e-Tranz??
Posted By: mtgranny on 2005-07-29
In Reply to: please check this out totally!!!! - dls
Thanks so much! I was just recently hired by this company but have not faxed my paperwork back yet. I would appreciate a list of some of the other MTs to hear what they have to say.
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Run away from e-tranZ (GA)..sm
I posted this on the Main Board, but want to get as much exposure as possible.
I see e-tranZ has a job posting on this site. Please do not consider sending your resume to them! Their checks are consistently late, and when they do come, they bounce. Trying to get a replacement check is like pulling teeth. I know this from experience. I left several months ago and I'm still trying to get the money I am owed. The owner of this company won't answer emails, and if on the rare occasion she does, they are demeaning and rude in nature. She makes you feel like it was your fault that HER checks bounced.
There are too many good companies out there that are hiring. Stay away from this one, please!
Run away from e-tranz
I agree! The sad thing is that there are too many of us who know first hand how this company is run or NOT run. The stories are all the same. Save yourself time, money and heartache and stay away!
E-Tranz
PLEASE BE AWARE OF THE FOLLOWING COMPANY'S WAY OF TREATING THEIR MT'S. THESE LETTERS ARE TO HELP INSURE THAT NO OTHER MT IS TREATED BADLY BY THIS COMPANY
THE MT’S NAMES FROM THE FOLLOWING LETTERS HAVE BEEN REMOVED TO PROTECT THEM, AS WELL AS THEY SHOULD BE.
#1: I, and a group of my fellow medical transcriptionists (MTs) are in need of your help. Until recently, we all worked as independent contractors for a company by the name of e-tranZ, owned and operated by Deborah Garrison, located in Snellville, Georgia. All of us have had paychecks bounce, and now we are unable to get the final money that is owed to us. Throughout our time with e-tranZ, all checks were consistently late (by at least 2 weeks), and a large portion of them would bounce, causing those with NSF checks to wait another week or more for a replacement check (which some also bounced). We have contacted attorneys, police agencies (including the FBI), the Department of Labor, and the Attorney General only to be told, “Sorry, there is nothing we can do to help because you are a self-employed Independent Contractor.”
Attached is each of the MTs experiences with this company.
My story: I started with e-tranZ in October, 2004. Since that time, I received only one check on time. Checks (per the contract) were to be issued on the 5th and 20th of every month. Most recently, I received my 6/20 check on 7/2. That check was returned to me on 7/11 after having been put through twice by my bank. To date, I have not received a replacement check. I finally received my 7/5 check on 7/18. I took that check to Wachovia (e-tranZ’s bank) to cash it on 7/20 and was told by the teller that she could not cash it due to insufficient funds in the account. I have yet to receive my 7/20 check. Deb Garrison will not take my calls or answer my emails as to when I can expect to receive monies owed to me. Since January, I have had 4 checks returned for NSF and each of my checks have been held for 10 business days by my bank due to indications from Wachovia/South Trust that the checks may not clear.
I was promoted to General Manager of e-tranZ in February 2005. During that time, I was repeatedly notified by the MTs that their checks were returned. When I would notify Deb Garrison, her normal response would be, “Is that all? I expected more than that to be returned.” That leads me to believe that she was routinely writing checks knowing that some would be returned – she just did not know whose. On average over the last 6 months, she had 5-6 checks bounce every 2 weeks.
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#2: I also worked for e-tranZ for a brief period. I started in mid April 2005. I have never had a check issued to me on time since I started. I have had two checks bounce due to NSF. My bank in return put my checking account on what they call a "lock out" because of depositing checks that ultimately bounced in the end. My account is on lock out for 90 days until the Risk Management Department does an account review. My accounts and bills are in jeopardy because of this. I also have $1000 that is still owed to me and have never received anything, not even a phone call or email. Deborah Garrison will not answer my emails or my phone calls either. This is obviously something she knows how to get around and has definitely done before. I have contacted my local police department as well as the Labor Department to be told there is nothing they can do. I always thought that passing bad checks was a crime, but in this case I cannot seem to find anyone willing to help. Hopefully you can lead me in a different direction and I can get this problem taken care of. We all have bills to pay and because of her terrible business sense I now have bills that are overdue and one company is no longer willing to accept my checks due to her checks bouncing. If my checks had come on time and had not bounced I would not be in this situation. Again, I hope you can help or give us a different direction to go in. Thank you for your time.
