Sandy
Somewhere,#2Consumer Suggestion
Sat, August 04, 2007
Robert, You're heading in the right direction. IF you let IPA back in, you MUST stay with them EVERY minute they are in your facility. A trick I have seen consultants use is to go into the restroom to make calls back to the office on their cell phone. Just letting you know. Do NOT pay for the consultant's time or expenses. Period! They will try to collect. Get the consultant's "assessment of the issues" in writing, or at least record them. Be sure to keep the recorder with you at all times to prevent the consultant from erasing the report. State into the recorder time started, your name and the consultant's name. Unfortunately, Washington is one of those states requiring all parties agree to being recorded. From (((link redacted))) - "Twelve states require, under most circumstances, the consent of all parties to a conversation. Those jurisdictions are California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Washington. Be aware that you will sometimes hear these referred to inaccurately as "two-party consent" laws. If there are more than two people involved in the conversation, all must consent to the taping." Washington's rules are at the 'State by State Guide' listed on the left of that article. Read the rules. If the consultant will not agree to being recorded, then take copious notes. Ask the consultant to repeat statements so you can get it written down. Do not allow the consultant to intimidate you. Even before you let IPA back in, get the News Article in the papers/media done. Reason is that if they do "settle" with you, they will insist that you sign a document stating that from that point forward you will not say, by any means, anything negative about IPA. Try hard to get your money BEFORE you sign their document. If not, when you return the document by mail or FedEx, etc. be sure to get confirmation and a signature that IPA received it - even if IPA provides a FedEx labeled envelope. So, get all the articles done BEFORE signing anything. Be factual in the article, state dates of when all this occurred (emphasizing IPA's next-day strategy), state dollars you spent for each phase and provide names of the salesman, analyst, and consultants you were in contact with. It is not slander if you state facts. Detail all that was said by the salesman as best as you can remember, and said by the analyst. Both typically make unrealistic promises. Detail the activity done by the analyst - interviewed you, interviewed employees, calls made back to the office in front of you so you could hear how bad off you are, charts and graphs shown, report provided by the analyst (even though it was only verbal), prophecy of doom, expectations of improvements by IPA consultants, etc. Detail all that was done by the consultants - arrival and departure time to your business, activities they did such as talking to employees, time on their computer and on the phone, volume of paperwork provided, your signature required on Project Reports, etc. Do this BEFORE anything else, and you can even provide a followup article to the reporter as to what has occurred since the first article. Reporters love continuation stories. Call the media back and tell them you want to do the story NOW. This is a powerful message to other businesses even if IPA does refund your money. Send a copy of the article to your Attorney General and to the Better Business Bureau you already contacted. Every state, country, and even many cities have an Attorney General. Same is true with the BBB. Cover them all. If you are not able to join the RICO suit, you still can be supeoned to testify even though you signed a "do not tell" document with IPA. Supeona trumps any prior document. I hope this helps you and others who have been damaged by IPA. Remember, it is your civic and moral duty to report on and help stop scams against small business owners! CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.
Robert
Puyallup,#3Author of original report
Sat, August 04, 2007
Shortly after posting the rip-off-report I was contacted by an IPA Representative. After requesting a refund due to the incomplete and incompetent consulting services they offered, she told me absolutely not unless they are given the opportunity to send another PM out to assess the issues. My concern is that they have already caused so much irreversible damage that by sending someone else out they will continue to cause more issues and more than likely try to continue to charge for these. The good news is I will be joining a lawsuit against IPA if the issue is not handled. I have also received feedback from multiple media sources stating that they would like to run this story. I have told them that I am giving IPA one week to review my refund request and if they deny it then I will authorize them to run the story. Please give me some feedback if this is the correct way to go about this? Should I contact the media and air the stories regardless? Other businesses need to know about this in my opinion.
Robert
Puyallup,#4Author of original report
Sat, August 04, 2007
Shortly after posting the rip-off-report I was contacted by an IPA Representative. After requesting a refund due to the incomplete and incompetent consulting services they offered, she told me absolutely not unless they are given the opportunity to send another PM out to assess the issues. My concern is that they have already caused so much irreversible damage that by sending someone else out they will continue to cause more issues and more than likely try to continue to charge for these. The good news is I will be joining a lawsuit against IPA if the issue is not handled. I have also received feedback from multiple media sources stating that they would like to run this story. I have told them that I am giving IPA one week to review my refund request and if they deny it then I will authorize them to run the story. Please give me some feedback if this is the correct way to go about this? Should I contact the media and air the stories regardless? Other businesses need to know about this in my opinion.
