Jeff Paul, Mentoring Of America Ripoff TV ad with charm "I can't believe I fell for it.!" Appeals to independant honest people who really want a chance. work at home rip off American Fork, Utah - Van Nuys California

I watched the TV ad and got suckered, and hopefully its not too late. Hopefully someone else out there is seething, too. I am so glad all these reports are here or maybe I might not have been as quick to back out!

I ordered the 29.95 package along with the millionares club and newsletter. I had sixty days to try this out right? Wouldn't cost me anything to take a peek? Well, we'll see. I decided to cancel the package. Meanwhile I have been playing dodge with the main sales guy because, honestly, I hadn't looked at the materials. When I did I was not impressed. (I am a writer. I could do better than that! Come on. Give me something I could atleast use or didn't know already. It was a bunch of repeated stuff spread like watered-down peanut-butter sandwhiched between fancy covers. The CD's didn't work on my computer, either.)

After doing not enough poking around on the internet I start smelling a rat. But what it is still in the back of my mind is that urge to suceed at a home based business that will allow me to stay home and write my screen plays and novels- Right? Despite that I cancelled the package on the 7th.

Of course, within a few hours I get a call from the man I was dodging. Mr. Smooth is a good salesman! He probably makes twice what I do working in the factory. Did you ever wonder if these people use Jeff's system? If they do, why are they talking to you. That thought just dawned on me and I wished I'd thought of it sooner. Anyways- he made it sound so great, especially seeings I was a writer. I could put my own self-published books on the websites and choose other products to sell. Every body would be selling my books- right? Should I stick around and find out?

Then my questions began. "What kind of products?" I asked. The subject was quickly guided around to wether I had a boyfriend or not and how long we've been going together.

Now, I know better, but the thought of putting my books on the internet really appealed to me. It was a point he used well and I said I would look at the material. So I signed up for the $3500 dollar package. He assured me I would make the money back in no time. He assured me I was doing the right thing. Of, course, why wouldn't he? Now mind you, he didn't guarantee a salary, which the second lady asks you, but he did absolutely assure me I'd be thanking him if I did this. I would definetely see my $3500 back in under a few months, especially with Christmas coming and people buying products. He was going to rush my catolog of products.

"Like what?" I dumbly asked. His response, "Products like people see at Walmart," is his reply. "I can see you're a smart woman. Are you as pretty as your voice?"

That was the seventh of this month of December and it is now the 24. I have yet to see a box of material from them. Instead I got a FED EX package that contained 2 pieces of paper. It is an Enrollment Confirmation that explains that you will be given 6 months of coaching, 3 websites, Marketing License Certificate of Agreement, access to Membership Website, Membership Kit (Books, manuals, CD's and DVD's) Money Tree Maxzimizer Software, Autosite Builder Software, Up to 10 sites/License for 14.95.

14.95 a month. Stop there. Call Mr. Smooth. "I asked you if there was any monthly charges on this. You had so no. The 29.95 millionares club I could stop at anytime, which is included in the package price until after the 6 months of coaching is over. That was the only charge you mentioned." Of course, you get the dumb routine until he checks it out and says, "Yah, that's right. That's for the hosting."

I DID NOT sign that paper. Instead, I pried where the box of materials was. "It should be on its way." I am assured.

December 20th rolls around. No box. So I called to cancel everything. I found that on the 7th they showed I had cancelled the $88.24 package ($20 turns out to be shipping? Cost me 3 bucks to send it back. Should I bill them?)of which they gave me a RMA number for. They showed me as canceled on the millionares and the newsletter. WATCH OUT- they've got an $11.95 monthly cassette they sneaked in there too. Which I canceled. I was given another number to cancel the larger package.

Only Mr. Smooth calls me not twenty minutes later. I tell him that I just learned I need a new roof truthfully- and that is a big motivator for my wanting to get out of this, too. (Not to mention I smell a rat.) It's not looking good up there or with my credit card company and all this goof I've done. So, you guessed it, Mr. Smooth talked me out of it. Giving it another day I decided that I shouldn't have uncanceled it.

When I called this time, however, I was told I had received the package on the twelth and I would need to send it back. (I did? News to me!) Well, I'll be horn-swaggled if the UPS didn't show that I had received something. Only it must have been small enough to be put in my mailbox and I was looking for a box. The lady then told me the software was on back order and shipped the 15 and gave me another number. The UPS tracking number didn't recognize that number. So I called Mr. Smooth and asked. He said he would look into and be glad to send another.

Well, Dec. 23 I mailed them back their material with the RMA and kept all the numbers. I sent it back Delivery Confiramation. We'll see what they do with that. I called my credit card and notified them of the predicament and changed cards. Though, from what another lady said, isn't going to keep them from charging me. I'm still confused on that one. I left a message for Mr. Smooth to cancel everything and they are closed until the 27.

I wonder how they can sit around their christmas tree knowing what they bought for the people they love is with scammed money that ruined other people's lives? Wonder how Mr. Smooth's wife is- which he slipped on the first call.

It looks like I'll be fighting this whole thing on Tuesday again because after reading the horror stories here there is no way I'm sticking with this. I am bailing out! I'm sure Mr. Smooth will be hurt. Especially after he offered to put the materials for my new roof on his Home Depot card. (By the way, my voice is no match for my picture which is on my website for the self-published books I wrote. It is a sad thing he can't talk me out of my boyfriend. He's sure we could get together and meet some time soon. Don't you think that could happen too?)

It was not that I needed to have help with my roof that he suckered me into this again, however, it was the insinuation that I lacked confidence in myself to succeed. The truth of it is, I lacked confidence in a product I paid for but had not seen hide nor hair of. NEVER go against your gut instincts is what I have learned.

The more I think about being "hit on" to dodge questions the madder I get. Just wait until Tuesday gets here. I don't care if Jeff Paul were not a scam, I'd still be mad enough to cancel everything. I may want to sell a million books. I maybe an undiscovered talent. I do know that I am a good writer and I get great feed back from my readers. It's this kind of snake oil charm that's got me hissing, and I hope these people get bit and not me.

It makes me mad clean through to think these people take advantage of the desire of others to succeed. There are so many of us at the bottom trying to work our way up to our dreams that we don't need leaches like these using the TV to con us.

If you've lost track of these companies here are some more numbers. By the way Jeff Paul and John Beck and Mentoring of America are all twisted in here togethr somehow.

Oh, and here's the catch to their 60 day warranty. After your first training session you have until the next day to cancel. After this you can't. Well, I haven't had that session and I never will. Hopefully I can get my money back. I am so glad others stepped forward. It's very embarrassing to know you got ripped off, let alone share it with others. That takes alot of guts. Hopefully others read this sooner than I did or the rest of us, and keep out of the snake pit these scammers have made look good.

This address appeared on the envelope they wanted me to send those papers to. Mentoring of America They got 38 complaints

Jeff Paul

752 East 1180 South Suite 200

American Fork, UT 84003

Jeff Paul LLC

He has 36 7030 Hayvenhurst Ave Van Nuys Ca 91406

Customer Service Number 800-266-5664 1-888-461-9029 1-866-373-4363 1-818-464-1650 1-888-491-6028

When talking to any company like this I have learned you want the following. Date and time called. Name of employee ID# of employee Confirmation # Comments about the ammount How long going to take Tell them "If I don't get products by (in my case) Jan.15 I am going to file a dispute."

A hard lesson learned: If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. I'll never try to do anything that I can't put together and succeed at on my own, ever again.

Cindy Avis, Pennsylvania
U.S.A.

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