In effect, said Bob Reda, the plaintiffs' lawyer, while business owners share confidential tax and financial information in the belief that the analyst is looking out for their best interests, they are actually paying for an extended sales pitch. ''If the analysts did what they said they were going to do, and provided balanced and unbiased opinions, they wouldn't be able to make a living,'' he said.

IPA insists that it sells services only to companies that need it and that there is nothing wrong with working on commission. ''This form of compensation goes back to the Old Testament,'' IPA wrote in response to Miami Herald questions. ``We have seen no credible evidence in our business or in economic studies which suggest that paying someone on a commission interferes with objectivity.''

In a 2004 Harvard Business School case study, IPA founder and managing director John R. Burgess, who is named in the suit, explained the benefits of the compensation structure: ``If we were to pay a base salary, our analysts would lose some of their zeal for converting a survey into a consulting project. Pure commission gives them more autonomy out in the field -- it's just you versus the customer.''

IPA training manuals, submitted as evidence, also offer advice on ''wearing the client down'' and creating a ''sense of urgency'' to close sales.

Muñiz of Amazing Butterflies knows how convincing the sales pitch can be.

After an IPA analyst spent a day reviewing his company's tax returns and financial information, he was told that if he signed up for additional consulting at $245 an hour, IPA could help him rein in expenses and find money to overcome a short-term cash-flow problem.

A few days later, three IPA consultants -- each charging the hourly fee -- arrived at his office. Over three weeks, they racked up a bill for $45,000 for travel, lodging and wages. While Muñiz knew he would be paying the consultants' expenses, he said he was surprised by the heft of the bills.

Muñiz said he also sought IPA's advice in taking on an $87,000 loan against future credit-card receipts. The loan, from Rapid Advance, came with a $47,000 fee. As a result, about 30 cents of every dollar that Amazing Butterflies currently makes goes toward credit-card fees and payments on the advance -- even though Muñiz said he rarely has a 30 percent margin on sales.

Muñiz says a competent consultant would have raised red flags.

IPA vehemently denies his claims. ''At no time did IPA recommend the credit card purchase loan you described and the records of the project review don't even mention this subject at all,'' IPA wrote. ``Mr. Muñiz has simply made this up.''

Concerns about IPA go beyond the current batch of plaintiffs. With the help of former IPA employees and customers, The Miami Herald contacted 14 South Florida clients not involved in the suit. All but two reported negative experiences with IPA.

The customers, who collectively paid IPA hundreds of thousands of dollars, told similar stories of signing consulting agreements under pressure or false pretenses and being blindsided by bills they said didn't match the level of counseling they received.

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Ileana Martinez said her problems began in February 2006 when she received a cold call from IPA telemarketers and eventually agreed to pay $350 for a one-day analysis of her Airways Auto Tag Agency in Hialeah.

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