encourages you to check with the appropriate agency to be certain any requirements are currently being met.


Company Management

Additional company management personnel include:

Mr. Roy A. Eliasson - Managing Member
Mr. Vance Vogel - Executive Director of Sales & Marketing
Mr. Michael Berndgen - Chief Financial Officer

Bryon Wolf, Managing Member of Strategia Marketing, LLC, and Roy Eliasson, Managing Member, are respectively the CEO and Vice President of Bay Pines Travel, Inc. The Bureau has a separate reliability report on Bay Pines Travel, Inc., located in Saint Petersburg, Florida.


Additional Addresses, Telephone Numbers, Fax Numbers, and Web Addresses

Additional Addresses
9641 Gulf Blvd
Treasure Island, FL  33706-3209
Tel: (727) 367-6887


5621 Park St N
Saint Petersburg, FL  33709-6310
Tel: (727) 544-0776


5510 Gulfport Blvd S
Gulfport, FL  33707-4827
Tel: (727) 683-2240


13799 Park Blvd # 301
Seminole, FL  33776-3402


8601B Somerset Dr
Largo, FL  33773-2714


Additional Phone Numbers
Tel: (727) 363-4506
Tel: (888) 824-7675
Tel: (727) 360-5889
Tel: (727) 471-2058
Tel: (727) 471-0276
Tel: (727) 471-1777
Tel: (727) 471-1414
Tel: (800) 639-8326
Tel: (727) 342-5900


Additional Fax Numbers
Fax: (727) 471-0274
Fax: (727) 342-5905


Additional Web Addresses
http://www.suntasia.com

Industry Tips

Amended Telemarketing Sales Rule Can Change the Way You Do Business

End of Report


Don't forget that they also have http://strategia.com which is the same as the old site but a slightly different color. Now you are better informed.