Complaint Review: SMC/Smart Living Corporation

I am the mother of two disabled children , and at the time I purchased my member ship in smc corp, I paid $500.00 I was desperate because my mother was on the decline and I needed to find an income. I called SMC and spoke to a man there when I said I need to contact my husband he stated I would lose the discount if I did not put a down payment  and when I called back it would not be considered a first time called. so I gave them half the cost. I spoke to my husband and he asked some questions but with our situation outside work would not be and option.

I then started receiving calls from EMerchant club. and the sales department on how to get my business up and running. I spent 1600 or better on a web store and was very hopeful. I ordered a mailing list from a company they recommended and my daughters helped with the labels. seemed like this was heaven sent . only the mailings cost me 2000.00 that was just the start , They said I need to market the site so i took out google ads and also did two more mailings. I had a total of 2 outside sales other than family and friends and people I knew who bought from me.

When I would complain they said I needed to do more marketing or buy a bigger site. I said you have to be kidding I can not afford anymore. my father died my mother was left my responsibility. I called them to see what else I could do or why the site would not sell. they said they do not know. My mother died. so I decided to check the local community college and they had a degree program for entrepreneurial leadership. My professor suggested I read trash man to cash man. I did and found out I had one of the worst website formats ever the one that will look pretty and never make you money.

 since I had the site from Feb 2012 to at this time November 2012 I knew they would not even give me any money  back so I cancelled. then I found out the merchandise is now a higher cost to members. the only place I made any money at it is very little and if you take into account the cost to have site I lost 11,000.00 last year. on my business.  if there is a class action suit I would join with out hesitation. I feel like a fool for using all my retirement money and am now on the web with the same domain name because I had to pay another $99.00 to have them release it to me.

after I set up another web store my hits went from 2500 or more a week to 50 to 1000 a month. I have since started web marketing at the local college and have learned you can set up a web store and hosting for 19.99 a month and a flat fee for the security and all . and have more control over the domain and store. I still have a membership because they have not asked for a renewal yet as soon as they do I will cancel the member ship. the new owners do have some nicer quality but they have over flooded the market and do compete against you on the sites like ebay. again I am the mother of two handicap children and the money I put out was a disaster ,

when I called they were cold hearted and did not care if I had this problem and God forbid your account is not paid the day they take that 29.99 you bet they are on the phone the next day asking why and if you do not pay the site will go down and cost more to bring back up. They can keep it , God will want answers when all these people go before him.  I have a new store 3 days old and made a sale already. that covers this months cost something I never had with them. They are not customer oriented only money oriented and I paid my bill promptly except two times when my mother and father died. I still feel embarrassed and my husband and I had a rough time about the cost and money I spent.