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Berman Investment Group ripoff, unuathorized credit card charges, ships unsolicted merchandise, fraudulent billing, doesn't return calls, voicemail only, no human contacts Newport Beach California
Berman Investment Group ripoff, unauthorized credit card charges, ships unsolicited merchandise, fraudulent billing, doesn't return calls, voicemail only, no human contacts Newport Beach California *UPDATE ..They send it to you "USPS Delivery Confirmation"
I ordered the "Free Book & Money Making CD" from their "igothere.com" website. About 10 days later I received it and "The Berman Differential Software Collection which I did not order nor is it mentioned anywhere in their offer.
Upon opening the package, there were 4 CD's that were individually poly wrapped in cardboard sleeves. An additional introductory CD (which is what I ordered) was in a paper sleeve and was not sealed. All the CD's packages are clearly marked on the bottom edge CD-ROM for Windows 95/98, 2000, Me, XP and therein lays the problem. All my computers are Macs running OS X and therefore the CD's are not compatible to run on the Mac. All the CD's are still in the original unopened packages.
I immediately called the toll free number to request a Return Authorization like the Return Policy stated. I followed the prompts on their automated attendant and when I reached Customer Service I spent about 20 minutes on ignore (hold). Then it switched me to their Voice Mail. I left my name, order number and phone number as directed and waited for a return phone call. And waited, and waited, and waited.
After 4 days, I called again and left the same message. Still no response. Then I started calling everyday for two weeks. Each time I called, I could not get a live person, only Voice Mail. I kept calling and leaving messages at different times during the business day figuring they have peak call volumes and maybe I could hit an off-peak time. It didn't matter what time I called; I always got Voice Mail after 15-20 minute on ignore (hold).
Finally, three weeks later, an Account Representative, Toby Wagner (800-674-8185) called. Not to give me my Return Authorization but to sell me more enhanced services. When I stated I had a Mac computer and couldn't use the software, he said too bad, should have bought a Windows computer. I asked him for a Return Authorization and he said he'd connect me with Customer Service. Before I could get the first word out to tell him to "wait I want to explain..." he was gone. Again, I got their Voice Mail and left the same information for the umpteenth time. Every time I called Toby, I'd get his Voice Mail and he won't return my calls either.
What good is their BOGUS "Return Policy" if they will not answer your calls nor return your calls. It's pure window dressing. I chased after them daily for two weeks, which I feel is sufficient effort on my part to resolve the dispute. To this day, I have not had one callback from them.
My only recourse at this time is to dispute the charges through my Credit Card Company because I can't get a return phone call from anyone at Berman Investments. After they reviewed my dispute, they told me to send the materials back "Certified Mail" with USPS. Upon receipt or refused delivery confirmation, they will credit the charges back to my account (which they did) and will take over the dispute. I'm sure they have more clout with them and they WILL get their calls returned.
Type in Berman Investments at GOOGLE and see all the bad news posted by many customers. Next time, before I order anything off the web, I've learned to do the research here first.
My advice: DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT!!
Everything I did, I kept a paper trail of. If you call a Toll Free Number, do it from your cell phone or Vonage (or similar) because you have web accessible call reports that not only show the call but length of time of the call as well. Same with USPS "Track and Confirm" reports.
I saved everything in PDF and was able to forward all the supporting documents along with my dispute. The more they have, the easier it is to win.
Nathan
Brandon, Florida
U.S.A.
8 Updates & Rebuttals
Nathan
Brandon,Florida,
U.S.A.
File additional Complaints with USPS Mail Fraud Unit, The Federal Trade Commission, California Office of Attorney General, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
#9Author of original report
Sat, July 02, 2005
File additional Complaints with USPS Mail Fraud Unit, The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), California Office of Attorney General, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
Fle a Mail Fraud Complaint with the United States Postal Service, Postal Inspectors Division.
https://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/fraud/MailFraudComplaint.htm
Although the Inspection Service cannot resolve routine business disputes between companies and their customers, it can act against a company or individual if there is a pattern of activity suggesting a potential scheme to defraud. Completion of this form is voluntary, but the more information that you enter, the better the Inspection Service may be able to help.
