Report: #4506

Report: Famous Poets Society

Category: On-Line Business

Hollywood's Famous Poets Society Poetry Contests ..on-line money-making scheme *UPDATE ..thieves and liars

...Get what you deserve

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Famous Poets Society

Phone: Several different phone numbers (see text)
Fax:

Several Different Addresses (see Text)
Several, California
U.S.A.

Submitted: Tuesday, February 20, 2001

Last posting: Saturday, January 15, 2005

Nicholasville, KY

Sounds good--- Free poetry contest. Big prize money.
You may qualify to be published in an exclusive anthology.

What the ad doesn't tell you is that this is a "come-on" for an on-line money-making scheme, and that EVERYONE who enters the contest receives the same computer generated letter from Mark Schramm or Martha French informing the entrant that their poem has made the final round of the big competition for the $50,000 in prize money.

Attend the convention and you will receive the Prometheus 'Muse of Fire' trophy and be honored with your very own 'Poet of the Year' Medallion. Of course they neglect to mention that it'll cost you about $500 to register, plus your meals, transportation, and hotel. Which comes to well over $1000 so that you can be one of 1000 persons attending the convention who have received the same deceptive letter as you. So, if Famous Poets takes in $500,000 they can certainly afford to give out $50,000 in prizes. And this does not even take into consideration the fact that if you ever want to see your poetry which they've published you'll have to purchase the anthology for about $50 each. You can find out more information about this
and similar poetry contest schemes at the following website http://wind.wind.org/literary.scams.htm

Read these sorid facts about Famous Poets Society--- Submissions to at least three different free poetry contest web sites will result in entered poems being channeled to Famous Poets Society:

http://www.famouspoets.com

http://www.friendlypoets.com

http://www.freecontest.com

Be advised that Famous Poets Society has done business under at least 12 different names and 13 different addresses:

Hollywood's Famous Poets Society
Celestial Arts

F P S
Famous Poets Society
New Jersey Rainbow Poets
New York Poetry Alliance
Texas Poetry Alliance
Free Poetry Contest
International Library of Famous Poets
Quarterly Poetry Contest
Reno Fine Arts Institute
Florida Literary Guild

1626 North Wilcox Avenue Suite 126 Hollywood CA 90028
421 North Rodeo Drive Suite 15-544 Beverly Hills CA 90210
7095 Hollywood Blvd. Suite 730 Hollywood CA 90028
P.O. Box 949 Lawndale CA 90260
103 N. Wood Ave., Suite 70, Linden, NJ 07036
Box 1588, New York, NY 10116-1588
1712 E. Riverside Dr., Suite 147, Austin, Texas 78741
PMB250, 2219 W Olive Ave., Burbank, CA 91506
11314 Ventura Blvd. Studio City CA 91604
1257 Siskiyou Blvd., PMB 4, Ashland, Ore. 97520
1762 Ashland Street, Ashland OR 97520
316 California Ave., Suite 626, Reno, Navada, 89509-1669
3232 SW 35th Boulevard, Suite 156, Box 147035, Gainesville, Fla., 32614-7035

(310) 289 - 4534

(800) 763 - 8762

(800) 763 - 8792

(323) 962 - 8873

(541) 488 - 0510

John Campbell, the genius behind Famous Poets Society,
along with several members of his family, ran an almost
identical poetry contest scheme back in the 1980s
called World of Poetry.

John Campbell has allegedly been known to use the names:

John Cambell

John Hamilton

Richard Cambell

Richard Huntington

Dr. Richard Huntington

Chuck ________

John Webber

Martha French who answers their mail does not exist.

To see the Better Business Bureau report on the Famous Poets Society go to http://www.la.bbb.org/howtoreport.html , get the search form and enter "Famous Poets" in the form.

Charlie
Nicholasville, Kentucky

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Updates & Rebuttals:

Updates & Rebuttals

Get what you deserve GEMINI [1/14/2005]
Unbelieveable Anonimus [1/5/2005]
15 yr old Dreams Flushed Hannah [10/19/2004]
[11/24/2001]
freecontest.com is a scam Rose [12/17/2004]
I am A Lifetime Member of Both Famous poets and Poetry.com Tari DeMario D.D. P.H.D. [3/29/2003]
I was told that I would be published in a anthology and paid Wanda [7/16/2004]
New Address for Celestial Arts Megan [8/31/2004]
more about Mark Schramm, pervert, liar and thief Jj [8/5/2004]
I've been ripped off.. and I'm pissed! Savannah [8/8/2004]
these people are thieves and liars [9/28/2001]

Submitted: Friday, January 14, 2005

Posted: Saturday, January 15, 2005

GEMINI

KRENSHAW
U.S.A.

