EDitor's NOTICE:
Suspension of Posting Privileges for This Company and it's Principals Rip-Off Report supports the right of consumers to air complaints and of business owners and principals to be allowed the privilege of responding openly to those complaints. The ultimate goal of this site is consumer complaint resolution. That goal is why Rip-Off Report exists today. The principals of Federated Financial have chosen to attack the EDitor and staff of Rip-Off Report with threats of physical harm and other abusive tactics, such as an Internet-wide smear campaign and contacting other businesses to encourage them to file lawsuits against Rip-Off Report.
Physical evidence exists which proves they do not deny that death threats were made and that they posted at least ONE bogus report. Based on those threats the decision was made over two years ago to suspend posting/rebuttal privileges for Federated Financial and its principals until further notice.
Rip-off Report regrets having to make this decision. It is a matter of site policy to ban those who participate in these behaviors, as to continue to tolerate this would undermine the purpose of this site. Attacks against this site and staff do nothing to further the goal of consumer problem resolution and only devour time and resources, which are urgently needed elsewhere if Rip-Off Report is to achieve its goal of helping consumers.
Legitimate consumer complaints and insider information about this company will still be accepted, as always.
Rip-Off Report hopes for a resolution to this situation soon, at which time the posting privilege suspension may be lifted from this company.
staff=====Read Rebuttal below "The Straight Story" 7/17/2005 ====I hope that you will not cut my report. I work at Kids.com and we have had quite a bit of communication from Federated Financial and there was some feeling that some people would not be loyal to whatever Larry might have planned and they announced that Kids.com had made a deal with you so no report would be posted. I hope that is not true because I need to let you know what has been happening here.
In addition to the phone calls we also have had visits from people at Federated Financial. I am going to file an update to one of your reports and want you to include the photo and rap sheet on Mr. McFarland. He was here and read us the riot act about not speaking to the press and pointed the finger at you for manipulation information to make us look bad. None of us believe that, but I think I am the only one who have the courage to cross him. He was intimidating and left most of us wondering what our company has to do with this money company or whatever it is.And why was it so important to send their attorney to mess with our minds.
One person pointed out to me that this attorney has his photo on ripoffreport.com, Chris McFarland. [I would like for you to add the photo HERE/BELOW and rap sheet for the attorney who intimidated us.]
WOULD YOU LET THIS MAN BE YOUR LAWYER OR SELL YOU A CAR, OR RUN YOUR COMPANY? WELL, STEVE MILLER LETS THIS MAN RUN HIS COMPANY.
My questions is: I thought if you were a felon you could no longer practice law, but Mr. McFarland said he was an attorney for Mr. Miller and Federated Financial. Maybe someone can clear this up because if he is NOT an attorney the nature of his threats are no longer legal but could be interpretted as physical threats. We are scared and frankly afraid to quit.
Here is the other information already posted on Mr. McFarland. I hope the police get these people so we can sleep at night. (Isn't he wicked scary?) Christopher R. McFarland, the current in-house attorney and a partner at Federated Financial Services (FFS), is running day-to-day operations with Steve Miller, threatening employees and consumers who dare mention the problem of clients, who have bills which were not paid on time by contractual terms. McFarland is also the one who heads up the operations, which writes the letters for another rip-off, www.lawyersletters.com.
Because Federated Financial Services began having little success with scamming people out of their money, as the courts are on to Miller and it has been pretty easy to show that FFS has not been paying the bills they said they would, Steve Miller needed to bolster the company's leverage by the use of intimidation and force. Miller hired a used car salesman and disbarred Pennsylvania attorney, Christopher R McFarland, now partner. This man is one of the few people I know who takes joy in using illegitimate means physical violence and threats of physical force and legal exploitation to get people to capitulate; often dropping their charges or lawsuits.
The next couple of anecdotes give a good idea just how scary things have become since Miller got his hired gun. Not too long ago, many of us saw Christopher R "Chris" McFarland and Steve Miller chased a FFS employee out of the building. The employee told the truth to a customer when Federated did not pay their bills on time after the customer sent his money to Federated per agreement. He revealed that occasionally that is how they make extra money... by intentionally holding clients' money, keeping the interest made and passing on the penalties to the client. McFarland physically restrained the employee, shoving him up against the wall and threatening to "F*CK him up royally unless he fix the mess." They had the employee sign documents and McFarland gave him "the laying on of hands" as Chris likes to call it.
