Traveling Sales Crews
An Information Web Site

Dedicated to presenting the violent, destructive, greedy and criminal acts
that have turned the Traveling Sales Industry into a National Tragedy.

We usher in the new year of 2007 with a murdered magazine sales agent, 3 rape cases, and a van rollover.

All of these horrible things have happened within the last 5 weeks.

It is time for the United States Government, the FBI, the Federal Trade Commission, the US Attorney General, and the Federal Labor Department to take a very close look at the "traveling door-to-door sales" industry.

It is time to prosecute those people who are in control of this corrupt and immoral industry to the full extent of the law.

It is time to expose them for what they really are and put an end to this fowl industry before more innocent kids and homeowners are raped, murdered, or killed in van accidents.

To research the traveling door to door sales industry crime wave
click on the links below:


Door To Door Sales Crimes - Criminal Profiler

DMPG Compiled Article Criminal Chronology
July 2005 - December 2006

Chronology 2005 - 2006

DMPG Compiled Article Criminal Chronology
1982 - 2005

Chronology 1982 - 2005

Slaves to the sale - By Nancy Stancill
Read these 'award winning' articles by Nancy Stancill.
The 'Slaves to the sales series' reveals a shocking glimpse into the dark and murky past of the ‘traveling door to door sales’ industry and provides an excellent history of an unregulated and immoral enterprise that continues to exploit young adults for profit.

Slaves to the sale

Letters To The MPA and Publishers
Letters To The MPA and Publishers



Dedicated Memorial Parents Group
January 5, 2007


Magazine Scams And Rip Offs

Consumer Beware

Buyer Beware

The dirty business of sales by exploitation without legal entanglement is alive and doing well in Corporate America.


A growing number of magazine and cleaner sales agents selling door to door are using fradulant methods to peddle their magazine subscriptions:

Karleen H. Hillery (Services Unlimited Plus)
Magazine Sales Fraud
Illinois AG Lawsuit

(United Family Circulation, Ultimate Power Sales, Inc.)
Enforcement Lawsuit Deceptive Sales

Johnson County Kansas Civil Judgment
National Field Selling Association Member:  NFSA Member

Lonnie R. Divine, Yvonne R. Ruel, Deanna M. Devine
(Divine Enterprise, Aids Prevention Institute, Inc., Babies Addicted to Drugs Foundation, Youth of America Program Inc., Heartline Foundation, Inc., Divine World-Wide Ministries)

Conspiracy, Income Tax Evasion

US Department of Justice Grand Jury Indictment

Kevin Scarborough, K & S Enterprises - Distributor For Austin Diversified Products Inc.: Cleaner Product: Advanage Wonder Cleaner
Attorney General Files Settlement Agreement
With Illinois Business With Crews Selling Door-to-Door

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE; January 17, 2002
Austin Diversified Products
National Field Selling Association Member:  NFSA Member

Unlimited Sales, Inc.
Office of the Attorney General
Press Release
Cheyenne, Wyoming
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 11, 2001
Attorney General MacMillan Secures Refunds for Magazine Subscribers
The Consumer Protection Unit of the Wyoming Attorney General's Office recently completed an investigation of door-to-door magazine sales by Unlimited Sales, Inc., a Nevada,corporation. The investigation resulted in over $1,200 in refunds to Cheyenne residents.

Read The Wyoming Press Release - pdf format

_____________________________________________________________


The sales agents will lie about where they are from, telling you that they live in your community and that they are a student at your local High School or College.

In reality, they are traveling across the country in a van packed with as many as 15 teens and young adults selling magazine subscriptions that can cost as much as 300% more than if you were to buy the same subscription directly from the publisher off the internet:
EXPLOITED YOUNGSTERS SELLING MAGAZINES DOOR-TO-DOOR MAKE SALES COMPANIES RICH:
AN INSIDE EDITION INVESTIGATION

The sales agents will tell you that they are working toward points to win a trip or that they are doing charity work selling magaiznes for a local hospital or that they are working towards a scholarship. Beware of the false sales pitch! The sales pitch is well rehearsed and presented to turn you into another sucker:
Desperate, young magazine peddlers are out there, roaming America in search of the next sucker.
Have you been conned?

Read This Story
Original Article URL: http://www.thenyrm.com/000658.html

The only people making money on this deal are the owners of the door to door sales companies and of course the magazine publishers (MPA).

Many of the kids working for these 'fly-by-night' itinerant sales crews are exploited and abused:
Perilous Journeys - Wisconsin Journal Sentinel
Child Labor Coalition
5 Worst Teen Jobs
Slave to the sale
ABUSES BY DOOR-TO-DOOR SALES OUTFITS ALLEGED
MAGAZINE SALES ENMESH YOUTHS IN MURKY WORLD


Many of these kids are killed in van roll overs or murdered:
Janesville Van Roll Over March 25, 1999
Man Faces Charges In Murder

Many of these kids have criminal backgrounds and may rape your young daughter or murder your grandmother:
Magazine Salesmen Charged With Sexual Assault
Salesman faces trial in molestation of girl, 9
Arizona Man Arrested After Girl Molested
Door-To-Door Salesman Accused Of Rape
Rodger Eric Broadway Rapes and Murders Knoxville Woman
Police arrest man in Murder

These immoral and unethical business practices have been well orchestrated and planned out over the years. If you buy a magazine or cleaner product from a door to door sales agent you are supporting a industry with a lengthy criminal past. You are also putting your life and your families life in harms way when you open your door:

Door To Door Sales Profiler Page




New York NY
For Youths, A Grim Tour on Magazine Crews

Febuary 21, 2007
By IAN URBINA
New York Times
Read This Story

New York Times:
Life on a Magazine Crew

View This Video


During your research if you find that there in information
presented on this page that is not accurate
please email the DMPG at:
WebMaster
The Dedicated Memorial Parents Group
cannot guarantee the accuracy of media articles and complaints.