Get what you deserve

To the ones behind the screen that know they are ripping people off!You have taken a step across the line that divides fate. When you take a coward to his reflection he sees you,because you is you.I promise on the day, meet with your greed he will smile and you shall burn.How do you sleep knowing that you have taken advantage of the truth and the matrix plays you like a game meant for no purpose.To the ones that have been taken advantage of.Keep ya head up and remember that we are challengers of thought,that was created from experience.Life to the scams is about to turn dark and evil.Sorry you played with the wrong thing bitch!!!

Submitted: Wednesday, January 05, 2005

Posted: Wednesday, January 05, 2005

Anonimus

Denver
U.S.A.

Unbelieveable

I have submitted poems to both Poetry.com and the famous poets society. Unfortunately I didn't buy thier anthologies, but I did give them permission to use my poems and they have some information about me. I recieved a certificate from poetry.com for the editors choice poem. I still have the letters that I recieved from both web companies. I knew the name Lavender Aurora didn't sound real. On a letter that I reciently recieved from Famous poets society the publisher Michael Fordham offered to take $10.00 of the cost of the anthology. I still didn't buy it.

Submitted: Tuesday, October 19, 2004

Posted: Tuesday, October 19, 2004

Hannah

Imperial
U.S.A.

15 yr old Dreams Flushed

I entered my poem in poety.com and they told me it would get published i have yet to get the book i ordered. This is bulls*** and they are liars and i hope they die.

Submitted: Saturday, November 24, 2001

Posted: Friday, July 16, 2004

Click here to read other Rip-off Reports on Famous Poets Society

Submitted: Friday, December 17, 2004

Posted: Saturday, December 18, 2004

Rose

Belleville
Canada

freecontest.com is a scam

According to poetryscams.com the following contest is not a scam however freecontest.com is a scam.

Three popular ones -- famouspoets.com, friendlypoets.com and freecontest.com -- offer thousands in prize money for their free contests. All go back to the same Los Angeles address.

They are at it again, only under a different banner. Check out www.freecontest.com . Different site, same physical address:
1626 N.Wilcox Avenue Hollywood, California ( www.famouspoets.com ) and 1626 N.Wilcox Avenue Los Angeles, California ( www.freecontest.com )

Please check out these realizable sites warning you of freecontest.com

http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/contests.html

http://www.broomfieldnews.com/community/stories/28pscams.html

http://windpub.com/literary.scams/freecontest.htm

http://badbusinessbureau.com/reports/default174.htm

Hollywood's Famous Poets Society--
aka Famous Poets Society
aka www.freecontest.com
aka www.friendlypoets.com
aka New York Poetry Alliance
aka Berkely Bards
aka Florida Literary Guild
aka Celestial Arts
aka Reno Fine Arts Institue
aka Bards of Burbank
aka New Jersey Rainbow Poets
aka Texas Poetry Alliance
aka Living Poets Hall of Fame
aka International Library of Famous Poets
American Literary Council

Rose DesRochers Todays-Woman.net.

This information was collected by doing a search through Google. Todays-woman.net recommended search engine.

Please visit http://www.todays-woman.net/dll.php?name=Poetry_Scams
for more scam warnings like this one.

Thank you for the following listed information. If you are a victim of freecontest.com you may submit a report through http://www.todays-woman.net

Submitted: Saturday, March 29, 2003

Posted: Friday, July 16, 2004

Tari DeMario D.D. P.H.D.

San Bernardino
U.S.A.

