Complaint Review: John Beck Mentoring Institute - John Beck Free And Clear

I had done some online research about Tax Liens and Deeds, but as I was watching late night/early morning TV, an infomercial for the John Beck Free and Clear Plan came on. The price was around $40, so I thought, "Hey, this might save me some research time and it doesn't cost much." I received the material a few weeks later. It ended up costing $62 and the material contained a few potentially useful bits of information, so I wasn't too upset that it wasn't really full value for my money. But then I got the call.

On October 25, I got a call from someone named Dan. He said that because they needed to have new people on their testimonials each year, John Beck offered a mentoring program to help select individuals get started so that they could appear on an infomercial to testify to how successful they were. Really, I'm not usually this stupid. Anyway, he asked me some questions to see if I "qualified". He was concerned that I might not be in enough debt to make a good story for a testimonial so he'd have to check with Mr Beck and his supervisors. When he came back on the phone, he said that he had gotten approval to go ahead and get me on the mentoring program and that John Beck would come on the line shortly to discuss the details with me. He went away again, supposedly to get John Beck.

When he got back, he let me know that John Beck had just left to fly to Las Vegas for a seminar. So, instead, Ben Isaacson would be talking to me some more about the program. Ben Isaacson told me that there would be a six months coaching program that would include 10 weeks proactive coaching and 10 weeks reactive coaching. They would set up my business and help me get incorporated, do my taxes (even going back three years), Give me Tax Vantage, Tax Lien and Mortgage Reduction Software, a 3 day "boot camp" in Las Vegas, a newsletter, and WARRANTED SERVICE. This "warranted service" is supposed to be a guarantee that they will continue to work with me until I at least make back my initial investment of $10,100. He also told me that I would be able to write all of this investment off on my taxes as a Small Business Loan or education.

In retrospect, I kick myself for not checking this out before giving him my credit card number. I ALWAYS check out these things first. I can't even begin to understand why I didn't do a web search first. After Ben finished with me, he passed me over to Debbie, I think, who then when through a confirmation process. I wasn't listening too closely by that time because I was really getting tired of being on the phone. She set up an appoint with me to get with a coach that Friday at 6 pm.

Friday the 29th, I received a package in the mail that included an enrollment confirmation that listed all the things that would be included in the mentoring program. It did not match the list of things that Ben had promised. At 6:00 pm a coach did NOT call. I called the coaching number and they rescheduled me with a new coach for November 8. I called the customer service number and got a recording. I left a message on the recording that the items on my enrollment offer did not match the items I had discussed with Mr Isaacson, could someone call me to clariy. (No one called back.)

So I did some reseach on the web over the weekend, became appalled at how very, very badly I had been misled, and kicked myself for my gullibility until I turned black and blue. The charge was still in the TEMP category on my credit card, so I called the credit card company and asked them not to let this charge come through. They said that they couldn't stop it, but I could dispute the charge after it came through.

I called the customer service number for the "Mentoring Institute", let them know that I did not realize that this was not a reputable company when I agreed to the program, stated that I was cancelling the program, and asked them not to put through the credit card charge. I also indicated that because I had not yet received any coaching, software or other materials, or any "trade secret" that I had not actually started the program yet so should be able to cancel. I spoke two different indivuals who both told me the same thing. I stated that my intention was to dispute any charges.

The same day I faxed a lengthy message to their listed fax number. It began,"In lieu of returing my signed enrollment confirmation, I am cancelling this mentoring program. I have not yet received any product or services and the charges have not been completed on my card, so this should not be a problem." The ending paragraph stated, " Pleased do not complete the credit card transaction for this program as I am withdrawing before the program has begun." I saved this fax and the fax machine's confirmation report.

The next day the credit card charges went through and I received a "Welcome" call on my home voice mail. Now I have to call my credit card company back to get a dispute form. And I'll need to send a letter to the Mentoring Institute by registered mail. I did not answer the door today when the FedEX guy came, because I didn't want to accept anything else from them.

Wilma
Lewisville, Texas
U.S.A.



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