Robert G. Allen, Professional Marketing Group, Energy Professional Marketing Company scams prospective victims looking to be self-employed... refuses to refund thousands of dollars paid in fees. Provo Utah
I, too, have suffered just like the others that have reported ripoffs on the company listed above.
I received an unsolicited email from Robert G. Allen praising his Multiple Streams of Income concepts and stating that he was seeking motivated individuals to prove to the public that his methods worked. I filled out a short survey online and later had a representative contact me to "sell" me on the service.
The first person I spoke with was a screener, who asked general, goal-oriented questions that qualified me for further questions about my motivation, work-ethic, and available finances. After passing through this person, and receiving a bunch of hype about the success of Robert G. Allen's program, I was transferred to an official salesman. The salesman reviewed some of the accomplishments of Robert Allen, trying to build value in his services, since I had never heard of Mr. Allen before. He even acknowledged the fact that Robert Allen had filed bankruptcy in the past and had suffered severe financial troubles.
The salesman explained to me how I would be "coached" by a mentor over a ten-week period via telephone conferences, and I would then have the remaining year to call back and forth at-will to ask further questions as needed. I was to be taught how to generate multiple streams of income by starting out with a web business. After all the typical sales-hype associated with commission-based sales, the salesman first reviewed a $5000 plan to buy into. I ended up paying $3065, because I had trouble attaining that much money at the time.
Why did I spend such an exorbitant amount of money? I attribute it to my own inner desire to own my own business. Even to this day, I still yearn to have my own freedom and money to make. Couple this with the fact that the saleman (on behalf of PGM) guaranteed that I would recoup my investment within the first 6 months of the program or (they would enable an advanced mentoring course to help me recoup my investment). Notice here that there is no provision for refund involved in the satifaction guarantee.
The guarantee was enough to make me take such a decision that I will forever regret the rest of my life. I was to commit 5-10 hours each week to this mentoring program and meet with my mentor on each scheduled date and complete all assignments to fulfill their guarantee. The salesman voice-recorded our phone conversation where we agreed to contract with one another and also recorded the fact they employ a "no refund" policy. I acknowledged this fact passively; I do not remember the exact words I stated in regards to their policy, but I do remember that I voiced high disregard and discontent with it. I felt as though, in the event I sought a refund of $3065, a simple voice-recording could not hold me to it, based largely upon the fact that they are guaranteeing me certain outcomes.
The mentoring sessions began as planned. I kept at least the first 6-7 sessions, then quit. Why did I quit? There are a few prominent reasons. Foremost, PMG CANNOT help me build the website I desire. My mentor and the manager I am requesting a refund from BOTH acknowledge this fact! My idea does not cater to the web-building software they use, called Vermotion (Vermotion is reported by members of PMG to be wholly-owned by PMG). Furthermore, the "mentoring" sessions are NOTHING more than the "coach" giving me a list of internet links to visit and study on my own time.
Why then, am I paying $3065, when I can "surf the net" for only $24.95 per month through AOL!? Every idea I discussed with my coach was my own. Nothing was told or given to me that I could not figure out on the internet on my own. I attribute this failure in judgement with my lack of information about internet web-design at the time. I still do not have the resources to build the site I desire, but I know that I will not give my money to untrusted sources any longer.
There is also a "web-hosting" fee that their company Vermotion charges each month in the amount of $39.99 to host the website they have helped you produce. I do NOT have a website posted, as it does not exist! I simply have a cover page with a bunch of empty, useless links. I have been charged this fee for the past four months (even after my account was made inactive by PGM after I failed to meet with my mentor any further). I failed to have the account cancelled after the first billing, because of other, more important issues in my life at the time. I cannot justify why I have been charged hosting fees for a site that does not exist nor is published on the world wide web.
For the past month now, I have been trying wholeheartedly to get my money back. I even offered PGM to keep $400 of my dollars as good faith towards their bogus mentoring sessions, even when I have not benefited from them whatsoever. The manager I have been dealing with, whose initials are D.W., (who is also apparently the main manager of the customer support center responsible for refunds) has avoided every valid argument I make as a case for a refund and has offered only to refund me one month of Vermotion fees ($39.99) and an erroneous shipping charge that was billed to me ($65.00, I never received anything via mail to be charged shipping). D.W. offers either to refund the money stated above, or let me start a new mentoring program "free of charge." I made it VERY clear to him that I have no use for PGM, and I do NOT wish to receive any further "service" from his company.