To file a Complaint with the Federal Trade Commission:
http://www.consumer.gov/sentinel
https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/wsolcq$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU01
The FTC investigates scams and Frauds on internet based marketing companies. In the Subject Of Your Complaint box, scroll down to Business Opportunities/MLM/Education and fill in the blanks from there.
To file a Complaint with the California Attorney Generals Office:
http://ag.ca.gov/consumers/mailform.htm
To file a Complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB):
http://complaints.bbb.org/SelectComplaintLink.asp?SupportsJavaScript=0
Listed in the BBB Database as Berman Investment Group, LLC. And their website:
www.igothere.com
Complaint Form will walk you through the process and you end up on the LA BBB Complaint Form that is filed with the LA Office.
Filing additional complaints with the above mentioned agencies would put increasing pressure on the perpetrator by having multiple agencies simultaneously investigating the scam. It also gives prospective consumers more places to find out about the scam because not everybody knows where all to look.
As you can see from all my postings and updates, they pissed off the wrong guy. I'm totally disabled and still recovering from a near fatal car accident in Jan '00. Eight surgeries later (still have one last surgery to go in 2 weeks), I have a lot of time on my hands to do the research and hunt them down.
I'm doing everything I can to make people aware of these scam artists. Using Search Engines to find as many places as I can to post and warn.
I don't get mad, I get even!!!
Nathan
Brandon,Florida,
U.S.A.
Berman-PrimeZone Media Release: Author Bruce A Berman announcedover $2,000,000 in his moneymaking products were given away to over 20,000 individuals.- be forewarned
#9Author of original report
Fri, July 01, 2005
Berman-PrimeZone Media Release http://press.arrivenet.com/bus/article.php/628090.html
Author Bruce A Berman announcedover $2,000,000 in his moneymaking products were given away to over 20,000 individuals. (Emphasis added on my part)
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., April 27, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Author Bruce A Berman announced today that in the first quarter of 2005, over $2,000,000 in his money making products were given away to over 20,000 individuals. Bruce A Berman's free offer includes his breakthrough book, "I GOT HERE. YOU CAN TOO!" and Bruce A Berman's "Making Money" CD, which together are a $100 value, for free. For more information or for your free copy, the author distributes his free book and CD offer at www.46freekit.com "
"Bruce A Berman estimates that his websites have had approximately 150,000 unique visitors and approximately 21,608 orders in the first quarter of 2005. Since its initial launch in 2004, the author has had a steady increase in demand for his products. In the fourth quarter of 2004, Bruce A Berman estimates there were approximately 75,000 visitors and 11,543 orders for his program. This represents almost a 100% increase over the prior quarter. The author has tracked visitors with the majority coming from Google and Yahoo using its tracking software.
I Wonder
How many of those people feel they got Ripped Off and are fighting to get their money back? Had they known about RipOffReports.com they could have saved themselves a lot of grief and aggravation!
They are flooding the TV/Radio airwaves with their infomercials and carpet-bombing the Internet with their marketing efforts to find as many takers on their free giveaway. They not only use their www.igothere.com, www.bruceaberman.com and www.thebermandifferential.com but scores of others like: 46freekit, (sequentially) 30money, 31money, 32money, 33money, 35money 37money, 39money 43money, 45money 49money, 53money, 55money 63money, 65money, 67money 87money, 89money 91money, and 97money.coms that I know about.
They also posted bogus reviews on scores of reviewing websites. The reviews are so blatant because they post the exact same review on all the different websites. What a joke.
I am posting this website information everywhere I can find so others can be forewarned.
Nathan
Brandon,Florida,
U.S.A.