Recently, within the last couple of weeks, Miller and McFarland came back to the office after going to court. They were mad because things did not go well for them They were very vocal, yelling and screaming the rest of the afternoon. Miller got on the phone to call his friends and partners in for a "strategy meeting."
In the course of the meeting, they were actively throwing around ideas of how to make the judge and the other attorney pay. McFarland bragged how he had the opposing counsel "shaking in his boots." They said they would have to let the judge and the bailiffs know how powerful they are, calling the Judge in the case all kinds of names.
When Miller left the building, McFarland began an anti-semitic tyraid. He was talking crazy, about how Shakespeare had the right idea in killing all the lawyers because it was a good way of getting rid of a bunch of jews and jew lovers. McFarland knows Miller is a jew, but I don't think Miller really knows how McFarland really feels. It is truly scary.
In case you think this is made up, just check out the recent rap sheet on McFarland
I am told this case actually involves McFarland beating someone up to drop their lawsuit against FFS. In this case Miller needed McFarland to "take care of a company problem" and he viciously attacked a client. Fortunately, the police were called before he was able to make his getaway and he was arrested. It scares me to think someone could have died.
Holy Hell, it seems that FFS takes cues from scenes from "The Godfather." Reading about other Florida businesses on this website, it also looks like an affiliated business, Fashion Rock uses the same tactics, using another disbarred attorney who represents himself as in-house counsel also and throws his weight around. I mention this because McFarland is often in communication with someone named Mr. Jans from Fashion Rock.
I know of no case where Mr. Jans physically attacked someone, like "Killer" Chris McFarland, but just look at the photo someone posted of Jans. He looks too wimpy to attack someone without rebuff. He probably is used to intimidating female detractors only for his company.
For those who may need further proof, here is the link to the information, which can be checked out on the Internet.
http://www.pbso.org/corrections/index.cfm?fa=blottersearchwp&requesttimeout=500&start_date=01%2F01%2F1995&end_date=05%2F16%2F2005&last_name=Mcfarland&first_name=Chris&street_name=&
city_name=&statute=&arrestingAgency=&recsperpage=5&
process=Process+Search
Several of our clients have also had the unfortunate occasion to use the "services" of this so-called "non-profit" organization. After reading about other horror stories they have expressed the wish that they had read these stories before getting tangled up with FFS. Many of the complaints deal with the abuse of our not-for-profit (NFP) status.
Additionally, I have reason to research the recent legal entanglement of FFS and the recourse many people have had to resort to in order to force them to meet their obligations. In my opinion, Steve Miller is more interested in tying up the funds of clients (often for his own enrichment, albeit temporarily) and getting clients contractually bound to him, than he is in helping people.
[HERE IS A LIST OF RECENT LAWSUITS AGAINST FFS.]
(I am sending the documents separately.)
1. FEDERATED FINANCIAL flsdc 0:2001cv07089 06/27/2001 440 08/05/2004
FORRY vs. FEDERATED FINANCIAL
2. FEDERATED FINANCIAL flsdc 0:2001cv07542 09/28/2001 442 05/28/2003
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT vs. FEDERATED FINANCIAL
3. FEDERATED FINANCIAL flsdc 0:2002cv60756 05/30/2002 710 01/15/2003
BAVING vs. FEDERATED FINANCIAL
4. FEDERATED FINANCIAL CONSULTING SERVICES, INC. flsdc 0:2002cv60756 05/30/2002 710 01/15/2003
BAVING vs. FEDERATED FINANCIAL
5. FEDERATED FINANCIAL CORPORATION OF AMERICA insdce 1:2004cv00426 03/04/2004 890 04/19/2004
DANIELS vs. FEDERATED FINANCIAL CORPORATION OF AMERICA
6. FEDERATED FINANCIAL RESERVE CORP. paedce 2:2003cv04554 06/30/2004 190 09/16/2004
FEDERATED FINANCIAL RESERVE CORP. vs. 320 FOODS, INC.