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#3: I was also employed by E-Tranz, or as we refer to it, E- scam. I have now had 2 of my payroll checks bounce. When I quit, they told me I didn’t make much of a difference anyways, since I only worked for them part time. If I didn’t make much of a difference, they why did they have such a hard time paying the measly $500 a month I made off them? When I mailed them my 2-week notice, they said they were with holding my pay until they got their foot pedal, so I overnighted it to them, and then demanded my final check. The next day, I found out my second payroll check had bounced. Their excuse was then they were not going to send my final paycheck until they got my paperwork back from the NSF check.
When I quit, I told them I was doing so because payroll had not been on time but only once in the 4 months I worked for them. By contract, paychecks were supposed to be released on the 5th and 20th of each month. In example, my check that was supposed to be sent 07/20/05 just arrived today, 08/04/05. I wonder when my last check, which is supposed to go out tomorrow will be sent. I have gone to the State Police, better business bureau, and the labor department with the same reply, What do you want us to do?. I just want my money, and I want E-Tranz to stop scamming their employees. They would always ask us to work OT, weekends, and even holidays, with threats of firing us if we didn’t, but God forbid, they might pay us. My bank even refuses to cash their checks, and since I am in a very rural area of New York State, the closest Wachovia back is 4 hours away for me.
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#4: . I too have had a bad situation get worse with e-Tranz. My very first check I received was NSF, and the bank charged me $10.00 for this happening. It eventually cleared, they think anyway, and now I have finally received my 2nd check, 2-1/2 weeks late again, and hopefully this will not bounce. I have also received a 3rd check this week which was for less then what was supposed to be paid, without explanation as to why. I have told Deb Garrison, that she had until the 20th of August for all checks due to be paid; as well as I am asking for the $10.00 I get charged when the NSF situation happens. I have had responses from Deb Garrison, via e-mail, but none have been really that nice. I told her I have talked with an attorney, and she just said, "Do what you have too, and your lawyer can talk with my lawyers". Eventually I tried dealing with her on an adult basis, and that's when she said she was sorry for the inconvenience and would make things right, but still it took forever to get was owed me after I resigned from her employ. I have now started working in the past month for another company and have been paid right on time, which I am thankful for. I feel for those MT's that are single parents, or in dire need of their income to help their spouse make ends meet. I feel that e-Tranz has a very poor business etiquette, and their lies have been overwhelming, stating "THE CHECKS IN THE MAIL", to find out 2-1/2 weeks later or longer, they have not been mailed. They have dumped the info on us that they are in the midst of changing banks etc, and things would be fixed????????? My advice to all MT's if possible, like I did, keep all e-mail and phone call records, because I think you are going to need it. I had only been with e-Tranz a short time, but a hard lesson learned that's for sure. Hopefully something can be done to help our situations. I really feel this is very unjust, and criminal, and something needs to be done. If these checks don't clear she will owe me almost $2000.00. If they clear, I'm still owed roughly $190.00 upon my resignation and cut off date I gave her. ADDENDUM: All checks have been received, and so far no notice from the bank stating they were NSF. I still feel that Deb Garrison is dealing in a criminal act by sending our MT’s NSF checks. If we did that we would be hauled into court and probably jail, especially if we did it as many times as she has. Please be aware of the situations that have been created by e-tranz and Deb Garrison, so that you can save yourself a lot of grief. Respectfully submitted,
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#5: My story:
I live in Pennsylvania and worked for e-tran-Z for 14 months. During those 14 months I never got my paychecks from them on time. They were always two weeks late. I live alone and support myself. I have no one to back me up with money to when its time to pay the bills. So their checks being sent as late as they were was a hardship on me. When I asked them to FedEx my checks and they can deduct the cost from my checks, I was told in no uncertain, nasty, unprofessional, terms “No... My checks will be mailed just like all checks are mailed, regular mail.” According to their payroll contract, invoiced are due in on the 15th and the last day of the month and checks will be mailed on the 5th and 20th of the month. It also says “there are no exceptions.”