The DMPG is not responsible for the content of web pages that you may find through links on this website.

Sorted Alphabetically By Sales Crew/Clearinghouse


Sales Crew
Clearinghouse
Rip Off Report Edumacation Link Complaints Baddealings BBB brevard
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Gov
Civil
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Actions
Secure Links

Related
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Alliance Service Company

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All Star Promotions

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AM PRESS ASSOCIATION

MAGS R US


MAGS R US



AM PRESS ASSOC
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In
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BBB Alert

BBB Southeast Florida

Inflated magazine prices pay for young sales force

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American Community Services

American Community Services
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Atlantic Circulation Inc.

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Austin Diversified Products Inc.

Austin Diversified Products Inc.
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BBB Reliability Report

AUSTIN DIVERSIFIED PRODUCTS DOOR TO DOOR TACTICS QUESTIONABLE
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Chapel Sales

Chapel Sales
In
Progress
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Chapel Sales Website
www.chapelsales.com
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Circulation II

Circulation II
In
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In
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Divine Enterprise

Divine Enterprise



Lonnie Divine


Also See:
Lonnie Divine
Yvonne Divine
Deanna M. Divine

Additional Company Names:
Aids Prevention Institute, Inc.

Babies Addicted to Drugs Foundation

Divine World-Wide Ministries

Heartline Foundation, Inc.

Magnet International

Marketing Associated Group Inc.

National Press

Public Marketing Association

Publishers Entry Service

Star Press

Union Circulation Co.

Youth of America Program Inc.
Link Page
Link
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Conspiracy
Income Tax Evasion

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
San Diego, California
United States Attorney
Carol C. Lam
Press Release 1
Press Release 2

11/9/04
Family pleads guilty to tax offenses
Article

Dec. 2, 1992
United States Of America
V.
Lonnie R. Divine
MAGAZINE MARKETER ACCUSED OF TRAMPLING CONSUMERS' RIGHTS
Civil Lawsuit

MAGAZINE SALES ENMESH YOUTHS IN MURKY WORLD
Article
Page
Link
Fidelity Reader Service, Inc.

Fidelity Reader Service
Link Link Page
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Go Doers

Go Doers
Link In
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In
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Great Lakes Circulation

Great Lakes Circulation
Link Link In
Progress
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Hy-Pro

Hy-Pro
In
Progress
In
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Link Page
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BBB Reliability Report
Hy-Pro Chemical Corp.
1001 N. Industrial Blvd.
Pilot Point, TX 76258
BBB Report
Page
Link
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Interstate Subscription Service

Interstate Subscription Service
Link Link In
Progress
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Interstate Publishers Service Incorporated

Interstate Publishers Service
Page
Link
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In
Progress
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Mail Fraud

United States Of America vs
Donald Francis Scott

NFSA Board Member And Owner Of American Community Services
Mail Fraud PDF
Page
Link
National Publishers Exchange

National Magazine Exchange

Special Data Processing Corp.

National Publishers Exchange

National Magazine Exchange

Special Data Processing Corporation
Link
Link

SPD
Corp
Link In
Progress
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08/30/04
FTC Obtains Consent Order Against Marketer of Triad Buying Club

Special Data Processing Corp. to Pay $535,000 for Consumer Redress
Link
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Palmetto Marketing Inc.
Pitts Sales


Palmetto Marketing
Pitts Sales
Link Link In
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Paragon Marketing Group

Paragon Marketing Group
In
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In
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In
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Link
Paragon Marketing Group Does Not Deliver

BBB Reliability Report
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Pumppers Trust
Pumppers Inc.

Pumppers Trust
Link
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In
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Services Unlimited Plus

Services Unlimited Plus
Link In
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BBB Info
BBB Alert
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Supreme Community Services, Inc.

Services Unlimited Plus
In
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In
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In
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Link Page
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Tork & Associates, Inc.

See Also:
Jonathan Tork

Aristocrat Sales

Torque Power Sales

ATM Sales

In 1993, Tork was sentenced to Texas prison on a felony conviction of theft by check.

Jonathan Tork



Aristocrat Sales



Torque Power Sales



ATM Sales
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Federal Trade Commission Lawsuit
Violation:
Cooling-Off Rule

Info Link

FTC Lawsuit
Slaves to the sale

Deaths, injuries, assaults involve Indiana company's agents, customers
Article
Ultimate Power Sales

Ultimate Power Sales
Link Link In
Progress
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Unified Family Circulation

Ultimate Power Sales, Inc.


Unified Family Circulation



Ultimate Power Sales
Link Link In
Progress
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06/09/04
Enforcement Lawsuit
Deceptive Sales

Johnson County Kansas
Civil Judgment Against Unified Family Circulations, Inc.
03CV1623
Consumer Affairs Officials are issuing a warning about a door-to-door scam that could potentially cost you thousands of dollars.
Link

Consumers warned about door-to-door solicitations
Link

Magazine sales or scams?
Link
United Subscription Agency

United Subscription Agency
In
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Xtreme Marketing Inc.

Xtreme Marketing Inc
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Traveling Door to Door Sales Company - Business Profilers and Rip Off/Scam Reports


PROTECT THE ONES YOU LOVE
WHAT EVERY PARENT SHOULD KNOW

The Truth About
The Southwestern Company

www.southwesterncompanytruth.com


North Carolina
Magazine Sales Company
Banned From State

May 9, 2007
Trinity Public Relations
Door-To-Door Traveling Magazine Company
Based in Charlotte, North Carolina

Magazine Sales Company Owners
James A. Davis and Lourdes J. Davis
Permanently Barred From Owning Or Operating
Any Business In North Carolina That Sells Magazines.


