INDIANAPOLIS -- A local company has stopped distributing controversial scratch-and-win cards.

Prostar Industries, located at 501 National Avenue in Indianapolis, is the company behind the Draw Poker scratch-and-win cards. The cards offer five prizes -- a washer/dryer, a vacation package, a Playstation or X-Box, a gift package valued at $200, or a $5,000 cash award -- if the card has a winninng combination, Call 6's Rafael Sanchez reported.

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Officials Stop Distributing Cards

To claim their prizes, the winners had to call in and agree to a demonstration of an air filtration system -- better-known as the Tri-Star vacuum, Sanchez reported.

But not everyone gets to hear the pitch, Sanchez reported. Call 6 obtained a document given to one trainee -- also confirmed by at least five others -- about who is qualified to get a demonstration.

Single males, disabled people or anyone renting aparments over the age of 35 were not qualified, according to former employee, Jeffrey Burrus.

"You tell them, 'Great. I am going to keep hold of your phone number, give to one of our prize distributors, and when he's in your area he'll give you a call and stop by and determine what you've won.' When they hang up, you throw the paper in the trash bin and it's done," Burrus said. "If you don't qualify for the demonstration you don't get a prize."

Burrus admitted that he took two vacuums hostage in order to get his pay check, Sanchez reported.

Former employee Frank Saylor said he quit after three weeks.

"I never got $12.50 (an hour). I never got a signing bonus," Saylor said.

Saylor said he was trained to train new recruits, and claimed people were only hired based on who they know.

Saylor: You ask them, 'Where does your father work? Where does your mother work? If you worked at Lilly, hey, you've got a job.' They know there's a possible sale, because they have money. If your father works at ...
Sanchez: General Motors?
Saylor: You've got a job.
Sanchez: At McDonalds?
Saylor: No job.

Saylor said new recruits were brought in on Wednesdays and asked to practice selling the Tri-Star vacuum to friends and family over the weekend. He said there was high turnover because some who made sales didn't receive pay checks.

Since Monday's story aired, company manager Gregg Reece said they have pulled the scratch-and-win cards.

Reece said between 60,0000 to 70,000 cards were distributed. He said anyone with a winning card can claim their prize at 501 National Avenue in Indianapolis Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. without having to sit through a demonstration.

Reece added that he will spend several days in the Indianapolis office to review the problems that Call 6 brought to light, Sanchez reported.

Company officials said they were not aware of the document that disqualified people based on their gender, and also refuted claims that winners do not get their prizes.