In June I finally got my check (that was 2 weeks late) that was for pay period ending May 15th. I deposited it and 2 weeks later I got notice from my bank that the check bounced. When I let Deb Garrison and her partner, Donna Heusner, know that the check bounced, I gave her 10 days to get a replacement check to me via cashiers check. That replacement check never came. I had to take $1000 from my retirement fund to straighten out the mess she made of my checking account and borrow $1000 from someone so I could pay my bills for the month of July. My check that was due to be mailed on July 5 was not received until August 1st. I have no idea when the check that was due to be mailed on July 20th will get here since the check due out July 5th was a month late. Fortunately, I was finally able to cash her check that bounced by going to her bank (Wachovia) finding out their was money in her account and was able to cash it. She still owes me checks for the pay period ending June 30th and for July 15th pay period
When I found another full time job with another service where the paychecks are electronically deposited. My plan was to work full time for another service during the day and e-tranZ part time at night so that I would have reliable money coming in when it was supposed to and pay from e-tranZ to put into savings where it would not be so critical. Deb Garrison and her partner, Donna Heusner, locked me out of their system without notice at all. The way I found out was when I tried to get into their system to type. So in essence I was terminated without them telling me I was terminated.
I along with one of the above MT’s (#1), I made calls to various Federal and State Agencies. Between us we made at least 3 dozen calls. Each agency we called pushed us off to another Federal or State Agency. We got absolutely nowhere.
This has been going on long enough, even too long. This goes back as far as the early 1990s. I found bankruptcy records on line (which I am attaching for your information) from when this company and people who owned the company were in California. I have been told by several other girls who have quit, that there are a lot of civil suits against Deb Garrison and e-tranZ that I have not looked for online at this time.
As you will see by the bankruptcy file that I pulled from online, this has gone on from 1993. From 1993 on she has and will continue to screw the girls that work for her unless somehow, someway they can be stopped. When you work for a company as hard as medical transcriptionists do, you expect to get paid, on time, without worrying if your paycheck is going to bounce.
There are 10 of us sending our “stories” and experiences with e-tranZ and Deb Garrison. At this point, you are our only hope getting what is owed us and putting a stop to all of the above.
Below it the bankruptcy information I found online.
1. GARRISON, DEBORAH
STATE OF California 31 FAIRSIDE
IRVINE, CA 92614 970476547
STATE TAX LIEN 09/26/1997 ORANGE COUNTY - RECORDER OF DEEDS $824.00
$0.00
1. GARRISON, DEBORAH
STATE OF CALIFORNIA 31 FAIRSIDE
IRVINE, CA 92614 980037036
STATE TAX LIEN 09/26/1997 ORANGE COUNTY - RECORDER OF DEEDS $824.00
$0.00
2. GARRISON, DEBORAH
STATE OF CALIFORNIA 10811 ASHTON AV #412
LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 97486378
STATE TAX LIEN 03/31/1997 LA COUNTY / RECORDER OF DEEDS $1,531.00
$0.00
3. GARRISON, DEBORAH
STATE OF CALIFORNIA 10811 ASHTON AV 412
LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 951332271
STATE TAX LIEN 08/15/1995 LA COUNTY / RECORDER OF DEEDS $750.00
$0.00
4. GARRISON, DEBORAH
JOHN, JONES L 12530 BRADDOCK DR #233A
LOS ANGELES, CA 90066 93U30840
FORCIBLE ENTRY/DETAINER 10/25/1993 LOS ANGELES MUNICIPAL - LA COUNTY $0.00
$0.00
5. GARRISON, DEBORAH
DICTAPHONE, CORP 2952 VALMERE DR
MALIBU, CA 90265 92V00567
CIVIL JUDGMENT 12/21/1992 MALIBU MUNICIPAL - LA COUNTY $3,388.00
$0.00
6. GARRISON, DEBORAH
WILLIAM, KELDSEN A 2952 VALMERE
MALIBU, CA 90265 MSC8498
SMALL CLAIMS JUDGMENT 07/01/1992 MALIBU MUNICIPAL - LA COUNTY $1,077.00
$0.00
7. GARRISON, DEBORAH
G 13900 OANAY WY #M210
MARINA DEL REY, CA 90292 93A00576
CIVIL JUDGMENT 05/20/1993 CULVER CITY MUNICIPAL - LA COUNTY $4,572.00 $0.00
4.