North Carolina
Attorney General Roy Cooper
Press Releases:
Read NC AG Press Release 05/03/07 - PDF
Read NC AG Press Release 09/27/06 - PDF




April 24, 2007

Magazine Sales Company/Collection Agency Banned In West Virginia
By Attorney General Darrell McGraw

The following companies and their owner (CATHERINE M KEY)
have been banned in West Virginia

United Subscription Agency
(a magazine sales company owned by Catherine M. Key)
(Website: mytraveljob.com)

Check Game Solutions
(a collection agency owned by Catherine M. Key)
and
CATHERINE M KEY
Banned from doing business in West Virginia


CATHERINE M KEY and Check Game Solutions
are listed as Supporting Members of the National Field Selling Association
NFSA - Website: (www.nfsa.com) - NFSA
NFSA Supporting Member Page: NFSA Supporting Member Page

Catherine M. Key
Check Game Solutions, Inc.
1850 43rd Avenue
Suite C-10
Vero Beach FL, 32960
(800) 886-9798

Read The West Virginia AG Lawsuit

For additional information
Click Here



Letters To The MPA and Publishers
Letters To The MPA and Publishers

DMPG Compiled Article Criminal Chronology
July 2005 - December 2006

Chronology 2005 - 2006

DMPG Compiled Article Criminal Chronology
1982 - 2005

Chronology 1982 - 2005

Civil Lawsuit
Civil Lawsuit Filed Against World Wide Circulation, Inc.

02/21/06

World Wide Circulation, Inc is a member of
the National Field Selling Association
NFSA

A civil lawsuit has been filed against World Wide Circulation, Inc. in response to the brutal murder of Benjamin Suazo on October 20, 2005.

STATE OF NEW MEXICO
COUNTY OF SANTA FE
FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT

ELEANOR S. OCANA, as Personal
Representative of the Estate of
BENJAMIN SUAZO,

PLAINTIFF,

v.

WORLDWIDE CIRCULATION, INC.;
SILVA BOWLING, INC.; DEWELL
KEITH LAFLEUR individually and
d/b/a MEGA SALES INC.;
ANDREW LONG; JASON FURDEN;
JAMES COMBS; JOSHUA BURGESS,

DEFENDANTS.

Read The Civil Lawsuit Against World Wide Circulation, Inc.




Civil Lawsuit
June 19, 2006
Civil Lawsuit Filed Against Vincent Pitts
President of National Field Selling Association
NFSA

A civil lawsuit has been filed against Vincent Pitts (president of the National Field Selling Association) and owner of Palmetto Marketing, Inc. (palmettomarketinginc.com) in response to the brutal beating and rape of a 50 year-old Menomonie, Wisconsin Woman on July 1, 2005.

STATE OF WISCONSIN
CIRCUIT COURT
DUNN COUNTY

Ms.x
Menomonie, WI 54751

Plaintiff,

Wisconsin Department of Justice
Crime Victim Compensation Program
17 West Main Street
P.O. Box 7951
Madison, WI 53708-7951
and
Group Health Cooperative of Eau Claire County
2503 North Hillcrest Parkway
Altoona, WI 54720
Subrogated Parties.
Case No:
Case Codes: 30106, 30107

vs.

Vincent Pitts, an Individual
7522 Wiles Road, Suite 112
Coral Springs, FL 33067
Palmetto, Marketing, Inc., a Florida Corporation
7522 Wiles Road, Suite 112
Coral Springs, FL 33067

Sunshine Subscription Agency, Inc., a Florida Corporation
7522 Wiles Road, Suite 112
Coral Springs, FL 33067

Robert Cecil, an Individual
7522 Wiles Road, Suite 112
Coral Springs, FL 33067
Tina Michelle Cecil, an Individual
7522 Wiles Road, Suite 112
Coral Springs, FL 33067

Gemini Subscriptions, Inc., a Florida Corporation
7522 Wiles Road, Suite 112
Coral Springs, FL 33067

Brandon Green, an Individual
Dunn County Jail
615 Stokke Parkway
Menomonie, WI 54751

Read The Criminal Complaint Againsit Brandon Lee Green
Read The Civil Lawsuit Against Vincent Pitts




Research:
Magazine Clearinghouse:
American Community Services, Inc.
American Community Services Website: americancommunity.com
Indiana Secretary of State:  American Community Services
Criminal Profiles: Search For: American Community Services
Magazine Scams: American Community Services
Consumer Advocacy: Edumacation.com
Consumer Advocacy:
Employer of man who killed Knoxville woman has other employees accused of same
ACS Member of National Field Selling Association: nfsa.com
National Field Selling Association is a member of:
Magazine Publishers of America: magazine.org


