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The Federal Trade Commission has created an information line for customers who purchased debt-consolidation services from Express Consolidation, Inc., Randall L. Leshin, and Debt Management Counseling Center (also known as Randall L. Leshin, P.A.). Express Consolidation, Inc. is based in Delray Beach, Florida and has serviced debt-management plans for customers nationwide.

The dedicated line – 866-706-7597 – will describe the notices that have been sent to customers regarding their options to transfer or cancel their debt management plans. The notices are the result of the settlement of an FTC lawsuit charging Express Consolidation, Inc. and affiliated individuals and companies with deception in the sale of debt-consolidation services under the name Express Consolidation (see press release dated May 8, 2008). As part of the settlement, a court-appointed monitor is sending notices to customers who have contracts with Randall L. Leshin and Randall L. Leshin, P.A. (also known as Debt Management Counseling Center and Express Consolidation).

The notices fall under three categories depending upon the customer’s state of residence:

• In late May, customers in New York and Vermont received a notice in the mail asking if they want to cancel their agreement or transfer to another provider.
• In July, customers in 18 states and the District of Columbia received a notice in the mail asking if they wish to cancel their contracts, agree to a contract with Express Consolidation, Inc., or transfer to another provider. The 18 states in which customers received this notice are: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
• In July, customers in the remaining states, where Express Consolidation, Inc. did not fulfill qualifications under state law for providing debt-management services, received a notice in the mail asking if they want to cancel or transfer to a different provider.

A court-appointed monitor will oversee the transfer of the customers’ debt-management plans to alternate providers that are not connected to Express Consolidation, Inc. or the other defendants. The monitor, attorney Gerald B. Wald, has established a Web site at www.expressconsolidationmonitor.com, and a toll-free number, 1-800-718-5071, for consumers seeking more information on the case.

Free publications about choosing, participating in, and stopping debt-payment plans are available as a link to this press release on the FTC’s Web site. The Commission works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,500 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.

(Leshin Info Line.wpd)