The Learning Annex: Deceptive Seminar Expo Rip-off. Advertising toted that the Wealth Expo in Boston was for learning to be wealthy. We paid $ to get nothing but sales pitches. New York New York
My wife and I bought VIP tickets and flew from Austin Texas to Boston Mass for the Real Estate and Wealth Expo.
All of the advertising that we recieved said that the seminars were going to be learning experiences. Some of the exact words used in the advertising were, "The main exhibit floor will have 72 different seminars throughout the two full days. Attendees will learn how to analyze and structure any real estate deal, tips and traps for when negotiating real estate, how to buy foreclosures, and much more!"
What a Rip-Off!! We paid money for the tickets and to fly to Boston to get nothing but sales pitches for the speaker's products.
For example, the advertising for Raymond Aaron's seminar was titled "Find Your Hidden Wealth: Create Effortless Prosperity NOW!" Here are some of the exact words used in the advertising for this seminar. "Double Your Income doing what you love. How to increase your income with absolutely no effort on your part. How to turn your interests and hobbies into a well oiled income-producing machine."
Raymond Aaron did not teach a single thing at this seminar, as well as most of the other speakers. It's because this was not a seminar, but a cleverly designed scam to get people to pay in hopes of obtaining knowledge that would help them be wealthy. What they got was, as in the case of Raymond Aaron, "If you buy my mentoring product package, I'll teach you the 3 steps to doubling your income."
All of the seminars were like this. They weren't seminars, but sales pitches that taught nothing. Within the seminar you will be told something that goes like this. "So you can purchase a piece of property with no money down, rehab it, rent it out, take out $30,000 in equity on a refinance and make the tenents pay back the note. Now you have $30,000 tax free because its a loan and not income and a monthly cash flow from the rent. Now who would like to know how to do that? (And of course everyone cheers and jumps to their feet and raises there hands)And then the guy says, "Ok great!! Now when you buy my 4 day live program for $6000 I'm gonna show you just how to do that."
What a freakin RIP-OFF!! My wife and I were so disappointed that by the afternoon on the first day, we stop going to any of the seminars and took off around Boston on a sight seeing trip.
I will add however, that Tony Robbins, Robert Kiyosoki, and Trump delievered. Yes they pitched their products, but they also taught at the same time. Which I am totally fine with. If we had been told up front that a majority of the seminars weren't really seminars, but sales pitches.. we would have never bouth the tickets, and would never had flown to Boston.
Bottom line is, this was a rip-off that cost me $200 for the tickets, $600 for the round trip flight from Texas, $400 at the Marriot Courtyard, $400 for me and my wife both taking one day off of work to fly to Boston.
With food and some other minor expenses such as Taxi and such, this whole deal cost me around $1800. And did I learn anything at this Wealth Expo/Seminar? You bet! Expensive lesson at that.
The Learning Annex Wealth Expo is a scam!!
We told everyone we knew that we were going and they eagerly awaited our return to hear what it was like. Because the Expo is coming to Dallas, and they wanted to know if it was worth the money. Well, needless to say there are now about 30 people who will not be attending the Dallas Expo who were planning to, and we plan to warn alot more people as the time for the Dallas Expo comes closer.
Jason
Kyle, Texas
U.S.A.
6 Updates & Rebuttals
Simon
New York,New York,
U.S.A.
THE LEARNING ANNEX REAL ESTATE & WEALTH EXPO IS A GREAT LEARNING OPPORUNITY
#7UPDATE Employee
Wed, May 09, 2007
The Real Estate & Wealth Expo is a terrific learning opportunity. The program consists of seventy plus seminars in virtually every area of wealth building. Each seminar is an excellent and accessible training course taught by an expert in the field. Thousands of our students have thoroughly enjoyed the educational opportunities provided by the Real Estate & Wealth Expo. We have been in business for over twenty years teaching our students how to better themselves and we want only satisfied learners.
Jamil
Toronto,Ontario,
Canada
Not a Rip-off
#7Consumer Comment
Mon, March 26, 2007
I m sorry to hear that you spent $1800 on the Learning Annex weekend program.
None of their claims are true, you dont learn any of that in the learning Annex.
I just attended The Learning Annex this weekend at Toronto, and I must say It was Worth!!!
I got my VIP Pass for 99.99 and i went with a friend.
We had awesome seating, and you know what? I won a $100 on the second day because i showed up early.
$100 Cash!! right on the spot. and all the 100 people who came early got it.
So my ticket was pretty much Free.
I will agree with you, its all sales pitches I was a bit disappointd but me and my friend went to See Donald and Tony, and you know what? It was WORTH !! i mean the show was great although i hated the waiting.
The weekend will not teach u to double ur income or any of those bogus claims but is it worth going? Hell Yes, It will inspire you to take action and meet people that are also willing to do whatever it takes to change their lives.
Meet people there who are also looking to invest, buy real estate and are brokers or w/e ....
So its wasnt a bad deal for me ? All that for free. I will take it any day.
Simon
New York,New York,
U.S.A.
AS PROMISED, WE RESOLVED THIS ISSUE BY PROMPTLY REFUNDING THE COST OF THIS STUDENT'S EXPO TICKETS
#7UPDATE Employee
Thu, January 11, 2007
As soon as the customer contacted us directly to identify himself, we promptly refunded the cost of this student's Expo tickets, as promised.
Jason
Kyle,Texas,
U.S.A.
Responce to the Rebuttal from The Learning Annex
#7Author of original report
Fri, December 15, 2006
In responce to the Rebuttal dated 12/13/06:
I appreciate the offer to refund our money. As per instructions, I have emailed the customer service department with our information pertaining to the ticket purchase.
The Learning Annex doesn't have a good reputation for "Refunds" so we will wait and see what happens. Who wants to make a bet on if we'll ever see that money, or how long you think it will take?
Simon
New York,New York,
U.S.A.
WE RECEIVE GREAT CUSTOMER FEEDBACK ABOUT OUR REAL ESTATE AND WEALTH EXPO
#7UPDATE Employee
Wed, December 13, 2006
We are sorry to hear that this student was disappointed in his experience at the Boston Real Estate and Wealth Expo. Our Real Estate and Wealth Expo has been well received throughout the country. The Boston Expo featured, among many other real estate and wealth experts, a three hour training from Tony Robbins, inspirational life stories from George Foreman, critical information about attaining wealth from Rich Dad Robert Kiyosaki, important knowledge about women and investing from Kim Kiyosaki, and a session with real estate giant Donald Trump, including the opportunity for our students to ask questions from the audience.
Many of the 300,000 students that have attended the Real Estate and Wealth Expo in the last two years have told us that the opportunity to hear any ONE of these speakers, let alone all of them, is worth the price of admission.
Nevertheless, we understand that this student was not satisfied. We stand behind our product and will refund the cost of this student's Expo tickets. Unfortunately, we are unable to identify this student based on the information provided in the report. I urge the student to contact us at customerservice@learningannex.com so that we can resolve this matter.
Jason
Kyle,Texas,
U.S.A.
Learning Annex Scam Update
#7Author of original report
Wed, December 13, 2006
The Learning Annex sent my wife a survey in her email to get her opinion on our experience in Boston. She replied telling them what she really thought. Let's see what happens..