Febuary 10, 2006
Toughen sales laws
Contra Costa Times
Posted on Fri, Feb. 10, 2006
EDITORIAL
WHAT'S WRONG with this picture?
Magazine sales companies hire violent felons, then send them into unsuspecting communities across the country to pitch their products, door-to-door. A disturbing number of these traveling salesmen have been accused of rape and murder of elderly women who mistakenly opened their doors. Many more have been accused of burglarizing and robbing people. Yet the companies that hired them say that they bear no responsibility because the workers are independent contractors. They defiantly insist that there is no reason to change the way that they do business. The sexual assault and murder of 90-year-old Ann Elizabeth Vuori in her Lafayette home two months ago has cast a much-needed spotlight on the unregulated industry of door-to-door magazine sales. The man charged in her murder, Richard Craig McNew, 32, was a traveling magazine salesman. Authorities believe that is how Vuori met McNew, who had a long, violent rap sheet in Missouri. McNew worked for an Indiana clearinghouse that has faced several lawsuits over violence by its traveling magazine salesmen. A salesman with the same company has been charged with sexually assaulting a 74-year-old San Jose woman the same month Vuori was killed. Meanwhile, there have been increasing reports nationwide of sexual assaults, often involving elderly women, by door-to-door magazine salesmen. The nature of the business makes it difficult to rein in abuses by predatory salesmen. Clearinghouses hire sales companies that hire sales crews. Companies frequently change names to help shield them from legal troubles and hide their tracks. But it's high time that something was done to help protect the public. For starters, cities and counties should require door-to-door salesmen to get permits and submit to mandatory criminal background checks. Lafayette already has a permit ordinance. But since it is rarely enforced, it's just an empty law on the books. True, there will be those who thumb their noses at the law. But they might think twice if they know they're risking a stiff fine. The Wisconsin Senate just passed a bill requiring all door-to-door sales crews to register with the state, post a bond and submit to background checks on employees. Supporters of tougher restrictions say it doesn't go far enough. But if it passes the Assembly, the law would be the stiffest in the country. It is a good first step, and California should follow suit. Magazine clearinghouses and sales companies have lobbied hard against efforts to make them more accountable. One of their favorite arguments is that requiring permits and background checks will drive the traveling salesmen away. In our view, that's the best argument yet.
Contra Costa Times
California
contracostatimes.com
Read This Story


January 21, 2006
Traveling sales crews worry police
SOME PEDDLERS LINKED TO CRIME
By Elise Ackerman
Mercury News
Posted on Sat, Jan. 21, 2006
The salesman who showed up at the house near Prospect High School in San Jose was neatly dressed and carried identification. When an elderly woman opened the door, he asked if she would buy some magazines to help him ``earn points for his magazine sales job.'' The woman hesitated. The salesman begged for a glass of water. Once inside, he asked to use the bathroom. And then, according to Santa Clara County prosecutors, the 40-year-old parolee dragged the 74-year-old woman into a back bedroom and raped her. Law enforcement has long been leery of traveling sales crews, whose members have been associated with everything from petty theft to murder. In an effort to keep residents safe, more than a dozen local cities and counties require door-to-door sales workers to obtain permits, and in some cases to disclose criminal backgrounds. But the difficulty of enforcing such laws continues to leave people -- particularly elderly retirees -- vulnerable to violent predators, police said. ``We advise that you don't even open the door,'' San Jose police spokeswoman Gina Teeporten said. All too often, police said, residents don't distinguish between the danger posed by an out-of-town person peddling magazines and a neighborhood Girl Scout selling cookies. (Technically, both are required to have permits.) Earlier this month, Richard McNew, 32, a magazine salesman from Missouri, was charged with raping and smothering a 90-year-old woman in Lafayette on Dec. 10. Less than three weeks later, solicitor Larry Jackson allegedly attacked the 74-year-old woman in San Jose. In August, a 19-year-old magazine salesman from Georgia was sentenced to 11 years in prison for beating an 80-year-old Menlo Park woman so badly she had to be hospitalized. Around the country, traveling crews of magazine sellers have been associated with at least a dozen rapes and murders over the past few years, said Chris Coffey, a Knoxville attorney who has represented the families of three victims. Coffey said the problem lies in the recruitment of the crews, which typically sell on behalf of large clearinghouses. He alleges crew owners ``recruit out of halfway houses, homeless shelters, and they will take anyone who will go with them,'' he said. Mike Bergerson, an attorney for American Community Services, one of the leading magazine clearinghouses, said people who sign up are ``looking for work'' and shouldn't be stigmatized. He said ACS encourages door-to-door sales companies to do background checks. But Coffey said documents he has obtained showed that firms still knowingly hire people with criminal backgrounds. McNew has a long criminal history dating back to 1993. Jackson, who was charged with raping the 74-year-old woman in San Jose on Dec. 30, told police he was on parole for selling narcotics. The sales crews are trained to try to get inside a house in order to make a sale, a situation that puts residents at risk, Coffey said. He alleged peddlers are not always paid and are charged for transportation and board. Sometimes they get frustrated ``and they snap,'' he said. Bergerson said ``no one is forced to sell magazines'' and that ``there are probably a lot of other sales people who are quite satisfied with the sales structure.'' Lafayette Police Chief Mike Fisher said sales crews sporadically descend upon his upscale suburban East Bay community in such large numbers that they overwhelm the 15-member police force. Fisher said the city requires sellers to have permits, but that his officers generally will just ask the peddlers to leave rather than cite them for misdemeanors. ``It kind of depends on how busy we are, unfortunately,'' he said. With only two officers on patrol at any given time, Fisher said he is loath to tie them up citing sales crew members. Other communities that have passed laws requiring peddlers' permits have similar practices. During the past 10 years, the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office has prosecuted only 10 people for failure to comply with county peddling requirements. Punishments included fines from $150 to $450. San Jose police rarely cite door-to-door peddlers because residents rarely complain, said Deputy Chief Ken Ferguson. The department is trying to raise awareness about the law so that residents will be more likely to call. But Coffey said the laws also need to be toughened. For example, he said the crews should be required to register with law enforcement each time they come to town and to provide the names and Social Security numbers of each crew member. ``After five or six years of doing this, if I saw a van of magazine salesmen in my neighborhood,'' Coffey said, ``I would call the police whether they knocked on my door or not.''
Contact Elise Ackerman at eackerman@mercurynews.com or (408) 271-3774.
By Elise Ackerman
Mercury News
mercurynews.com
California
Read This Story


