Is
John Beck Real Estate a Scam?
John
Beck's real estate program called BUY
REAL ESTATE FREE & CLEAR FOR PENNIES
ON THE DOLLAR claims to show you
how to purchase homes all over the United
States and Canada for as little as 2 or
3 cents on the dollar.
For
$39.95, customers receive several books
and information including:
•
Amazing Profits
•
Free and Clear Real Estate Directory
•
Free and Clear Properties By Mail
•
Pennies On The Dollar Tax Lien Edition
•
Pennies On The Dollar Tax Deed Edition
•
Making Money On The Internet
and
the Bonus materials...
•
Quick Start Video
•
Free and Clear Making - Money On The Internet
CD-Rom
It
sounds like interesting information, but critics
say these products are only loose guidelines
on John Beck's real estate investment strategies
with unintelligible legal and tax jargon that
only a real estate lawyer could understand.
The
ordering process is completely automated
(with no live person). After each step,
you are prompted to make another purchase
and then another and another. Many people
who ordered the books said they declined
the prompt for "property vault
membership", but were charged
$39.95/monthly anyway. Buyers who tried
to cancel the 30 day FREE Trial of PROPERTY
VAULT were left on hold for 30
minutes or longer before being hung up on.
E-mails to their customer support are returned
as "undeliverable". Meanwhile,
credit card charges continue.
Some
customers and critics claim that you will
not get 1.8 MILLION Properties on JOHN BECK'S
PROPERTY VAULT, nor will
you see any homes as he has advertised on
TV. They say John Beck is charging you for
a list that you can obtain for FREE
from the Tax Office in your county.
After
purchasing a John Beck product, many people
have claimed to have been repeatedly harassed
by John Beck's real estate sales staff to
buy higher priced products such as real
estate coaching. The odd thing about the
coaching is the price range which may be
as low as $2200.00 or as high as $13,800.00.
This is because the John Beck representative
who calls to sell coaching to you will determine
how much you can afford by asking how many
credit cards you have and what the limit
of each card is. This is scandalous! If
someone asks you these type questions, you
need to hang up on them no matter what company
they are with.
The John Beck program is most definitely
a scam! The absence of customer
service via phone or e-mail is outrageous.
There is no assured way to contact these
people about getting the monthly credit
card charges stopped! You could quickly
run into some serious credit card debt if
you enroll into this program. Some people
have even claimed to have their credit cards
or debit cards MAXED OUT!
Read
thousands of e-mail complaints from John
Beck customers on InfomercialScams.com.
Their
website: John
Beck Free & Clear
If
you've had a sour dealing with John Beck,
click
here to see how to get your money back.
Is
John Alexander Real Estate a Scam?
John
Alexander has founded a real-estate training
company called 14-DAYS TO REAL ESTATE
RICHES. For $39.95, you will receive
a number of things including a DVD lesson
and a 14 day action plan. Does it work?
Some
former participants in this program were disappointed
with their purchase, which consists of a CD-Rom
set that includes real estate purchase contracts,
training manuals and a 20 minute quick start
DVD of a John Alexander seminar.
The
program encourages you to spend more money
and buy 10 phone-coaching sessions for $12,500.00.
There is a money-back guarantee, but many
people were not able to collect on the guarantee.
The
end result is an inferior product and a worthless
guarantee. Click
here to see how to get your money back.
Is
Carleton Sheets Real Estate a Scam?
Carleton
Sheets NO DOWN PAYMENT Real
Estate Program promises to teach you how to
invest in real estate with no down payment.
It is a kit which includes:
•
Step-By-Step
Quick Start Guide
•
3
Hour Course Video
•
3
Course Manuals
•
12
Course Audio
•
Creative
Options Guide
•
Real
Estate Forms Portfolio
and
many Free bonuses to "enhance your
success"
The
problem with this program is that it doesn't
teach you how to purchase real estate with
NO DOWN PAYMENT. Many have
claimed that the program teaches you creative
ways to get the down payment, but you still
have to come up with a down payment. If true,
this is false advertising, but it does not
make this program a "scam". A more
accurate name for the program would be LOW
DOWN PAYMENT.
Customers
have purchased the No Down Payment
program and actually learned something from
it. Even seasoned real estate pros have been
enlightened by information in the material.
In
summary, Carleton Sheets program is not a
scam. His course may be a good start into
the real estate investing business. While
it doesn’t offer every detail of how
to implement every technique as claimed, it
will definitely set you into the right direction,
which is just as important.
