Espresso Italia aka Espresso Express Scam Artists. Ripoff! Boynton Beach, Florida
Reading these reports is really sad. I was duped by them when they were selling under the Espresso Express name just a few short years ago. I see the name Jim Humphrey in this thread. He was the schill. He was suppossedly a successful distributor,and told us he was making well over 6 figures a year. He conducted our training class, and was specifically asked if he had any ties to the company other than that of a distributor. He said his only reason for conducting the training was that they gave him a discount on the coffee for doing so. I now know that he was part of the scam and that everything he said was a lie.
As an Espresso Express distributor, we were sold Comobar machines that dispensed "concentrated" liquid coffee. We were told that this method was far superior to the pod machines that some restaurants used. Now I see that they've switched tactics and sell "pod" type machines. Where is the support for the hundreds of Espresso Express distributors? Thes thieves took millions of dollars from distributors that can't get product for their machines now even if they wanted it. The only reason these distributors aren't on this thread screaming about being ripped off is that they gave up long ago.
I could go on at length about the $16,000 I lost, along with $450 for syrup, over $600 for bogus "appointments", and the $600 I paid my attorney for setting up our business as a corporation and drawing up the restaurant agreements which we never got to use becaus none of them were willing to try the stupid "liquid concentrated coffee" concept we were trying to pawn off at the time, but it would read just like all the other complaints already registered here.
I hope those of you that are pursuing legal action are successful. I only wish someone could go after Jim Humphrey as well as Patrick Albright and Shadd Vickery. He was as instrumental as Patrick in misleading, lying, and ripping off the distributors.
It's amazing that they could conduct this scam on so many people over such a prolonged period of time. How many of the hundreds of distributors they set up ever reordered coffee? It's obvious that they made their money from selling the distributorships, not actual product.
I feel fortunate in that at least I didn't mortgage my house or tap into a retirement fund for the money I lost. I feel terribly sorry for those that were truly put in financial peril by these jerks. If I thought I wouldn't be throwing good money after bad, I'd have my attorney hassle these guys just for fun. My ordeal is almost 4 years old, and I'd almost forgotten about it until I found this site.
I didn't even know that Espresso Express had morphed into EI until I found this site a few weeks ago. If you're an EI distributor, don't think these guys won't shut down the "pod" concept just like they did the "liquid concentrate" concept and leave you hanging. They'll just find another machine, another coffee concept, and a new set of chumps to rip off.
Best of luck in shutting them down. Has anyone considered a class action suit? I have an attorney who may be willing to work this on consignment, but it's a long shot. I imagine there is no way to recover anything from the Espresso Express days. They probably covered themselves legally when they conerted to Espresso Italia.
Best of luck to you all. I hope you're able to hurt these vultures financially and recover some of your losses.
Jeff
Edmond, Oklahoma
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Jeff
Edmond,Oklahoma,
U.S.A.
Jim - explain a few things ..What happened to your "liquid coffee concentrate" machines when Espresso Express changed names to start a new rip off?
#4Consumer Comment
Mon, February 28, 2005
You say you've only been buying product from them for 5 years. What happened to your "liquid coffee concentrate" machines when Espresso Express changed names to start a new rip off? You said you had over 40 of those machines installed at the time of my training. What happened to those worthless machines? Did you use them as steamers to clean jewelry as you demonstrated to the class? And, I agree 100% with the previous poster who stated that Patrick told us you made $240K/year. That is EXACTLY what he said. When I asked you about it during a training break, you would only commit to earning "6 figures". I called you for advice on at least 3 ocassions after training, once to try to sell you my machines at pennies on the dollar. I figured you were a good candidate since you had so many locations. If you were adding locations as fast as you claimed, and I was willing to sell you machines for $300 that they were selling for $1600, why did you not even consider it? All I heard from you is the same BS I heard from the company--- "You must be doing something wrong, the concept works for everyone else".
Once again, answer this. Where are your Espresso Express machines? Did you replace them all with EI machines? An even better question: What happened to all the hundreds of Espresso Express distributors? As far as I can tell, they couldn't get product for the machines that they paid $1600 each for even if they wanted to. WHich I seriously doubt , since it's unlikely that any of them kept trying with the business after 6 months or so.
All this makes you look like an insider, Jim. Who else stuck with them, as a distributor, from Espresso Express through Espresso Italia?
Rick
Orlando,Florida,
U.S.A.
Your a Liar Jim!!!!!! You'll be in a deposition before you know it... Trust me on that!
#4UPDATE EX-employee responds
Sun, February 27, 2005
Hey there buddy... Long time since you and I spoke last... I directly asked you questions when I had to let you in the door one day... We know eachother! Tried speaking to you many times while employed with those criminals... You were always evasive but I knew... You had a major role in the operation!
You may not be now... But you were a shill and Shaad and Patrick used to tell people you made not six figures as in $100k but around $240k... You'd come in with your two-tone and your were just an instrumental piece of the game. Tell me... What did receive to teach training classes every Saturday and really... How much did they pay you? What did you really receive?
You'll be in a deposition before you know it... Trust me on that!
Jim
Palm Beach Gardens,Florida,
U.S.A.
In response to Jeff. I, as a distributor, am in the dark just like everyone else about EI
#4REBUTTAL Individual responds
Sat, February 26, 2005
Jeff, I never said I was making 6 figures in my my company. I wish I was. I don't have any other ties to EI except as a distributor. I was hired in good faith to train people on how to work the equipment.
I have been in business since 1988 and only in the last 5 years have I been buying my product from EI. They hired me to train because of my experience. That's it in black and white.
I am a distributor, as you are, and only tried to give all trainees the experience I have in my business. I have never lied and never told what to say in my training by EI. How does that make me an instrument? It was a job that I took great pride in because I wanted to give everyone the best training I could.
I still am in business as a distributor and have to work hard at it. I won't give up. Whatever contract you have with EI is between you and them. I do my own soliciting for new business and have to buy equipment and product just like everyone else. I, as a distributor, am in the dark just like everyone else about EI.