January 21, 2006
When they knock, it's danger at door
By John Simerman
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
Posted on Sat, Jan. 21, 2006
Grisly crimes against two elderly women last month in Lafayette and San Jose are only the latest in a mounting toll of violence by members of roving bands of salesmen, say police and victims' advocates who claim the firms often hire convicted felons to knock on doors. Early this month, Contra Costa County prosecutors charged Missouri magazine salesman Richard Craig McNew, 32, in the rape and smothering death of 90-year-old Ann Elizabeth Vuori of Lafayette, whose body was found bound and gagged on her bed Dec. 10. McNew remains in a St. Louis jail as he fights extradition. On Jan. 4, prosecutors charged another door-to-door magazine salesman, Larry Jackson, 40, in the Dec. 30 sexual assault of an unnamed 74-year-old woman at her West San Jose home. San Jose police are looking into a possible link to crimes elsewhere, including the unsolved rape of a Portland, Ore. woman in October. Don Rees, a prosecutor for Multnomah County, Ore., said investigators believe the rapist worked for a magazine sales team that drove south to San Jose. "This is going on all across the country, and it's a growing concern," San Jose police Sgt. Nick Muyo. "Clearly we're seeing more cases involving these door-to-door salesmen, who are typically not from the area. They roll into town, they make some money and head off. "A lot of them are legitimate. The problem is a lot of them are not." Bay Area law enforcement agencies are urging caution when the doorbell rings. They say residents shouldn't open their door to strangers. If they do, they should ask to see a salesperson's permit or company identification and report anything suspicious to police. Several communities, including Lafayette and San Jose, require door-to-door salesmen to apply for peddler or solicitor permits. But the traveling crews often ignore them, and enforcement is difficult. Many arrive in vans packed with 15 or more people, blanket an area and leave. In Lafayette, neighbors of Vuori said magazine salesmen swarmed the area in the days before her murder, pestering some residents and lingering on front lawns. Often, several sales crews work side-by-side and stay together in motels, authorities say. "It's this gypsy-type thing where they go from neighborhood to neighborhood. The more affluent the neighborhood, the more of this you'll see," said Lafayette police Chief Mike Fisher. "Sometimes they get aggressive. Sometimes they get frustrated and act out inappropriately." Sometimes, they rob, rape or kill. Rodger Eric Broadway, 19, was just out of prison and living in a halfway house in New York when he joined a sales team. In August 2001, he beat, raped, smothered and stabbed to death 66-year-old Eskaline DaBorde in her Tennessee home, later pleading guilty. In New Jersey, 18-year-old magazine salesman Azriel Bridge of Chicago was sentenced to 55 years in prison in the beating and stabbing death of 77-year-old Shirley Reuter two years ago in Toms River, N.J. Door-to-door magazine salesman D'Angelo Langford, 20, of Georgia was sentenced in August to 11 years in prison for the 2004 beating and attempted rape of an 80-year-old woman in her Menlo Park home. Prosecutors and victims' advocates say the magazine clearinghouses that oversee the sales crews often escape discipline. Publishing companies contract with the clearinghouses, which contract with the sales teams, creating an arms-length buffer. The teams go by dozens of ever-changing names, and the salesmen, in turn, work as independent contractors. Police estimate thousands of them roam the country. The National Field Selling Association, which represents several of the clearinghouses, did not answer or return calls for comment from the Times. "The great majority are ordinary kids that answered ads to travel to resort areas, make a lot of money and friends, laugh all the way to the bank," said Earline Williams, who runs ParentWatch, a New York-based group that advocates stiffer labor laws for the industry. Many find themselves captive in a far-off state, much of their promised pay withheld, she said. Occasionally, exploited young salespeople, trained to coax their way into homes, turn to crime. Some firms looking for sales crews tap halfway houses for convicted felons, said Chris Coffey, a Tennessee lawyer who has won two large settlements for victims' families in lawsuits against one of the clearinghouses. In one case, the company did a background check on a convicted murderer, but let him sell door-to-door anyway. "They have people who are predisposed to criminal activity. They take them to the nicest neighborhoods they can find and drop them off unsupervised," Coffey said. "A lot of times their motives are not to sell magazines." McNew, charged in Vuori's killing, has a history of convictions for burglary, robbery, assault with injury and drugs and weapons charges dating to 1993, according to St. Louis court records. On Nov. 11, he was arrested on suspicion of trespassing in the Murrieta home of a 63-year-old woman. A sheriff's spokesman declined to name his sales crew. Advocates have pushed in vain for tighter national labor laws for traveling sales crews. In Wisconsin, a pending bill would force the crews to register with the state and post a bond, undergo background checks and hire salespeople who are 18 or older. A few towns have instituted "no knock" laws, similar to the no-call lists for telephone solicitors. Sales crews that fail to comply can face stiff fines and be charged with trespassing. Elsewhere, regulation and enforcement remain spotty. "This is a nasty industry," said watchdog Phil Ellenbecker of Wisconsin, who runs a Web site, www.travelingsalescrews.info, that chronicles numerous crimes in the industry. "The thing that really disturbs me is, why in the name of God isn't anyone doing anything about it?"
By John Simerman
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
bradenton.com
California
Times staff writer Kelli Phillips and San Jose Mercury
News reporter Elise Ackerman contributed to this story.
Read This Story


April 25, 2006
Attorney General Darrell McGraw's
Consumer News
Press Releases and Consumer Information
Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:18 pm
Post subject: Attorney General
McGraw Sues Check Game Solutions
April 25, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Chris Hedges
1-800-368-8808
304-558-8986

ATTORNEY GENERAL DARRELL McGRAW SUES TO STOP CHECK GAME SOLUTIONS, A FLORIDA COLLECTION AGENCY, FROM HARASSING CONSUMERS OVER BASELESS DEBTS