Robert
Puyallup,#5Author of original report
Sat, August 04, 2007
Shortly after posting the rip-off-report I was contacted by an IPA Representative. After requesting a refund due to the incomplete and incompetent consulting services they offered, she told me absolutely not unless they are given the opportunity to send another PM out to assess the issues. My concern is that they have already caused so much irreversible damage that by sending someone else out they will continue to cause more issues and more than likely try to continue to charge for these. The good news is I will be joining a lawsuit against IPA if the issue is not handled. I have also received feedback from multiple media sources stating that they would like to run this story. I have told them that I am giving IPA one week to review my refund request and if they deny it then I will authorize them to run the story. Please give me some feedback if this is the correct way to go about this? Should I contact the media and air the stories regardless? Other businesses need to know about this in my opinion.
Robert
Puyallup,#6Author of original report
Sat, August 04, 2007
Shortly after posting the rip-off-report I was contacted by an IPA Representative. After requesting a refund due to the incomplete and incompetent consulting services they offered, she told me absolutely not unless they are given the opportunity to send another PM out to assess the issues. My concern is that they have already caused so much irreversible damage that by sending someone else out they will continue to cause more issues and more than likely try to continue to charge for these. The good news is I will be joining a lawsuit against IPA if the issue is not handled. I have also received feedback from multiple media sources stating that they would like to run this story. I have told them that I am giving IPA one week to review my refund request and if they deny it then I will authorize them to run the story. Please give me some feedback if this is the correct way to go about this? Should I contact the media and air the stories regardless? Other businesses need to know about this in my opinion.
Sandy
Somewhere,#7Consumer Suggestion
Sat, August 04, 2007
I will repeat what I have said before: Understand that IPA will run from any former client who shows strength. First, file a complaint with your state, county, and even city Attorney General regarding IPA. Second, file a complaint with your state, county, city Better Business Bureau. Third, contact you local newspaper to be interviewed for an article detailing the treatment, tactics, and lack of value received to warn other businesses in your area. While you may be hestitant to follow the above processes, be brave. It is NOT an embarrassment to have been duped by these crooks. That is what they are counting on - you will be too embarrassed to disclose that you were a sucker for their very smooth methods. I would be willing to bet that many others in your area have experienced the same loss in time and money. Share your story and other will come forward. It IS your civic duty!
Sandy
Somewhere,#8Consumer Suggestion
Sat, August 04, 2007
I will repeat what I have said before: Understand that IPA will run from any former client who shows strength. First, file a complaint with your state, county, and even city Attorney General regarding IPA. Second, file a complaint with your state, county, city Better Business Bureau. Third, contact you local newspaper to be interviewed for an article detailing the treatment, tactics, and lack of value received to warn other businesses in your area. While you may be hestitant to follow the above processes, be brave. It is NOT an embarrassment to have been duped by these crooks. That is what they are counting on - you will be too embarrassed to disclose that you were a sucker for their very smooth methods. I would be willing to bet that many others in your area have experienced the same loss in time and money. Share your story and other will come forward. It IS your civic duty!
Sandy
Somewhere,#9Consumer Suggestion
Sat, August 04, 2007
I will repeat what I have said before: Understand that IPA will run from any former client who shows strength. First, file a complaint with your state, county, and even city Attorney General regarding IPA. Second, file a complaint with your state, county, city Better Business Bureau. Third, contact you local newspaper to be interviewed for an article detailing the treatment, tactics, and lack of value received to warn other businesses in your area. While you may be hestitant to follow the above processes, be brave. It is NOT an embarrassment to have been duped by these crooks. That is what they are counting on - you will be too embarrassed to disclose that you were a sucker for their very smooth methods. I would be willing to bet that many others in your area have experienced the same loss in time and money. Share your story and other will come forward. It IS your civic duty!