Berman-PrimeZone Media Release: Author Bruce A Berman announcedover $2,000,000 in his moneymaking products were given away to over 20,000 individuals.- be forewarned
#9Author of original report
Fri, July 01, 2005
Berman-PrimeZone Media Release http://press.arrivenet.com/bus/article.php/628090.html
Author Bruce A Berman announcedover $2,000,000 in his moneymaking products were given away to over 20,000 individuals. (Emphasis added on my part)
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., April 27, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Author Bruce A Berman announced today that in the first quarter of 2005, over $2,000,000 in his money making products were given away to over 20,000 individuals. Bruce A Berman's free offer includes his breakthrough book, "I GOT HERE. YOU CAN TOO!" and Bruce A Berman's "Making Money" CD, which together are a $100 value, for free. For more information or for your free copy, the author distributes his free book and CD offer at www.46freekit.com "
"Bruce A Berman estimates that his websites have had approximately 150,000 unique visitors and approximately 21,608 orders in the first quarter of 2005. Since its initial launch in 2004, the author has had a steady increase in demand for his products. In the fourth quarter of 2004, Bruce A Berman estimates there were approximately 75,000 visitors and 11,543 orders for his program. This represents almost a 100% increase over the prior quarter. The author has tracked visitors with the majority coming from Google and Yahoo using its tracking software.
I Wonder
How many of those people feel they got Ripped Off and are fighting to get their money back? Had they known about RipOffReports.com they could have saved themselves a lot of grief and aggravation!
They are flooding the TV/Radio airwaves with their infomercials and carpet-bombing the Internet with their marketing efforts to find as many takers on their free giveaway. They not only use their www.igothere.com, www.bruceaberman.com and www.thebermandifferential.com but scores of others like: 46freekit, (sequentially) 30money, 31money, 32money, 33money, 35money 37money, 39money 43money, 45money 49money, 53money, 55money 63money, 65money, 67money 87money, 89money 91money, and 97money.coms that I know about.
They also posted bogus reviews on scores of reviewing websites. The reviews are so blatant because they post the exact same review on all the different websites. What a joke.
I am posting this website information everywhere I can find so others can be forewarned.
Nathan
Brandon,Florida,
U.S.A.
Berman-PrimeZone Media Release: Author Bruce A Berman announcedover $2,000,000 in his moneymaking products were given away to over 20,000 individuals.- be forewarned
#9Author of original report
Fri, July 01, 2005
Berman-PrimeZone Media Release http://press.arrivenet.com/bus/article.php/628090.html
Author Bruce A Berman announcedover $2,000,000 in his moneymaking products were given away to over 20,000 individuals. (Emphasis added on my part)
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., April 27, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Author Bruce A Berman announced today that in the first quarter of 2005, over $2,000,000 in his money making products were given away to over 20,000 individuals. Bruce A Berman's free offer includes his breakthrough book, "I GOT HERE. YOU CAN TOO!" and Bruce A Berman's "Making Money" CD, which together are a $100 value, for free. For more information or for your free copy, the author distributes his free book and CD offer at www.46freekit.com "
"Bruce A Berman estimates that his websites have had approximately 150,000 unique visitors and approximately 21,608 orders in the first quarter of 2005. Since its initial launch in 2004, the author has had a steady increase in demand for his products. In the fourth quarter of 2004, Bruce A Berman estimates there were approximately 75,000 visitors and 11,543 orders for his program. This represents almost a 100% increase over the prior quarter. The author has tracked visitors with the majority coming from Google and Yahoo using its tracking software.
I Wonder
How many of those people feel they got Ripped Off and are fighting to get their money back? Had they known about RipOffReports.com they could have saved themselves a lot of grief and aggravation!
They are flooding the TV/Radio airwaves with their infomercials and carpet-bombing the Internet with their marketing efforts to find as many takers on their free giveaway. They not only use their www.igothere.com, www.bruceaberman.com and www.thebermandifferential.com but scores of others like: 46freekit, (sequentially) 30money, 31money, 32money, 33money, 35money 37money, 39money 43money, 45money 49money, 53money, 55money 63money, 65money, 67money 87money, 89money 91money, and 97money.coms that I know about.