I am A Lifetime Member of Both Famous poets and Poetry.com

I am Disapointed in all this nonesense i am a Lifetime member of both Famous Poets society i have attended their Conventions and i Have won countless Awards and Moneys from Famous Poets and Poetry.com (International society of Poets) i thank they are great I cant understand why you all would Bash Two wonderful Poetry Programs like that they have always Lived up even more to what they Pertain They supplied Food Coupons for my Dinners and my Companion also was taken care of they are very nice people i had a wonderful good time at all the conventions you all are wrong they did everything to meet my needs and are not Scamming Please stop Bashing them
"A Dedicated Member of Famous Poets Society and I will always stand behind them"

Submitted: Friday, July 16, 2004

Posted: Friday, July 16, 2004

Wanda

Oxford
U.S.A.

I was told that I would be published in a anthology and paid

I entered their contest back in april of this year, The woman said that i would be ina anthology and paid 29.99 for it three months ago, and havent received anyone. her name is lavender aurora and the place is in talent oregon and and they will not respond please see what you can do to help me get my money back.thanks, wanda.

Submitted: Tuesday, August 31, 2004

Posted: Tuesday, August 31, 2004

Megan

Rocky River
U.S.A.

New Address for Celestial Arts

Thank you for your warnings! In looking at the website www.freecontest.com, I was surprised that there were no contest rules whatsoever, and nothing addressing the copyright of the entry. I found their advertisement in the local newspaper, and they included a new location where mail entries could be sent. Their whole advertisement runs as follows: "Send one poem, 21 lines or less to Celestial Arts, Box 1140, Talent, OR 97540 or enter online at www.freecontest.com. Include your name and address. Grand Prize $1,000. Deadline August 31."

Submitted: Thursday, August 05, 2004

Posted: Thursday, August 05, 2004

Jj

Hillsboro
U.S.A.

more about Mark Schramm, pervert, liar and thief

The owner Mark is bigot, a liar and a thief. I worked for him and he has threatened me and my family with harm. He plays the roll of a nice guy, he is anything but, if anything he is a Jekyll & Hyde, a nut job. I am told by both men and woman, he is a pervert. Wonder what that is all about?

He will make like he will rectify complaints on this site, but he does nothing and makes up ridiculous excuses and places blame elsewhere.

I will be back with more and will send documentation that Dateline and 60 minutes will want to do a story on this creep! Come back soon, as I will be posting here documents that will reveal more about Mark Schramm, liar and thief along with pictures of his home and other revealing pictures.

Submitted: Sunday, August 08, 2004

Posted: Monday, August 09, 2004

Savannah

Charlotte
U.S.A.

I've been ripped off.. and I'm pissed!

Hi,I am a high school senior in Charlotte,NC and Savannah is one of my alais that friendas call me. I entered a poem called "Reality" to Famous Poets Society back in the spring of 2003 decause at the time I was a 10th grader. A lady named Lavendor Aurora (Poety Editor)e-mailed me back and said that I was in the top 50 or so to win a Shakespeare Trophy of Excellence and I have to fly to Talent, Oregon to be honored and recieve the trophy. i e-mailed her back telling her that i wouldn't be able to make it; so if she would please send me the trophy by UPS or so and i told her thanks alot. She ever replied. I recieved another e-mail on July 22 of this year(2004)from the same woman saying that i have to fly to the convention that will be held in Reno on the 4th of september. The she writes and i quote "It would do my heart good to see you win our $50,000.00 Convention Poetry Contest." Then she goes on to say " On behalf of Mark Schramm, our Executive Director, and our entire Famous Poets family, I look forward to honoring you in Reno. What a joy to trumpet your special talent to the world!" Then tells me if i have any questions at all to call them at 800-498-0399...

I need your help in getting my poem and name cleared from the palms of their hands. PLEASE!! Thank you for reading this letter...

Submitted: Friday, September 28, 2001

Posted: Friday, July 16, 2004

these people are thieves and liars

They filed the following rebuttal to the above Rip-Off Report:

Their email: lestat7853@aol.com
Their name: Robert A.Nielson
Their phone number: 843-884-2808
Their relationship to the company: Devotee

Rebuttal:
I have about 10 poems on the poetry.com website that i would like removed because these people are thieves and liars they take peoples hopes and dreams and flush them down a toilet as they are taking our money.AS for famous poets society i just came in 3rd place in thier contest in reno nevada and won a thousand dollars but if they are as bad as the ILP then i now have a problem with them as well i take my poetry very serious and i am working very hard to get noticed for my works and i have no time to be getting scamed by people who do not care about my dreams.

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