To this date, I have not received any money whatsoever. I have cancelled my bank account to prevent this company from sapping any more of my carefully saved funds away.
For those that have also suffered this horrible blow to their finances and have achieved justice, please send me information through the rebuttal key. I will also be presenting this same text to the UTAH BBB, attorney general, and other consumer's voice websites.
John
Charleston, South Carolina
U.S.A.
Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Energy Professional Marketing
CLICK here to see why we deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.
STOP! ..before you think about using the Better Business Bureau (BBB)... CLICK HERE to see how other consumers were victimized by the BBB's false or misleading information. Don't be fooled! It has been reported, when there are thousands of complaints and other investigations underway by authorities, the BBB has no choice but to finally give an UNsatisfactory rating to a BBB member business that is paying the BBB big membership fees every year. When a business is reported that is NOT a BBB member, BBB files WILL more likely show an UNsatisfactory rating, then reportedly shake down that company to become a member of the BBB. One positive thing about the BBB is, either way, if a business has an unsatisfactory rating with the BBB, you can be sure, the business is bad. But what about all those BBB member businesses that had complaints filed against them? Consumers never get to hear about them. What about the BBB advertising to the public? Is this a false and misleading perception they are giving about consumer confidence when dealing with a business? Click here to understand more of what consumers and business alike are saying about the BBB. You decide. ..Remember. The BBB membership is not earned, it's paid for!
8 Updates & Rebuttals
Thomas
Battle Mountain,New Jersey,
U.S.A.
finally got a refund of $1,500
#9Consumer Comment
Thu, September 23, 2004
We have been working on this for awhile now and finally got a refund of $1,500. They are telling me now that we can't get any more refunds because we went through training sessions. We still owe $5000, so we will continue to write, call or email them. We don't want to settle for this small amount. So keep working on them and hopefully we can get some results!
John
Memphis,Tennessee,
U.S.A.
utah full of scammers
#9Consumer Comment
Thu, September 23, 2004
I too got ripped 6,000 from smart saving sounds like the same guys they have all kinds of names same story line *other people's money* right i've all ready wrote about them under smart saving, i wasted 6,000 and several monthly fee's i don't even know what they were for all i learned was how to make a home page on bravenet.com * a free sevice* mr cameron montgomery got me!!! coach'es name was scott cameron the coach'es last name is the same as the guy that got my money last name wonder why? so they can keep up with who's client's who's or better who to share my 6,000 with, scum sucking leaches hey cameron montgomery how ya feelin this week? this also but me in the hospital for awhile and my 11 year old daughter's crying because this scum sucking montgomery even had the nerve to tell her her daddy was going to be rich and she could have anything she wanted
montgomery your gonna have to answer one day!
Stephanie
Monroe,Louisiana,
U.S.A.
I too, have been royally ripped off!!
#9REBUTTAL Individual responds
Wed, September 22, 2004
I can't believe it!! I was almost through paying, and then today I hit this website and saw all of the complaints of other people that had been scammed and realized that I too, didn't learn anything. I got a handful of CDs that are "tutorials," but they don't really teach you anything. All my coach, Dan was his name, ever said was that everything was so EASY that a child could do it, yet I didn't really understand anything! He was nice enough and called on time, but I never got anything out of our sessions except a bunch of links to check out, which didn't go anywhere. I eventually quit and just chalked it up to a loss and started paying off my mistake.
Now that I see the light, I'm changing my bank account. They will be getting no more of my money!! I am calling to try for a refund of what I have paid as well.
Marsha
Grayslake,Illinois,
U.S.A.
I almost got suckered...but I smelled a rat!!!
#9Consumer Comment
Mon, May 24, 2004
These people called me and said they "chose" me and would take me under their wing to become a millionaire within a year. Sounded real good until they started asking me about my credit card purchasing power, if I could get an equity loan to finance my "millions."
After listening to them for some time, they kept repeating "other people's money." I asked them to call back after I thought about it.
They called back at the date and time I requested. This gave me a chance to talk to my attorney, do some research online and when they called back, I said, "I understand the concept of other people's money and Mr. Allen wants mine...that's the other people's money. There is not a chance you are getting a nickel out of me. Good day."
Haven't heard from them since. STEER CLEAR....IT'S ONLY GOING TO MAKE MR. ALLEN RICH.
Thomas
Battle Mountain,Nevada,
U.S.A.
