- Report: #935022
Complaint Review: Ken Sonnenberg - Orem Utah
Reported By:
Vonda -
Collinston, Utah, United States of America
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
Ken Sonnenberg
1411 W. 1250 S Ste 101 Orem, 84058 Utah, United States of America
Phone:
866-850-4871
Web:
thecoachingdepartment.com
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
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Ken Sonnenberg Coaching Department Lied about the quality of service provided though a sales pitch over the phone Orem, Utah
In June of 2012 , I came home tired from another long day of work at the factory. I thought there has got to be a better way to make money and help build a retirement fund. I then made a terrible mistake. I got on the internet and came across an ad for Home Profit Masters. It was advertising getting a home business going by building a website and by paying the $100.00 I would have instruction on how to get this accomplished. When I logged into the Home Profit Masters site, it said to call a phone number to get started.
I talked to a person named Jason F who told me that with the program they offered I could realize my dreams of !. Becoming debt free, 2,Building up my Retirement, 3. Financial Independence. He said this program is not for everyone, it is only for those serious about making it work. He then said to set some goals of where I would like to be in 3 mon, 6 mon and 1 year and he would have another man named Jason P call back later that night..Before I got off the phone though I asked If the company had a good rating with the BBB . He said he would send me some links to look at. There were some testimonials of people who said they were so thankful for the help they had received and had a thriving internet business, also a B + rating on The coaching Department with some internet business rating.
Jason P. called, and to summarize the whole conversation , he managed to pull the wool over my eyes with his talk of how I was one of just a few selected to be part of this fabulous one on one coaching program to get me on the fast track to making money on the internet. He said it wasn't a get rich quick program but it wasn't uncommon to make 5000.00 a month in the first few months. I was shocked when Jason told me the price for the coaching program,$ 8,695.00, and then my husband asked if we could think about it for a while and get back with him. He said in his experience that people rarely called back and that there were so few people admitted into this wonderful one on one coaching Program that we needed to make the decision right then. I should have listened to my husband and said, No but I was gullible and believed what this convincing salesman said. I have come to believe now that all he cared about in the conversation was two things. 1. Did I have a credit card that had a high enough credit limit to charge their fee and 2. Was I computer and eCommerce illiterate , therefore not up to date on the free or low cost help that is available for this type of business adventure.
The Coaching Department has been a nightmare and they have not followed through with any of the promises that I was sold. Yes, I have had coaching sessions and they are useless. I did try to cancel my contract and get a refund. They will not even give a partial refund. The Client relations Department made me wait for days to talk with them. Both times they would not respond to my complaints about their lack of help with finding suppliers and all they would do is give me a different coach. All I have learned is how to sell on 'E-bay and the E-bay site teaches that better. There are no live Webnars that are suppose to be important to the program, and Ken Sonnenberg the President of the Company will not come to the phone to speak or answer e-mails. I have been bombbarded with calls of people wanting me to buy LLCs and others Services all saying they are connected to the CoachingDepartment. It makes me furious , I was supposed to have paid for everything I needed already. The receptionist are very nice and polite that answer the phone when I call. I feel bad that they work for such a crooked business.
I have been sick about this decision I made to trust the words of a salesman and I will be forever leery of believing a salesman again. I have asked my credit card company to dispute the charges and am hoping to get somewhere with that. Meanwhile I am watching my credit card account daily to make sure no further charges appear. Even though I have told the credit card bank to refuse charges from the initial company I know they have more than one business name and I have already had them try to charge me for the hosting service even though I have no web site. I hope someone reads this before they have to go though what I am going through.
I talked to a person named Jason F who told me that with the program they offered I could realize my dreams of !. Becoming debt free, 2,Building up my Retirement, 3. Financial Independence. He said this program is not for everyone, it is only for those serious about making it work. He then said to set some goals of where I would like to be in 3 mon, 6 mon and 1 year and he would have another man named Jason P call back later that night..Before I got off the phone though I asked If the company had a good rating with the BBB . He said he would send me some links to look at. There were some testimonials of people who said they were so thankful for the help they had received and had a thriving internet business, also a B + rating on The coaching Department with some internet business rating.
Jason P. called, and to summarize the whole conversation , he managed to pull the wool over my eyes with his talk of how I was one of just a few selected to be part of this fabulous one on one coaching program to get me on the fast track to making money on the internet. He said it wasn't a get rich quick program but it wasn't uncommon to make 5000.00 a month in the first few months. I was shocked when Jason told me the price for the coaching program,$ 8,695.00, and then my husband asked if we could think about it for a while and get back with him. He said in his experience that people rarely called back and that there were so few people admitted into this wonderful one on one coaching Program that we needed to make the decision right then. I should have listened to my husband and said, No but I was gullible and believed what this convincing salesman said. I have come to believe now that all he cared about in the conversation was two things. 1. Did I have a credit card that had a high enough credit limit to charge their fee and 2. Was I computer and eCommerce illiterate , therefore not up to date on the free or low cost help that is available for this type of business adventure.
The Coaching Department has been a nightmare and they have not followed through with any of the promises that I was sold. Yes, I have had coaching sessions and they are useless. I did try to cancel my contract and get a refund. They will not even give a partial refund. The Client relations Department made me wait for days to talk with them. Both times they would not respond to my complaints about their lack of help with finding suppliers and all they would do is give me a different coach. All I have learned is how to sell on 'E-bay and the E-bay site teaches that better. There are no live Webnars that are suppose to be important to the program, and Ken Sonnenberg the President of the Company will not come to the phone to speak or answer e-mails. I have been bombbarded with calls of people wanting me to buy LLCs and others Services all saying they are connected to the CoachingDepartment. It makes me furious , I was supposed to have paid for everything I needed already. The receptionist are very nice and polite that answer the phone when I call. I feel bad that they work for such a crooked business.
