Montreal-based Telemarketing Company pleads guilty to criminal charges under the Competition Act

OTTAWA, August 2, 2000 — The Competition Bureau announced today that telemarketing company C.S.R.H. Heritage Group Inc. and manager Ronald Howell have pleaded guilty to three criminal charges each under the misleading advertising provisions of the Competition Act. They both face sentencing on September 22, 2000 in Montreal.

The guilty pleas follow a two-year Bureau investigation into misleading advertising carried out by the Montreal-based company between November 7, 1997 and March 14, 1999.

During that time, telemarketers phoned and sent letters to consumers telling them they would get valuable awards or "premiums" if they bought promotional products such as pens and coins that the company was selling at inflated prices.

Heritage Group telemarketers misled consumers about the nature, value and quality of the awards and left out or only partially disclosed extra conditions and restrictions required for consumers to collect the awards.

The following telemarketers have also been charged in connection with the case: Anthony Babb, Patricia Ann Gavin, Barbara Gavin, David G. Laprairie, James Place, Marvin Redler, Kenneth Schwartz, and Richard Skolski. The first court appearance for the accused telemarketers will be September 22, 2000 in Montreal.

Consumers who suspect they have been the victim of deceptive telemarketing are encouraged to contact the Competition Bureau's Information Centre at 1-800-348-5358, or Project PhoneBusters at 1-888-495-8501.

For more information, please contact:

Julie Hébert
819-953-4257