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TALLAHASSEE - Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that his office has reached an agreement with a Daytona Beach timeshares company, resolving issues of deceptive telemarketing and other questionable business tactics. Copeland Marketing Corporation will pay more than $181,000 to reimburse more than 360 consumers who complained the company’s business practices were misleading or deceptive.

An investigation conducted by the Attorney General’s Economic Crimes Division revealed that consumers believed they were paying Copeland to sell or rent their properties. Copeland Marketing admitted it did not have the required real estate license to sell or rent timeshares. Hundreds of consumers complained that the company made false promises about the services to be provided and the availability of refunds or charged consumers’ credit cards before contracts were signed. After payment, attempts made by consumers to contact the company were in vain. The Attorney General’s Office began investigating the company last May.

“Consumers should have the assurance that we will not allow businesses to take advantage of their customers,” McCollum said. “We will continue to protect our citizens from this type of fraud.”

Under the terms of the agreement, the company and its owners, Jason Lunt and Andrea DeMarco Lunt, will issue full refunds to all 364 complainants, including 48 Floridians, and will refund any additional complaints received prior to May 31, 2007. Copeland Marketing will also modify its business practices to comply with Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and must adhere to all Federal Trade Commission telemarketing rules and statutes. In addition to consumer restitution, Copeland Marketing will reimburse taxpayers for the cost of the state’s investigation.

A copy of the agreement with Copeland Marketing Corporation is available at: http://myfloridalegal.com/webfiles.nsf/WF/MRAY-6XCR5P/$file/Copeland_AVC.pdf