Be
careful of the sales pitch about the "free
trial" phone service and mailings. Some
customers have claimed that once the "free"
period is over, their credit card was charged
monthly anyway.
The
majority of reasons the Carlton Sheets program
receives complaints is due to the Return Policy
and Customer Service. People claim to have
a real hard time getting a refund. You have
30 days to return the product if you are not
satisfied. If you wait until the 31st day,
you are not going to get a refund. It's as
simple as that.
Read
e-mail complaints from Carleton Sheets' customers
on InfomercialScams.com.
If
you are having problems obtaining a refund,
click
here to see how to get your money back.
Carlton
Sheets' products on Amazon.com:
Is
Ron LeGrand Real Estate a Scam?
Ron
LeGrand is a real estate expert who teaches
a real estate technique for buying distressed
or foreclosed properties for no money
down or very little down...
similar to that of Carlton Sheets. A good
part of his teachings seem to be outdated
and no longer effective.
While
buying a distressed property is a good deal,
the problem is actually finding these distressed
properties and competing with other buyers
to get a good deal. It would be more beneficial
to learn how to find these properties before
anyone else and purchase them for the best
price.
Ron LeGrand has training seminars teaching
the 'no money down' techniques which are priced
from about $1,495.00 to $6,000.00. As time
runs out in a seminar, there is a "sales
pitch" to talk you into buying the next
seminar. A no-risk 30 day guarantee is also
strongly pushed at the seminar. However, we
found many people had a very hard time collecting
on the guarantee. Many seminar attendees feel
that the seminars focused more on the sales
pitch than on the content of the seminar itself.
Ron
LeGrand also sells training books. People
have complained that the books were too expensive
at $600.00/each. However, the book prices
I saw were much cheaper. Below are some of
his books and audio CDs available on Amazon.com.
Many people claim that the books are like
a paper version of an "infomercial"
and that the books waste many pages plugging
Ron LeGrand training
seminars which costs thousands. On
the other hand, some people have found the
books to be beneficial.
Is
Ron LeGrand a fraud? It sure sounds that way
based on all the complaints we have read.
If you decide to attend a seminar, BEWARE!
And don't plan on getting your money back
anytime soon, if at all.
Ron
LeGrand's products on Amazon.com:
Is
The Real Estate Arena a Scam?
The
Real Estate Arena posts
employment ads for “Property Locators”
in major newspapers around the country.
One
employment ad is:
Become
a “Property Locator” Today
– and Make $100,000+ a Year in the
Greatest Real Estate Career that Only
a Few Insiders Know About!
The
Real Estate Arena claims
you can make up to 100K or more once you're
"certified" by going through their
training. The company has changed its pricing
many times since the website began in Jan.
2006. The cost of certification used to be
$399. But they have slashed their price to
$19.00 Registration and $19.00/per month.
The
company offers to train you to be a "Property
Locator" and hook you up with interested
investors. You get "live &
online training, resources, access to the
members-only website and support."
They
claim that "you may cancel at
any time with no penalty or further obligation."
We found a few subscribers had difficulty
canceling their membership or had their credit
card charged after being told they would receive
"2 Free months". Click
here to see how to get your money back.
Basically,
as a "property locator", you go
out and look for great real estate deals.
If you find a great deal, you report it to
the Real Estate Arena. The Arena sends an
"Investor" to check it out. If they
buy it, you'll get a commission like a "finders
fee".
The flaw we found with this is as a Property
Locator, you would have to be able to trust
the Real Estate Arena to pay you the finders
fee if one of their "investors"
buys the property you located. But what is
to keep them from saying they'll send an "investor"
out in a couple of days, but actually sending
a covert investor out immediately who buys
the property. For all you know, someone else
bought the property before an investor from
the Real Estate Arena looked
at the property.
If
you never make a dime on closing a deal, you
will at least get training for your $19.00/month.
Some of the things they train you on is:
I would not call The Real Estate Arena
a "Scam", but I would not call it
a job opportunity, either. It is probably
a waste of time for the majority of people.
It could be an "intro to real estate"
or a "training course" for people
who want to get into real estate investing
but have little or no experience. Many people
who subscribed had similar thoughts of, "It's
only $19.00. What is the harm with trying
it out for one month?" The "property
locator" side of this may or may not
be a waste a time. We really didn't see any
evidence either way. No complaints is good,
right?
They
put a lot of importance on getting "Property
Locators" to recruit more "Property
Locators" in which you make a commission
if someone signs up. In that respect, it could
be considered a "Pyramid Scheme"
or simply a way to con you out of $19.00/month
until you decide to cancel your membership
in the Arena.