8. GARRISON, DEBORAH
G 13900 OANAY WY #M210
MARINA DEL REY, CA 90292 93A00576
CIVIL JUDGMENT 05/20/1993 CULVER CITY MUNICIPAL - LA COUNTY $4,572.00
$0.00
8. GARRISON, DEBORAH
COUNTY OF SAN MATEO 660 BIAR ISLAND RD #14
REDWOOD CITY, CA 94063 98205662
COUNTY TAX LIEN 12/10/1998 SAN MATEO COUNTY COURT (RD) $580.00
$0.00
9. GARRISON, DEBORAH
COUNTY OF SAN MATEO 660 BAIR ISLAND RD #14
REDWOOD CITY, CA 94063 97156302
COUNTY TAX LIEN 12/02/1997 SAN MATEO COUNTY COURT (RD) $558.00
$0.00
10. GARRISON, DEBORAH K
COUNTY OF SAN MATEO 660 BAIR ISLAND RD #14
REDWOOD CITY, CA 94063 2000001161
COUNTY TAX LIEN 01/05/2000 SAN MATEO COUNTY COURT (RD) $555.00
$0.00
5.
11. GARRISON, DEBORAH KATHLYN
COUNTY OF SAN MATEO 660 BAIR ISLAND RD #14
REDWOOD CITY, CA 94063 98205661
COUNTY TAX LIEN 12/10/1998 SAN MATEO COUNTY COURT (RD) $580.00
$0.0
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#6: This is my story. I'm leaving my name out because right now I am still employed with e-Tranz, but looking for another job:
I started with e-Tranz in September of 2002. At the time I started we were getting paid regularly and no checks were bouncing. In June of 2004 is when things starting getting bad. I went from knowing my checks were being sent out on the 5th and 20th to not knowing when I was getting paid. I live on the west coast so it takes 3-4 days for my check to arrive. By then they are coming only about 4-5 days late. My checks for July 5th did not even come until July 25th, and she had Fed Ex it to me, which leads me to believe she didn't even mail it out until July 18th. This paycheck came along with a reimbursement check for the check that had bounced the time before and that check was short by 250 dollars. In November of 2004 was when my paychecks were starting to bounce. Not knowing they were going to bounce I would pay my bills, which would cause my personal checks to bounce. I never got reimbursed for any of the fees like I was promised. In December 2004 my bank account got closed because of all the bounced payroll checks and all the fees that incurred from me writing checks against the payroll check, which should have cleared. Now I cannot get a bank account because I have been reported as writing bad checks. So now I am stuck going to a check cashing store, which charges me 3% of the amount of my check plus every time a check is returned to them I get charged a 25.00 fee for the returned check, which I still have not been reimbursed for. It is now getting to the point that when I walk in I never know what they are going to tell me and if it doesn't stop I'm sure they will not cash my checks anymore and then I really be stuck. It has got to stop now. Like I said I am currently looking for another place of employment, but continue to do work for Debbie Garrison; although I haven't done much work because I don't know if I'm going to get paid or not. She would call me and tell us if I didn't increase my workload that I'd be out of a job and I didn't want to risk losing my job because I can't afford to go jobless right now. Not to mention when we were so backed up with work she promised us that we'd get a raise only to find out that after all the work was caught up she was only giving the raise to certain people and I was not one of them, who devoted my time and my family time on the weekends to get this account caught up.