Attorney General Darrell McGraw filed suit today in the Circuit Court of Kanawha County against Check Game Solutions (“CGS”), a Florida collection agency, and its President, Catherine Key of Vero Beach, Florida, for trying to collect money from West Virginia consumers for debts they claim were based on magazine subscription purchases. Problems began when CGS’s client, Universal Subscription Agency (“Universal”), sent vendors into West Virginia selling magazines door to door. Consumers were taken in by the young vendors’ pleas for assistance in meeting sales quotas, and wrote checks on the spot to purchase subscriptions for various magazines. Some consumers regretted the purchase right away and, when they could not find the salesperson in their neighborhoods, decided to stop payment on their checks. Under West Virginia law, contracts for multiple magazine subscriptions can be canceled at any time and for any reason. Instead of canceling the purchases, Universal hired CGS to send debt collection letters to consumers, accusing the consumers of writing the magazine company bad checks. In one case, CGS threatened to turn the debt over to the “Worthless Check Division” of the “State Attorney’s Office,” a fictitious entity made up by CGS to frighten consumers. CGS has never obtained a license to conduct business as a collection agency in West Virginia, and has failed to post a bond as required by law. McGraw’s office attempted to resolve complaints against CGS informally, but CGS refused to settle the matter. McGraw’s office had no other choice but to sue CGS. In his suit, McGraw seeks a preliminary injunction barring CGS from conducting any debt collection activity in West Virginia until the case can be resolved, and asks that the Court eventually order restitution, debt cancellation, and civil penalties.

Consumers who would like to file a complaint are encouraged to call Attorney General McGraw’s Consumer Protection Division at
1-800-368-8808 or 304-558-8986.
Consumers may also write to Post Office Box 1789, Charleston, WV 25326-1789
West Virginia AG Consumer News
Fraud Update Florida State University




Check Game Solutions

Universal Subscription Agency

United Subscription Agency

MyTravelJob

"Catherine Key" + vero

"Catherine Key" + magazine

"Charles Key" + vero

"Charles Key" + magazine


D.M.P.G. Info Clip
Check Game Solutions
Posted May 27, 2006


DMPG Research:
Check Game Solutions:
State of Minnesota
Commissioner of Commerce
Commerce Enforcment Actions:
Date: 05/26/05
Cease and Desist order and notice of right to hearing
Enforcement Actions May 2005
Cease and Desist order

CHECK GAME SOLUTIONS INC Lic# UC20519978

Against: Unlicensed Company
Action: Cease & Desist/Hearing
Signed: 5/26/2005
File # CA 2500661 KRJ
Allegation:
Respondent conducted themselves as a collection agency without
first applying for and receiving a collection agency lincense.


D.M.P.G. Research:
United Subscription Agency (mytraveljob.com)
Check Game Solutions
Universal Subscription Agency
MyTravelJob

United Subscription Agency: mytraveljob.com
PRINCIPAL ADDRESS
1850 43RD AVENUE
SUITE C-10
VERO BEACH FL 32960
Changed 05/23/2005
Registered Agent:
CATHERINE M KEY
Business Types: For-Profit Magazine Sales
Florida Secretary of State Corporation/LLC Website
United Subscription Agency Sales Crews:
New Generation #001
New Edition #003
M.P.R. #004
T.K.O. #005
Untouchables #006
Power House Sales #007
#008
Team USA #009
Momentum Sales #010
Total Power Sales #011
Trailblazers #012

Check Game Solutions, Inc.:
1850 43rd Avenue
Vero Beach, FL 32960-0504
Phone: (772) 299-1787
Registered Agent:
CATHERINE M KEY
Business Types: Collection Agency Service
Florida Secretary of State Corporation/LLC Website

Universal Subscription Agency
6380 McLeod Drive
Suite 8
Las Vegas, NV 89120
(702) 795-0038
FAX (702) 795-0039
Registered Agent:
Steve Ingraham
President:
Richard Lamb
Business Types: For-Profit Magazine Sales
Nevada Secretary of State Corporation/LLC Website

Criminal Profiles: Search For: United Subscription Agency
Magazine Scams: United Subscription Agency
Consumer Advocacy: Edumacation.com: United Subscription Agency
Consumer Advocacy: Alabama man jailed for attempted rape
Consumer Advocacy: Six magazine salesmen arrested after complaint

Check Game Solutions, Inc.
Florida BBB Reliability Report
As reflected in the Florida BBB on: 05/27/06
Florida BBB Report

Universal Subscription Agency
Nevada BBB Reliability Report
This company has an Unsatisfactory Record with the Bureau due to failure
to eliminate the underlying cause of consumer dissatisfaction.
As reflected in the Nevada BBB on: 05/27/06
Nevada BBB Report

United Subscription Agency Rip Off Reports as of 05/27/06:
complaints.com:
complaints.com Report: United Subscription Agency
ripoffreport.com:
Rip Off Report: United Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: United Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: United Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: United Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: United Subscription Agency


Universal Subscription Agency Rip Off Reports as of 05/27/06:
ripoffreport.com:
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency
Rip Off Report: Universal Subscription Agency


Check Game Solutions Rip Off Reports as of 05/27/06:
ripoffreport.com:
Rip Off Report: Check Game Solutions

United Subscription Agency is a Member of National Field Selling Association: nfsa.com
Check Game Solutions is a Supporting Member of National Field Selling Association: nfsa.com
Universal Subscription Agency is a Member of National Field Selling Association: nfsa.com
National Field Selling Association is a member of:
Magazine Publishers of America: magazine.org

Note: The DMPG collects information from various sources:
police reports, court documents, media articles, and secretary of state websites.
The DMPG is not responsible for inaccurate data in any of the above sources of information.
Various company websites change over a period of time. Information and Links also change.
The DMPG cannot control this and for this reason cannot guarantee 100% accuracty of data.
If you have a question or find an error on this website please contact the DMPG WebMaster:
WebMaster
~or~ read the DMPG disclaimer: DMPG Disclaimer


