Who's Who Middle School Registry Ripoff! These cons took my check for $89, cashed it, then never sent me the plaque or book. My daughter is heartbroken. Roswell Georgia
I sent this company a check for $89 for a plaque and book in July 2004. By November, they had cashed by check, yet I had recieved nothing.
I called them and was told it would be coming, several times. They have since had their phone number disconnected, and I S.O.L
Kim
Toledo, Ohio
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Robert
Marietta,Georgia,
U.S.A.
Ex-employee of Who's Who Middle School Registry that was also ripped off!!
#2UPDATE EX-employee responds
Fri, April 22, 2005
Hello everyone, I am an ex-employee of the company Student Educational Registries (AKA National Who's Who Middle School Registries). I worked there from the months of April 2004 through till November 2004. I witnessed the business from front to back and know everything about it. What I didn't know or could know is the plan or actions the CEO Grady Carl Sturgess III would take.
The company was a legitimate book making process that required all the forms we sent out to parents. We (the employees) sat at computers for 8 hours a day at least typing your children's information and school awards/activities for months till we had received all that we were going to and typed all that we had.
Shortly thereafter Mr. Sturgess was a one man run company with a secretary named Ashley who handled all customer calls. Mr. Sturgess would answer calls sometimes too, but would use false names other than his own. From the time I left is when I saw and heard about all the changes that were made to create the scandal that it is today.
Mr. Sturgess, from what I know, was charged with four felonies. Two identity theft and two credit fraud. All of these charges were committed well before the Who's Who book business even took off, and in hindsight now I see it was just another one of his credit scams. I feel terrible for the parents and especially for all the kids who are the victims of one cruel man and his bad deeds. If I had any knowledge where he was heading with the company I would have alerted any and all authorities who could handle Mr. Sturgess.
As it is now I believe that books were made and also plaques. It is my belief that Mr. Sturgess has all of these materials, but no longer has the money from which you customers all gave him, to send them out to you. His prior charges came upon him at the near completion of the book, and with these charges came huge fines and lawyer fees. Of which I believe all of your money went to through Mr. Sturgess.
I've seen this book that was made and it is less than worthy of the description we gave as the preset to buying the book. He made a crude black and white, poorly printed book that has all the students nationwide in alphabetical order and that's it. There are no cover pages, index, title page, ads, nothing!! The book is a piece of trash that I wouldn't pay $5 for.
All of the details that went into the book (besides the students information) were Grady Sturgess III's creative genius of nothing. He just slapped all the kids and the info I typed along with a couple of others and ran with it thinking the consumer would just be stuck with it. This man is a monster of a human being and cares solely about one person, and that is himself. I, as an employee and friend of his got cheated as well in the end. I worked my butt off for the company because I believe it was a legitimate choice of work and that it was going towards a good cause. Now I see how stupid I was, and that I was played just as all you who bought books are. To this day I still am out of pay that was owed and earned by hard work and hours and hours logged into the computer. My fate matters little compared to all the families who lost out because of Mr. Sturgess.
But wait, there is still a little comfort I can provide you all with. It's the current living status of Grady Carl Sturgess III. Seems like his bad deeds caught up with him and he's got a lot hanging over his head. He's been to jail, this I'm sure of, and is more than likely heading back very soon. Just having to let the due process of the court system take place to throw him behind bars. With the charges I know he has against him I know that at a minimum he'll have 2 years in jail and fines up the butt. Nothing can justify what he did, or make anyone feel better or safer about taking risks on unknown companies, but you must believe that these people do not go unpunished. They got this guy and they are going to put him away for a long time.
I hope that this sheds at least a little light on the situation, and once again I apologize for my part in this scam. I only wish I had the knowledge I do now when it could've prevented all this chaos...