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#7: I started working for e-tranZ in March 2005. I have only received one paycheck, out of seven, on time. I was told at that time that I was an Independent Contractor, and so when I asked for a little time off in June 2005, Debbie Garrison assumed that I was putting in my resignation. I then waited for my last three paychecks to come on the days that they were supposed to arrive. My June 5 paycheck was already running late and did not get to me until the end of June. My June 20 and July 5 paychecks were supposed to be sent to me on those days. As per the contract that we signed our pay periods were the 5th and 20th of each month. I had called Debbie and emailed her every day, which I live in Washington State, and so there are long distance charges accrued here, but I would leave her messages on her email, as well as her answering machine, and she would never contact me back. I did finally get a hold of her in the morning a couple of times and her answers were always, “I will send it today.” Today never was today and tomorrow was also not tomorrow, because when I would ask her again where my check was, it was “Oh, I sent it out in the mail yesterday or it will be going out today.” I finally received my June 20 and July 5 paychecks on July 28, 2005. I then had to sit on the money, until I saw that it cleared Debbie’s bank, for a week.
I am not sure what can be done here, but I hope that something is possible. I do not work for her anymore, but I do not want to see anyone else go through what I, and others in my shoes, have gone through just to get our paychecks from her. We did the work and we deserve to be paid for that work on time. Debbie’s answer to when I called and get a hold of her would be, “I am not the only one who does things in this office.” However, if you try to talk with anyone other than Debbie, she would tell you. “I would appreciate it if you would bring your issues to me.” I have heard from a few that her checks are bouncing (with her knowledge), which I thought that bouncing of checks was against the law, but it seems that no one in authority cares about this.
I am writing my side because I support my fellow MTs and do not want to see anyone else who may or may not have a family to support have to go through what the rest of us have been dealing with. I am just lucky that I have another job as well, or my family and bills would have been in a great deal of turmoil and financial issues because of Debbie Garrison.
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#7: I worked for E-tranz for approximately three months. In that time I was never paid as scheduled. Some of the first communications I received from the company was how their bank was bought out by another and they couldn't write checks from that account, but the next paychecks would be sent out on time. It took over two months for my first paycheck to reach me, and that was after numerous times contacting them. And after I was told it was told by three different people that I "should have it in 1-2 days, call me if you don't". Finally we were all sent an e-mail that they had finally been sent, after I spoke with the owner and asked and she herself said they were sent, so I was lied to repeatedly. In that letter it informed us that the checks were in the mail, but if any Transcriptionist needed theirs sooner, e-tranz would be glad to send the check FedEx next day at OUR expense. When I called the owner regarding this she would not even consider sending out a check, she stated it had been sent and I would have to wait for 4-5 days to make sure it came. By the time I received it, the next invoice had been submitted and was due to be sent out in two days. I called and spoke with Ms. Garrison explaining to her that I really needed to know when the checks were not sent out as scheduled as I had a couple of auto-payments taken from my checking account and I had to contact them to let them know of the delay. She promised that checks would be sent out, and that she would contact me if they weren't. They weren't and I was not contacted. Because of this I have had accounts go past due and interest rates raised on those accounts. Again after repeated queries made by me to my manager, who took the position after #1 person left, said she didn't know. This I find extremely hard to believe or understand why the manager would not be kept in the loop as to procedures in a company. Finally I found out that they were sent a few at a time over a week, with mine even after explaining my situation to the owner, one of the last ones to be sent. After I gave my two-week notice, because anything shorter would allow them to keep half of any money owed to me, which was a considerable amount since they had two of my paychecks, I e-mailed my manager and told her I was concerned about receiving any compensation for the work I did. Also I needed to know where to return a piece of equipment that was theirs. I got no response. A couple days later I e-mailed the co-owner and she informed me she didn't know if the checks were sent because they don't come from her office, I had to contact Deb Garrison, but did give me an address where to send the equipment. At which time I contacted Ms. Garrison, again questioning as to whether the checks were sent out, and where she wished me to send the equipment. It took two more days for her to tell me that the checks were sent out and I would receive payment as scheduled for any services rendered. As of writing of this letter, I have not received the final invoice that was to be mailed out on August 5. We were all also told that when we cleared out a back log that we would start to use a new software and we would all be given a raise across the board. This happened while I was in their employ. Approximately 2-3 weeks later we were all sent an e-mail saying that this would take longer than expected. I later found out that the employees had been promised this for quite some time and the date just keeps moving ahead as when the raises would come. After speaking with the now acting manager that was over me, I find out that it was common practice for transcriptionists not to get their first compensation for over two months. I also found out that in the time that she has worked for the company, payroll was never received as scheduled. The company has wonderfully helpful and friendly people working for them, but the blatant disregard for their employees the owners have is just beyond my comprehension. I think it is inconceivable for them to hide behind their managers to cover their obvious lack of business management skills. I believe it is completely unacceptable that there is no organization, or laws made, to protect contractors such as myself to be able to secure past wages from businesses such as this. I only hope that exposure of this practice may warn others of this company so they avoid the situation I was in.
