January 5, 2005
Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro has filed suit asking Continuity Partners Inc. to repay consumers money they are owed and pay civil penalties for violations of the state's consumer laws.
Continuity Partners solicited Ohio consumers using five different business names: Continuity Partners, UTALK, American Values, WELLNET, and Washballs.
Consumers filing complaints with the Attorney General's Office state that Continuity Partners offered $200 worth of gasoline coupons for a one-time shipping and handling fee of $1.95. Consumers provided Continuity Partners with their bank-account information and authorized Continuity Partners to debit the shipping-and-handling from their accounts. However, most consumers did not receive the coupons.
In addition, consumers say that they later found that Continuity Partners debited additional, unauthorized charges from their accounts. These charges ranged between $19.95 and $597.30 for products and services consumers did not purchase, such as long-distance services, retail discounts, prescription drug discounts, and laundry cleaning products.
Neither Continuity Partners, nor its four other business names, have been registered with the Attorney General's Office as telephone solicitors.
"Consumers should be guarded when providing their banking information to anyone, " said Petro. "They should verify the company is legitimate before providing the information."
Petro is asking Cuyahoga Common Pleas Court to order Continuity Partners to repay consumers money taken that was unauthorized, and to either supply the coupons promised or refund the mailing fee.
Petro also asked for civil penalties of $25,000 per violation and an order preventing Continuity Partners from doing business in Ohio until it complies with Ohio laws, including registering with the Attorney General's Office as a telephone solicitor.