Broken Promises sucked into PMG in the same maner you were
#9Consumer Comment
Sun, May 23, 2004
John, We to were sucked into PMG in the same maner you were. We paid them $8,000 to get all the same promises. We had a coach that called late alot. We went through all the coaching sessions. Got our web site up and running with the promise that we would make money.
The hours spent at this computer trying to learn how to do all that they ask us to do are countless. We had many questions during that time. We called techsupport many times and never really got the answers we needed. Our shipping never worked right. And not because we were'nt calling to get help.
Trying to learn how to process an order was impossable. Not that we had many. We had one successful order in about 4 months. Not enough money to pay all the fees that they require to keep the web site running. When I called them all to cancel, one place (Card Payment Service) told us that we had to continue with them for 3 years at $35 a month or pay them $300 to cancel.
So like you we called it quits too. Enough is enough. I did get them to stop taking the $39.99 out of our checking account. I haven't asked for a refund yet but I will now after reading all of these letters.
Our reason for getting into this was to assure our future. We've only been married 6 years and in our 50s. With not much time to plan for retirement we were hoping that PMG would be our answer. Now we have a large credit card payment w/interest to pay off. A few weeks ago I fell and hurt my shoulder. So now I'm awaiting surgery and don't know when I can work again.
Sorry to hear that you are going through this too. Hope you get a refund. What can be done done to stop this type of scam? Just keep pushing and yelling I guess. That's what I''m going to do. Sorry that I don't have any info for you to help, but if I do I'll let you know.
James
Monrovia,California,
U.S.A.
My Experience with DW and this PMG was Good
#9Consumer Comment
Fri, March 05, 2004
I joined and invested $6,000 into the program and loved my coach Dane. When I became ill and had to be hospitalized. I called Devin Willams (Manager of customer care) He ask for a doctors note which I provided for documentaion and all my money was refunded in a week.
Overall I'd give them outstanding grade due to their compasion and getting my money back to help pay my bills.
Although they goofed when they issued credit, they quickly admitted their mustake and refunded me my shipping cost as well.
I have delt with many other online venturers and have heard lots BS excuses.
Despite their mistake, I would definitly buy from them again, based on their honesty, and great caring in my situation .
I am not sure about others but in my situation I found them fair.
Duane
Kailua Kona,Hawaii,
U.S.A.
I feel ripped off!
#9Consumer Comment
Tue, March 02, 2004
I can say I feel like I fell right into the same trap. First off, I have some tele-marketer that keeps calling me on my cell phone, yet never leaves a message. Finally I answer one day, and he goes through the description of what PMG is all about. At the time, I was in search of someway to make money. He made me feel I was very qualified, and passed me on to the next level.
This is where I also talked to this manager,DW. I am gambler by nature, so I thought why not. Real Estate is always something that could bring in money. So they set me up for my classes with a tutor named Robert, not Robert Allan. Anyhow, he seemed like a nice man, yet he was always late to all our meetings. Now, if I was late, do you think he would have kept calling me? NO!
Are they holding up to their end of the bargain?
NO! Anyhow, as weeks went by, I got more and more frustrated, and admittedly my heart was no longer in it. I changed my appoinment time to be the first time for Robert. Yet, still he calls late, on his way to the office, on his cell phone, eventually getting cut off because of his cell phone. I was going through the roof, that I was dumb enough to invest $8,000 or so dollars. Which by the look of things, I am not much of negoitiator.
After all that, I just called it quits. A short time after that, I figured I needed to try to seek some sort of refund. Called PMG, and talked to I believe it was Kurt? He seemed helpful, yet to no avail, I was in the wrong. I agreed that initially I was gung h*o. Yet, time after time my tutor was late, just got the best of me. Asking for someone to be on time, is not a crime is it? Do I not deserve some professional attention after that big of an investment? As it seems with most of the others, they offered to put me on hold, until I know what I want to do.
Whether or not this program works, is not the question. They did not hold up to their end of the agreement, when the tutor continually called me late. He admitted he had about 70 or so clients, therefore, his schedule was one after another. This no refund policy if for the birds.
Next time I will not think with my bird brain!
J
Moncks Corner,South Carolina,
U.S.A.
Partial refund granted
#9Author of original report
Tue, December 23, 2003
A partial refund was granted of the fees I paid into Energy Professional Marketing after speaking with the operations manager above whom I spoke with in customer relations. After discussing the legality of not performing their end of the contractual agreement and reiterating all the points I made to the manager in customer relations, the operations manager agreed to refund the money (after negotiating several different refund options).
The entire refund process took me three to four weeks to complete.