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#8: My dealings from the start with e-Tranz were very unprofessional. Paychecks were consistently late. When I would contact Deb about the status of paychecks, she was very unprofessional. The majority of the time, she would not return phone calls or emails. All emails were forwarded to the co-owner, Donna Heusner, yet this did not help. Donna's responses were always that Deb's husband, Sonny, was in charge of the release of payroll. I was given several different reasons for the lateness of payroll, from changing banks to the accountant being over booked and payroll not being done. When I had a threat of a paycheck bouncing and contacted Doreen Houser, I told her that I would not be working and I was resigning for fear of not getting paid and she said that she understood. When I contacted Deb, she informed me that if I did not work out my 14 day notice that she would hold 50% of my final paycheck, even though I explained the reason that I was not going to work was due to lack of pay. The only way that I could get out of this was to force Deb to lock me out of the system as I was due to start work with another company. Deb repeatedly refused to answer any questions regarding payroll and due to her being extremely angry at me, she locked me out of the system.
As of this date e-Tranz does not owe me any money. I believe this is due to the fact that I live in Georgia. When I informed Deb that I would take legal action if my paycheck bounced, she informed me that I had to come to Gwinette County. I sent her back an email and thanked her for the info, that I already knew this and that plans were already in place to come to that county if need be.
I have contacted MTjobs.com. This is a website for postings of MT company's with positions available. I have also posted on several different spots on the internet in an attempt to to stop these practices. Too many MTs are being hurt and this has to stop.
Sincerely,
E-Tranz
Just a follow up on E-Tranz. Hopefully this company has learned a lesson and if still in buisness will treat their MT's with respect, and pay them for the good jobs that they do. I for one, have been fully paid what was owed, but have since moved on to a new position with whom I love the work, and get paid on time always. Best of luck to those who are still awaiting payment, and hopefully you have moved on to a better place of employment.
TRANZ EMR
NM
e-Tranz
Be very careful about E-Tranz. They do NOT pay you.!!!!!!!
e-tranz
I believe they are shut down. Cannot be reached via email or phone, though their website is still up. No numbers work and the e-mail addresses have no return.
I started with 11 cpl with E-Tranz
xoxoxoxoxo
E-tranz Georgia
Does anyone know if e-tranZ in GA is still in business?
e-Tranz and You See Solutions..sm
Does anyone know if these 2 companies are still in business? I was wondering if they are still issuing rubber checks if they are.
More e-tranz NSF payroll checks
After waiting more than 12 days for my paycheck it finally came. After being burned with an NSF paycheck last time, I called their bank to verify that the funds were available and, of course, they weren't.
I hope that everyone will have the sense to stay away from that company and that the poor MTs who haven't left yet can get out as quickly as possible, so they don't take the hit, too.
I can't believe that they are allowed to continue to operate and do this to their MTs on a regular basis. Paying your people on time with valid checks should be your number one priority and is the most basic principle in running your so-called business!
Any info on e-Tranz, I heard a
post here that said they didn't pay. Anybody work for them and have good or bad expeiences? Thanks.
Don't know e-Tranz, but eTransPlus is good sm
I have never had a problem with my check from them, either direct deposit or a paper check. Never heard of the other company.
e-Tranz is a TOTALLY different company...sm
E-Tranz is a totally different company from eTrans Plus....
e-Tranz has been pulling this stuff for at least 5 years now
When it happened to me and about 6 others at the time (about 5 years ago), we tried to get the word out to warn others of DG's unscrupulous business practices and have been doing so ever since, but she just keeps drawing new victims in each and every time. I'm so surprised she's still in business after all this time doing so many MTs so wrong. What can be done about this to prevent other MTs from becoming her next victims besides posting on message boards? Anything?
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