Their
website: http://www.therealestatearena.com
Is
Russ Dalbey's Winning in the Cash Flow a Scam?
The
Cash Flow Program: Three Steps… Find
‘Em, List ‘Em, and Make Money.
Find
‘Em – Find someone
who wants cash instead of a Cash Flow Note.
List ‘Em –
After you find someone who wants cash, fill
out a one-page form in the Russ Dalbey Free
Note Network Listing Service where DOZENS
of investors can look at your note. Russ
Dalbey investors "love" to buy
Cash Flow Notes and they could make an offer
minutes after you submit the information.
Make Money – After
the deal closes, the investor will give
you a referral fee of a few hundred to TENS
OF THOUSANDS of dollars. The average fee
(they claim) is between $2,000.00 to $5,000.00!
What
is a Cash Flow Note?
A
cash flow note is nothing more than a mortgage
between two individuals – instead
of between an individual and a bank.
Russ
Dalbey's "Winning in the Cash Flow Business"
system claims:
Russ
Dalbey’s #1 best selling Winning
in the Cash Flow Business course is considered
the premier source of information for
newcomers to the $350 Billion cash flow
note industry – producing more than
350,000 professional note finders with
over 15 years of success.
Americans
from all walks of life have learned how
to build their fortunes with Russ Dalbey's
Winning in the Cash Flow Business system.
This comprehensive text, audio, and video
package teaches others how to potentially
make huge profits with cash flow notes.
-
Letters
to leads were returned from the Post Office
with the wrong address
-
Many
on the "property owners" list
had been deceased for several years
-
Many
clients end up spending thousands of dollars
in hopes of finding success, but never do.
One client spent almost $9000 and emailed
the Russ Dalbey company to tell them that
they wanted their money back and were told
that they just hadn't spent enough money
and should spend more for the program to
work. Then they were told that they were
only entitled to $1000 in refund due to
signing something that had only a 7 day
return policy.
-
Signing
up for the basic package is designed to
set you up to receive very aggressive telephone
calls from the sales department. They are
persistent in trying to convince you to
sign up for more programs.
The
truth about the Cash Flow System
is that it is a very inferior product with
a very aggressive sales staff! The sales staff
seem to know nothing about the Cash
Flow Note business. They do know
a lot about convincing people that they aren't
spending enough money on their program and
that they need to spend more money if they
want the program to work.
Those
who have tried the program say it is very
difficult to do, time consuming and property
owners slam the phone on you 99% of the time.
If you do get into contact with a note holder,
they are not interested in selling their note
to you. They want to deal
with professionals or licensed individuals.
Why would someone with a $500,000 note, trust
a waitress from Applebees who has no experience
and no license to broker it?
Is
Jeff Paul Shortcuts to Internet Millions
a Scam?
The
Shortcut to Internet Millions Program includes:
-
Internet
Marketing Toolkit
-
Internet Marketing Secrets Revealed
-
Guide
to Internet Products on Demand
-
Shortcuts
to Internet Millions Audio CDs Parts
One & Two
-
3 Clicks to Cash Websites, 10 FREE Websites!
-
Instant
Internet Cash "Marketing Bible"
for
$39.95 plus Shipping & Handling
The
catch is that you aren't just ordering a $39.95
program, you are actually enrolling in a club
with a $39.95 monthly pricetag.
Of
course, coaching is available from the Jeff
Paul group. Some customers have paid $1,000
for the coaching or as much as $13,000.
Jeff
Paul preys on the technically deficient consumer
promising an easy way to setup Websites. But
the website companies appear to be links to
more scammers.
Save
your money! Don't waste your money
or time with this company. Many people complain
that their credit cards were charged multiple
times. And after notifying their credit card
company to stop the fraudulent charges from
Jeff Paul and Mentoring of America, LLC.,
unauthorized charges from different companies
(all owned by Jeff Paul) started coming through.
You must cancel the credit card completely
to stop these charges. Your credit card company
can issue a new card and number to you.
Their
website: Jeff
Paul's Shortcuts to Internet Millions
Read
e-mail complaints (and defenses) from Jeff
Paul customers on InfomercialScams.com.
If
you have been burned by Jeff Paul, click
here to see how to get your money back.
Is
Direct Buy a Scam?
Direct
Buy is not considered a real estate
scam, but because they target new
home buyers it is appropriate to include them
in the list of businesses to be warned about.