7. FEDERATED FINANCIAL RESERVE CORPORATION ohsdce 1:1999cv00937 11/05/1999 190 03/26/2002
MODERN SALES TECHNOL, ET AL vs. TODAYS DESTINY INC, ET AL
8. FEDERATED FINANCIAL RESERVE CORPORATION alsdce 1:1998cv01206 12/03/1998 190 01/12/1999
CONNOR vs. LEASE ACCEPTANCE, ET AL
9 FEDERATED FINANCIAL RESERVE CORPORATION miedce 2:1994cv72652 06/22/1998 890 09/15/1998
JONES vs. FED FIN RSRV CORP, ET AL
10. FEDERATED FINANCIAL SERVICES INC txsdce 4:1999cv00245 01/26/1999 422 02/23/1999
IN RE: MALONE COMPANY INC, ET AL
11. FEDERATED FINANCIAL SERVICES INC okwdce 5:1995cv00602 04/18/1995 220 10/04/1995
FEDERATED FINAN SVC vs. MADOUX, ET AL
12. FEDERATED FINANCIAL SERVICES INC okwdce 5:1995cv00602 04/18/1995 220 10/04/1995
FEDERATED FINAN SVC vs. MADOUX, ET AL
13. FEDERATED FINANCIAL SERVICES INC txsdce 4:1999cv00946 03/30/1999 422 06/09/1999
IN RE: MALONE COMPANY, ET AL
14. FEDERATED FINANCIAL SERVICES INC okwdce 5:1995cv01106 07/24/1995 220 09/16/1996
FEDERATED FINANCIAL vs. GORDON, ET AL
15. FEDERATED FINANCIAL SERVICES INC okwdce 5:1995cv01106 07/24/1995 220 09/16/1996
FEDERATED FINANCIAL vs. GORDON, ET AL
16. FEDERATED FINANCIAL SERVICES INC okwdce 5:1995cv01449 09/15/1995 140 11/20/1995
FEDERATED FINANCIAL vs. MILLER
17. FEDERATED FINANCIAL SERVICES INC txsdce 4:1997cv03465 10/17/1997 290 11/25/1998
FEDERATED FINANCIAL vs. REAGAN, ET AL
18. FEDERATED FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. lamdce 3:1995cv00074 01/24/1995 140 09/26/1995
FEDERATED FINANCIAL vs. WARMACK, ET AL
19. FEDERATED FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. okedc 6:1995cv00187 04/26/1995 220 02/12/1996
FEDERATED FIN SVC vs. TEXOMA FORD TRACTOR
20. FEDERATED FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. txndce 3:1997cv02615 10/24/1997 290 10/29/1998
FEDERATED FINANCIAL vs. JOHNSON COUNTY., ET AL
21. FEDERATED FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. txndce 3:1998cv02995 12/22/1998 950 07/29/1999
FEDERATED FINANCIAL vs. JOHNSON COUNTY., ET AL
22. FEDERATED FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. flsdc 0:2001cv07089 06/27/2001 440 08/05/2004
FORRY vs. FEDERATED FINANCIAL
23. FEDERATED FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. flsdc 0:2001cv07542 09/28/2001 442 05/28/2003
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT vs. FEDERATED FINANCIAL
24. FEDERATED FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. flsdc 0:2002cv60756 05/30/2002 710 01/15/2003
BAVING vs. FEDERATED FINANCIAL
25. FEDERATED FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. COM flsdc 0:2002cv60756 05/30/2002 710 01/15/2003
BAVING vs. FEDERATED FINANCIAL
26. FEDERATED FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.COM laedc 2:2000cv00803 11/12/2004 820 05/23/2000
IBUSINESSES.COM LLC vs. FEDERATED FINANCIAL"
[I looks like this company we are hooking up with gets sued a lot also.]
Before Mr. McFarlande came, we had no idea there was a story being done, but now we are on the lookout. I feel like we have just been taken over by the mafia. I am sure that no one will speak to the authorities after what we went through. He never threatened us verbally but every one of us had no doubt that if we spoke, "something" would happen to us.
Please do not release my name or my email address. I need the money to support my child, but do not like to feel like a trained seal. I would like the world to know the people that my company is getting involved with.
Thanks,
M (Not my real name)
M
Fairfield, New Jersey
Why file a report here? Ripoff Report is a permanent record! Other complaint sites copy our content then remove reports for money.
