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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSurprise, Surprise! Goldline Hit With Injunction, Has To Repay Defrauded Customers $4.5 Million
Conservative talker-endorsed precious metal retailer Goldline International agreed to a court order this week to repay defrauded customers $4.5 million and overhaul its business practices. The injunction, handed down by the Los Angeles County Superior Court, was obtained by the City Attorney of Santa Monica, California where the company is based who had filed 19 criminal counts of fraud and theft against the company last year. Those charges have now been dismissed.
Goldlines entire business model was essentially a scam, the city attorney found. It was a bait-and-switch: Consumers wanted to buy gold bullion, but salespeople preyed on their fears including falsely claiming that the government could seize bullion and misled them into buying vastly overpriced gold coins instead. Consumers typically paid more than 55 percent above the actual value of the coins, which are much harder to sell down the road, instantly wiping out a large portion of their savings.
At the time, Goldline called the charges preposterous and vowed to fight them. But in addition to the $4.5 million, the court order requires Goldline to put $800,000 into a fund for future claims, and submit to a court-appointed monitor who will have full access to companys operations, at Goldlines expense. In addition, it will have to disclose its actual markups and stop misleading customers.
The company is best known for its ties to conservative talk radio hosts like Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, and Mark Levin, who were central to the companys marketing model. Two former GOP presidential candidates Mike Huckabee and Fred Thompson have even endorsed the gold retailer.
Link: http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/02/24/431519/goldline-injunction/
spanone
(135,874 posts)FarLeftFist
(6,161 posts)zbdent
(35,392 posts)(if I'm using that correctly).
Beck defrauds the American people, Goldline defrauds the American people, you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours ...
Bonobo
(29,257 posts)stockholmer
(3,751 posts)next to the entrance of Mission Control in Florida has to do with launching a Space Shuttle. (This statement is NOT addressed to the OP, btw).
Fuck Beck and the other RW dupes/shills too.
I just cannot stand to see a truly wise, wealth preserving investment shat upon by assholes like this. I fear the sour-grapers, the deniers, the equity pump-and-dumpers, the bankster (especially notorious silver manipulator/shorter JP Morgan) collaborators, and the gullible will use this to attack PM investing.
Due due dilligence! That cannot be repeated enough in todays corrupt financial arena.
Curmudgeoness
(18,219 posts)On one hand, I hate when any company takes advantage of ordinary people through scams.
On the other hand, it was the "true believers" of these right wingnuts who got taken because they worshipped their heroes and just took their word as gospel instead of thinking.
Major Hogwash
(17,656 posts)Just the same way Pat Boone had to pay a settlement for endorsing a skin care product a few years ago.