They also posted bogus reviews on scores of reviewing websites. The reviews are so blatant because they post the exact same review on all the different websites. What a joke.
I am posting this website information everywhere I can find so others can be forewarned.
Nathan
Brandon,Florida,
U.S.A.
Berman-PrimeZone Media Release: Author Bruce A Berman announcedover $2,000,000 in his moneymaking products were given away to over 20,000 individuals.- be forewarned
#9Author of original report
Fri, July 01, 2005
Berman-PrimeZone Media Release http://press.arrivenet.com/bus/article.php/628090.html
Author Bruce A Berman announcedover $2,000,000 in his moneymaking products were given away to over 20,000 individuals. (Emphasis added on my part)
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., April 27, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Author Bruce A Berman announced today that in the first quarter of 2005, over $2,000,000 in his money making products were given away to over 20,000 individuals. Bruce A Berman's free offer includes his breakthrough book, "I GOT HERE. YOU CAN TOO!" and Bruce A Berman's "Making Money" CD, which together are a $100 value, for free. For more information or for your free copy, the author distributes his free book and CD offer at www.46freekit.com "
"Bruce A Berman estimates that his websites have had approximately 150,000 unique visitors and approximately 21,608 orders in the first quarter of 2005. Since its initial launch in 2004, the author has had a steady increase in demand for his products. In the fourth quarter of 2004, Bruce A Berman estimates there were approximately 75,000 visitors and 11,543 orders for his program. This represents almost a 100% increase over the prior quarter. The author has tracked visitors with the majority coming from Google and Yahoo using its tracking software.
I Wonder
How many of those people feel they got Ripped Off and are fighting to get their money back? Had they known about RipOffReports.com they could have saved themselves a lot of grief and aggravation!
They are flooding the TV/Radio airwaves with their infomercials and carpet-bombing the Internet with their marketing efforts to find as many takers on their free giveaway. They not only use their www.igothere.com, www.bruceaberman.com and www.thebermandifferential.com but scores of others like: 46freekit, (sequentially) 30money, 31money, 32money, 33money, 35money 37money, 39money 43money, 45money 49money, 53money, 55money 63money, 65money, 67money 87money, 89money 91money, and 97money.coms that I know about.
They also posted bogus reviews on scores of reviewing websites. The reviews are so blatant because they post the exact same review on all the different websites. What a joke.
I am posting this website information everywhere I can find so others can be forewarned.
Nathan
Brandon,Florida,
U.S.A.
How To Return Unsolicited CD's
#9Author of original report
Fri, July 01, 2005
Their "Return Address" label on their package they send you shows "Berman Investment Group, no street address, Newport Beach, CA 92660 (877) 237-6265" so you don't have an address to Return to Sender.
Here is their real address to ship it back to:
Berman Investment Group
Attn: Customer Care
1301 Dove St., Suite 870
Newport Beach, CA 92660
There local phone number is (949) 910-0770
Here's my advice:
If you call any toll-free you won't have a record of it. Call from your cell phone or use Vonage (or similar VoIP service), that way you will have web accessible call reports to verify the attempted contacts. Save them as a PDF so you can email them to your CSR handling your Charge Back.
Send it back Certified Mail-Signature Confirmation in a Priority Mail-Flat Rate Envelope (cost $5.55) because you can Track & Confirm through the www.usps.com website. You get a signature of who accepted your package or you'll see the Attempt Delivery notices and then the Return To Sender-Unclaimed report. Save them as PDF or send the link to your CSR handling the Charge Back.
Both steps were sufficient in getting the charges reversed for me. See more about Berman and his deceptive practices at RipOffReport.com and click on the Search button. Use the Key Word search and enter Berman Investment Group to find all the reports on his companies.
I'm posting this everywhere I can to warn people about this RipOff!!
Nathan
Brandon,Florida,
U.S.A.
The Equalizer ..they keep whacking your credit card with additional unauthorized charges ..The Solution
#9Author of original report
Thu, June 30, 2005
For Safety & Security, Use a Reloadable/Prepaid credit card.