Febuary 25, 2006
Magazine Sales Could Be Subscription To Trouble
Feb. 25, 2006
NBC 5
Across the United States, groups of young adults travel in vans to city after city and solicit magazines from door to door. They offer potential buyers stories of working to earn scholarships or trips, but often the youths are not who they claim to be, according to some consumer watchdogs. People who pay for magazine subscriptions frequently do not receive the publications. North Texan Jennifer Parks was one of thousands of people who paid for an unfulfilled subscription. She said she realized the deceit when the publication failed to arrive four months after she had paid. She also said she felt pressured into the decision to buy the publication. A representative with the Better Business Bureau said the groups of magazine salespeople typically employ high-pressure sales tactics and that tales of earning trips or scholarships usually are untrue. NBC 5 contacted the company behind Parks' missing magazine order. Reporter Grant Stinchfield talked with Keitha Carson, the office manager of Denton-based Entrepreneurs Across America. At first, Carson offered no comment to Stinchfield's questions. Eventually, Carson said one of the company's owners disappeared and left Entrepreneurs Across America with significant debts. Still, Carson said she believed the company would fulfill customers' orders or issue refunds. During a follow-up telephone conversation with Stinchfield, Carson acknowledged that she was dissolving Entrepreneurs Across America. Consumer advocacy groups that monitor the magazine sales industry say Parks might have been lucky to be out only the cost of a subscription. Other door-to-door sales people have physically confronted potential customers in their homes and, in one example, barged inside a home in search of beer. Stinchfield discovered a case in upstate New York in which James Maxon, who was selling magazines, turned violent and stabbed to death a woman insider her home, according to police who investigated the case. In another instance involving door-to-door magazine solicitations, the salespeople were in danger. In Wisconsin, Jeremy Holmes, who was driving a van filled with magazine salespeople, tried to switch seats with another sales agent after he spotted a highway patrol officer. The resulting crash killed seven people in the van and seriously injured another seven people, according to the NBC 5 report. News of the stabbing and the van crash left Parks feeling relatively fortunate. She only lost $48.

For more information, go to:
On The Net: Traveling Sales Crews Information Site
On The Net: Parent Watch Information Clearinghouse on Traveling Sales Crews
NBC 5
Fort Worth, Texas
nbc5i.com
Read This Story


January 27, 2006
Children's Hospital warns of sales scam
Published 01/27/06 00:00:00
The Clovis Independent
NEWS BRIEFS
Children's Hospital Central California has learned that an organization called Entrepreneurs Across America has been selling magazines door-to-door in the Fresno area, claiming its sales benefit cancer patients at Children's Hospital in Madera. But the organization has no affiliation with Children's Hospital, and is not participating in a hospital fundraiser, officials say. Anyone with questions about the legitimacy of any fundraiser for Children's Hospital is instructed to call administration at 353-7100.
The Clovis Independent
clovisindependent.com
Clovis, California
Read This Story


D.M.P.G. Info Clip
February 26, 2006


DMPG research into the above magazine sales company:
Entrepreneurs Across America
Website: Entrepreneurs Across America
Entrepreneurs Across America, Inc.
Phone: (940) 565-1000
Fax: 214-975-1269
401 S. Locust St. Ste. 104
Denton, TX 76201
Owner:
George Frederick Senner IV

Sales Crews:
Threedom Sales, Inc. - 333
PMA, Inc. - 037
Buckeye Sales, Inc. - 528
Schaefer Sales - 247
Titan Sales, Inc. - 046
Kenmore Sales - 057
Attitude Sales - 501
Power Plus Sales - 011
Tomohawk Sales - 094
Production Sales - 143




Research:
Magazine Company:
Great Lakes Circulation
Great Lakes Circulation Website: americancashaward.com
Colorado Secretary of State Corporation/LLC Website:
Colorado S.O.S. Corp/LCC
Magazine Scams: Great Lakes Circulation
Consumer Advocacy: Edumacation.com: Great Lakes Circulation
Consumer Advocacy: Edumacation.com: Mountain Subscriptions
BBB Reliability Report
As reflected in the Denver/Boulder BBB on: 05/14/06 at 9:45 AM PST
BBB Report: Great Lakes Circulation
ripoffreport.com:
Rip Off Report: Great Lakes Circulation
Magazine Company/Sales Crews as of 05/14/06:
Great Lakes Circulation
aka American Cash Award aka Payne Sales
aka Shumate Sales
aka Magazines Inc.
aka Mountain Subscriptions
Great Lakes Circulation Contact Info:
Great Lakes Circulation
29029 Upper Bear Creek Rd.
Suite 202
Evergreen, CO 80439
(303) 674-8252
FAX (303) 679-9909
Principle:
Mark Shumate
Google Search: Mark Shumate
Google Search: Great Lakes Circulation

Great Lake Circulation is a Member of National Field Selling Association: nfsa.com
National Field Selling Association is a member of:
Magazine Publishers of America: magazine.org

Article Info: Great Lakes Circulation
State To Investigate Company That Allegedly Abandoned 2 Teens
Organizations Leaves Girls, 17, At Bus Stations In Dallas, Austin
Read This Story
Magazine sales work ends in tale of terror
Read This Story
Crews live and die to sell
Young magazine peddlers nationwide face abuse, danger
Read This Story

Note: The DMPG collects information from various sources:
police reports, court documents, media articles, and secretary of state websites.
The DMPG is not responsible for inaccurate data in any of the above sources of information.
Various company websites change over a period of time. Information and Links also change.
The DMPG cannot control this and for this reason cannot guarantee 100% accuracty of data.
If you have a question or find an error on this website please contact the DMPG WebMaster:
WebMaster
~or~ read the DMPG disclaimer: DMPG Disclaimer