You've
probably seen the infomercials, television
or Internet ads for Direct Buy. You may have
heard prominent celebrities endorsing Direct
Buy on the radio. Soon after you purchase
a home, you may receive a post card from them
telling you about all the money you can save
furnishing your new home using their wholesale
connections. Direct Buy claims to be the #1
way for consumers to buy directly from 700
brand name manufacturers or authorized distributors
without paying the retail store price.
-
Living Room, Home Office, Bedroom &
Dining Room Furniture
-
Bathroom
and Kitchen Cabinets and Fixtures
- Carpet,
Tile & Hardwood
- Outdoor
Patio Furniture
- Lighting
- Window
Treatments
-
Home Improvement Products
How
does it work:
If
you respond to an ad, they will set up an
appointment for you to visit the Direct Buy
Showroom. You CAN NOT attend
the appointment without your spouse and absolutely
NO DROP-INS... you must have
an appointment or you will be escorted off
the premises! They also will not reveal the
products, pricing or answer any of your questions
over the phone. This is already sounding pretty
suspicious and deceptive to me! However, I
think it has the opposite effect on other
people of being alluring and adventurous.
The
"Showroom":
The
Direct Buy "Showroom" is not what
you think it is. You may have visions of thousands
of square feet of hardwood flooring, furniture
and Kitchen cabinets, but what you will actually
see is a small business probably located in
a strip mall, a couple or rooms, one which
will have shelves stacked with hundreds of
catalogs. You will be greeted by extremely
friendly sales people and offered drinks and
refreshments. What you thought was "your
appointment time" is actually shared
by 15 - 20 other people. The entire group
will then be ushered to a backroom to watch
a video (infomercial). The video lasts about
30 minutes.
After the video, you will be allowed to briefly
look at the catalogs on the shelves that contain
the products that can be ordered. There are
no actual products to touch or look at, just
catalogs.
Then,
you will be asked to sit down at a table with
a salesperson. This is where it gets crazy.
The salesperson will tell you the membership
cost which varies from location to location
anywhere from $3,500 to $5,000 for the first
year. After a year, the renewal membership
varies at around $180 to $250 per month. Most
people think the costs are insane! If you
begin to show hesitation or reluctance, you
will probably hear "If you don't sign-up
tonight, you CANNOT come back, it is now or
never!!!!!". If you have ever been to
a timeshare sales pitch, then triple the hardcore
selling tactics and that will be Direct Buy.
I
would hope that most people RUN at this point
and tell all of their friends to stay away
from the madness, but unfortunately, there
are some people who haven't been warned in
advance and end up getting conned into signing
up!
People
who do sign up with Direct Buy find themselves
wasting hours in the "showroom"
searching through the catalogs. If you order
any products, you still have to pay hidden
fees such as a 8 - 10% "handling fee".
Normal fees such as "shipping charges"
and "measurement charges" may be
2 to 3 times the amount you would pay to other
retail stores.
Keep
in mind that even though many people have
had really bad experiences with Direct Buy
locations across America, Direct Buy is a
franchise and each location is individually
owned. There have been people who have had
reasonable experiences with Direct Buy and
believe they have saved money with their purchases.
You may want to check with your local Better
Business Bureau before dealing with the
Direct Buy in your city.
Their
website: Direct
Buy
Read
the hundreds of Direct Buy complaints on InfomercialScams.com.
If
you've had a bad dealing with Direct Buy,
click
here to see how to get your money back.
How
to get your money back:
Trying
to get your money back from unsatisfactory
purchases from any of the above may be difficult.
Calling the companies repeatedly and getting
names of those in charge may get you somewhere,
but it also may be time-consuming with no
results.
If the first couple of calls or e-mails fail,
immediately contact your credit card company's
customer service department. Immediately have
a stop payment put on and
ask for a charge back. You
will need to send to them copies of all documentation
for your purchase. Be sure to send them copies
of the "Money Back Guarantee"
printed from the website of the company or
any other documents you have. Send copies
of returned emails, etc... You should get
results from your Credit Card Company. They
will investigate the purchase and then, hopefully,
refund you. They will certainly be able to
put a stop to any monthly recurring charges
such as those imposed by John Beck's PROPERTY
VAULT.
Don't
settle for a partial agreement with the company
such as getting 10 or 15% of your money back.
Accepting a payment from them will affect
your being able to make a full claim for refund
with your credit card company. Wait for your
credit card company to complete their investigation.
If
you made the purchase with your bank debit
card, contact your bank immediately
to stop charges! Otherwise,
they will wipe out your checking account and
you may incur serious financial problems in
a very short amount of time.
Good
luck to you!
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