After being financially burned by an unscrupulous internet marketing website and their Free Offer-Just pay a small shipping & handling charge of $3.95 that turns into a $99.90 charge after they sent you unsolicited product. Or worse yet, they keep whacking your credit card with additional unauthorized charges. Then you go through Return Policy Hell trying to get a return authorization but you can't talk to a human because they screen all their calls with an automated attendant and voice mail. Then you wish they were local so you could go Postal on them (any Grand Jury would deem it Justifiable Homicide!!) Can I get an AMEN to that?
The Solution
Get a reloadable/prepaid Master Card or Visa credit card. Do a GOOGLE search (there are lots to choose from) and I picked NetSpend.com (toll free: 866-387-7363) for mine. There is a one time set up fee of $20.00 (spent more than that on phone calls, postage, countless hours of grief and aggravation) and takes about 5 business days to receive it in the mail.
They were the only one I found who doesn't have any application fees, membership fees, minimum balance, need a checking account or has any recurring monthly fees (you only pay $1.00 per transaction instead). That's fine with me because that's all I'm going to use it for-1 time and park it. I put only enough in to cover all the transaction costs ($1.50 to load it, $1.00 per use) and maybe a couple of extra bucks. I can go online to find a local place to reload it (I reload it at one of the local 59 locations of a national check cashing chain) and before I get home, it's online. Or I can load it online from my regular Master Card or VISA credit card. Plus you have web accessible accounting of transactions.
The beauty of this whole scenario is that my regular credit cards are NOT AT RISK. I have high limit credit cards with no monthly balances and so paranoid of identity theft that I hate to use them anywhere. This gives me such piece of mind, that I have purchased several of them.
Case in Point.
I ordered a $9.95 Shipping & Handling Fee Free Offer from scammers.com and lo and behold, a month later I got a phone call from them that my $79.95 monthly payment was declined. I had to pull over and park the car, I was LMAO so hard, I though I'd though I was going to either wreck the car or pee my pants.
Shoes on the other foot-aHole!!
Now it's my turn to JERK THEM AROUND and I had plenty of experience (lessons) from all of them. Now they get my voice mail and I get to ignore them for a change!!! WHAT COMES AROUND-GOES AROUND, YEAH BABY!!!
Then I contact NetSpend and inform them of the unauthorized charge attempt. I send them all the necessary support documents on that transaction and after their review, they notify me they either put a BLOCK on that Merchant or they cancelled that card and transfer my balance to a new card at no cost to me. Then I reload it to reuse it on the next at risk transaction.
The CSR at NetSpend told me about another nice free feature they have is transaction email alerts. All transactions (including Declines) trigger an email alert that also goes to my cell phone. Then I can immediately call them to dispute the unauthorized charge and nip it in the bud. Now I can be proactive instead of reactive. What a nice feeling that is, for a change!!
Do your own research and find a reloadable/prepaid credit card that fits your needs. I'm not endorsing NetSpend. After all my research, it's just that they fit what I was looking for (web accessibility, transaction reports/alerts, proactive customer care, etc.).
I don't leave home without them.
EDitor, by all means, please feel free to post this or use this as you see fit.
Nathan
Brandon,Florida,
U.S.A.
They send it to you "USPS Delivery Confirmation"
#9Author of original report
Wed, June 29, 2005
They send it to you "USPS Delivery Confirmation" so they know when you received it. But they charge your credit card 30 days from when you ordered, not when you received it. Also their "Return Address" shows "Berman Investment Group, no street address, Newport Beach, CA 92660 (877) 237-6265" so you don't have an address to Return to Sender.
Another tip it's a scam: Nowhere in any of the enclosed literature nor on their website is their address. The only way I could return my unsolicited merchandise was that someone else mentioned their address in their Rip-Off Report. Otherwise, they are virtually impossible to track down.
What good is the 30-day Return Policy if you can't talk to anyone to get a "Return Merchandise Authorization?" Nor will they respond to the umpteen messages you are forced to leave because they know why you're calling.