Research:
Magazine Company:
Integrity Sales/Integrity Program
Integrity Sales Website: integritysale.com
Integrity Program Website: integritypgm.com
Arizona Secretary of State Corporation/LLC Website:
Az. S.O.S. Corp/LCC
Arizona Secretary of State: Integrity Sales:  Integrity Sales
Criminal Profiles: Search For: Integrity Sales
Magazine Scams: Integrity Sales
Consumer Advocacy: Edumacation.com: Integrity Sales
BBB Report Phoenix, Az.: unsatisfactory
Rip Off Report: Integrity Sales
Magazine Company/Sales Crews as of 05/13/06:
Magazine Fulfillment Services - Operated by Robert Spruiell
Integrity Sales, Inc. - Operated by Robert Spruiell
Integrity Program, Inc.- Operated by Robert Spruiell
Circulation I - Operated by Karkeen Hillery
Circulation II - Operated by Karleen Hillery
SERVICES UNLIMITED PLUS - Operated by Karleen Hillery Spruiell/Robert Spruiell
National Community Clearing, INC - Operated by Karleen Hillery
TEAM X-TREME
DYNASTY SALES
POWERHOUSSE SALES
KAYS NATURALS - Karleen Hillery Crew
Crew Name: 029
Crew Name: 032
IP MARKETING
IMPACT PUBLICATIONS
Subscriptions Plus - Operated by Karleen Hillery
(old mag. company name - may be in use again)

Google Search: Karleen Hillery
Google Search: Robert Spruiell

Integrity Sales is a Member of National Field Selling Association: nfsa.com
National Field Selling Association is a member of:
Magazine Publishers of America: magazine.org

RIP-OFF Report.com
Integrity Sales ripoff
Phoenix Arizona *Consumer Comment ..New Info
Read This Rip-Off Report On Integrity Sales

Lookup: Karleen Hillery on Profiler:
Karleen Hillery Profile

Lookup: Karleen Hillery - Janesville Wisconsin Van Crash March 25, 1999
Karleen Hillery Profile

View Recent Criminal Activities of Karleen Hillery Spruiell:
Karleen Hillery Spruiell
(NOTE: for search on Arizona State Supreme Court Criminal Records
Enter: Last Name: Spruiell, First Name: Karleen in search box.

View Wisconsin DOJ Civil Lawsuit Against Karleen Hillery (case # 00-CV-0852)
State of Wisconsin V. Karleen Hillery

View Illinois Magazine Sales Fraud Lawsuit Against Karleen Hillery (case # 02-CH125)
State of Illinois V. Karleen Hillery

Note: The DMPG collects information from various sources:
police reports, court documents, media articles, and secretary of state websites.
The DMPG is not responsible for inaccurate data in any of the above sources of information.
Various company websites change over a period of time. Information and Links also change.
The DMPG cannot control this and for this reason cannot guarantee 100% accuracty of data.
If you have a question or find an error on this website please contact the DMPG WebMaster:
WebMaster
~or~ read the DMPG disclaimer: DMPG Disclaimer


Federal Trade Commission

MSNBC Complaint Map - Where to complain by state

Cagey Consumer Youth Field Sales Alert

Cagey Consumer Magazine Sales Scams

Complaints.com

Rip-Off Report Book And Magazine Publishers


Brevard Consumer Complaint and Reference Site!
brevardcomplaints.com



Federal Trade Commission
Magazine Subscription Scams

Magazine Subscription Scams














Helpful Links:

Direct Selling Association || Magazine Publishers Of America || National Field Selling Association

Parent Watch || Amber Alert || What Is Amber Alert || National Center For Missing And Exploited Children || America's Most Wanted || Sexcriminals.com  Internet Abductions.com || Crime Library || Smoking Gun || Court TV || FTC || FBI || US Department Of Labor || Consumer Affairs || BBB || Officer.com || Law By State || Lawyers.com || Findlaw.com || US Newspaper List || On Line Network News Links 

Public Warnings:

Scams And RipOffs By Sales Crew-Clearinghouse || 5 Worst Teen Jobs || Is That Traveling Sales Job For You? || National Consumers League || Child Labor Coalition || General Federation Of Womans Clubs || Interstate Labor Standards Traveling Sales Crews || BBB WARNING || Help slam the door on sales crew abuses || Wisconsin DOJ Traveling Sales Crews

Companies:
All Star Promotions, Alliance Service Company, All Star Promotions, AM PRESS ASSOCIATION, American Community Services, Atlantic Circulation Inc, Austin Diversified Products Inc, Chapel Sales, Check Game Solutions, Circulation II, Fidelity Reader Service, Great Lakes Circulation, Hy-Pro Chemical, Interstate Subscription Service, Mags R Us, National Magazine Exchange, National Publishers Exchange, Palmetto Marketing Inc, Paragon Marketing Group, Pitts Sales, Pumppers Trust, Pumppers Inc., Services Unlimited Plus, Special Data Processing Corp, Supreme Community Services, Inc., Ultimate Power Sales, United Subscription Agency, Unified Family Circulation, Xtreme Marketing Inc

Keyword Search:
Magazine Publishers of Americac, Nina Link, Magazine Publishers, Magazine Clearinghouse, Door To Door Sales Magazine Salesman, Selling Magazines Door To Door, Consumer Beware, Magazine Sales Scam, Door to Door Sales Scam, Magazine Sales Crew, Door To Door Sales Crew, Magazine Fraud, Magazine Publishers of America, National Field Selling Association, CATHERINE M KEY, Vincent Pitts, Karleen Hillery, Robert Spruiell


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Cagey Consumer Youth Field Sales Alert

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