I have been sick about this decision I made to trust the words of a salesman and I will be forever leery of believing a salesman again. I have asked my credit card company to dispute the charges and am hoping to get somewhere with that. Meanwhile I am watching my credit card account daily to make sure no further charges appear. Even though I have told the credit card bank to refuse charges from the initial company I know they have more than one business name and I have already had them try to charge me for the hosting service even though I have no web site. I hope someone reads this before they have to go though what I am going through.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
vondab
Collinston,Utah,
United States of America
Good News My credit card company Chase won my dispute with the coaching department.
#2Author of original report
Tue, January 08, 2013
What a great Christmas Gift. Chase go all my money back and did not charge me any interest while they investigated for three months Chase called me with the good news on Dec 24. I had provided them with all my correspondence through emails and proof that The coaching department cared not at all about living up to their end of the bargain and did not even bother to answer most of my emails. I am sure that all the investigations going on against them helped me to win the dispute. So, thanks to all who have put the pressure on. Just to show how much the coaching department is not in tune with whats going on with their clients I am still getting the automatically generated email asking if I am ready to continue my coaching even after I won the dispute and Chase said the already collected the money from the coaching Department.
tyler
Kentucky,USA
Ken Sonnenberg's new indictment
#3UPDATE EX-employee responds
Fri, December 28, 2012
http://www.ilnd.uscourts.gov/Recently%20File%20cases/12cv9663.pdf
http://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Media/News-Releases/November/Attorney-General-DeWine-Announces-Action-Against-U
Ken is a scam artist. The state of Utah, Ken olsen and Francine Gianni all protect him. however the FTC and other NORMAL states decided other wise and fined Ken over 250k
another victim
everytown,Nationwide,
USA
UTAH BASED SCAMMERS
#4Consumer Comment
Fri, August 31, 2012
Although it's little consolation, there have been hundreds of victims like yourself. Many are too embarrassed to even admit that they've been scammed. But only by taking action and REPORTING these types of crimes to the FEDS can they be stopped. Of course scammers like The Coaching Department (AND their many AFFILIATED businesses) don't want you to report them. They will try to smooth talk you, bully you, bluff you, threaten to ruin your credit (maybe even going so far as to turn you over to a "collection agency", and argue that "the contract you signed -electronically- states that you CANNOT report them." However, a contract which is based on a fraudulent activity is not valid. (Although unfortunately, many credit card companies will still accept the SIGNED contract as being legit, UNLESS you can prove otherwise.) That is where the FEDS come in.
THE COACHING DEPARTMENT has had an F RATING from the Better Business Bureau for quite some time. Way before the beginning of June!!
www.bbb.org/utah/business-reviews/coaching-business/coaching-department-in-orem-ut-22310947
Here is a sample of what JustAnswer has replied when asked "Is The Coaching Department in Orem, Utah a scam?"
...We have been asked about the Coaching Department on more than one occasion, usually by people who have lost a lot of money with them and who want to know if they can get out of their contract. They report that the initial set up is expensive but it won't work, they say, without upgrades.
...Frankly, the whole work at home industry is overrun with scammers. Even if they are actual businesses, like the Coaching Department is, they still use deceptive and fraudulent marketing techniques to puff their programs. In reality, they produce little more than pin money. Most people make nothing and lose money investing in these enterprises...
for more JustAnswer responses do a search for "The Coaching Department Scam"
It's especially interesting that you are IN Utah. The scammers try to avoid victims from their own home states, for obvious reasons. So in your case, you would be very wise to CONTACT your local news station, most stations nowadays have a special Victim's Advocate segment - like Problem Solvers, Crime Stoppers, etc. AND most of these con artists will definitely NOT want ANY KIND OF PUBLICITY - as they continue to thrive by flying under the radar. (That and unfortunately most have an "in" with the powers-that-be in the State of Utah - as long as the tax money flowing into their coffers is coming from "OUT-OF-STATE"!) You might actually be able to expose these con artists and their deceptive practices to the light of day!! THEY are giving Utah a very black eye.
Finally, you can try filing with both the Utah Attorney General and the Department of Consumer Affairs. BUT foremost make sure you file a report with the FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION because the FEDS are about the ONLY ones currently taking any action against these types of scams. BUT they will only go after a SCAMMER if they have enough complaints and evidence of fraudulent practices. (Note that one of the businesses which is being currently pursued by the FTC happens to belong to Stephen Sonnenberg - the BROTHER of the owner of the The Coaching Department, Ken Sonnenberg!! Sadly doesn't say much for the family does it?)
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2011/03/emptypromises.shtm
If you return with a "wonderful report" that everything was resolved, we will know that the SCAMMERS made you sign a clause that you have to pretend they are just the finest salt of the earth - in order to obtain a refund (which is one of many complaints which was lodged against Ken Sonnenberg's brother's business, WholesaleMatch.com). However, as long as the good people of Utah are not aware of what is going on in their state, these types of con artists will continue to bleed victims all around the world!!! The damage they are doing to the lives of their victims is irreparable. They are literally ruining people's lives, and their families, too.
Remember that for every victim who comes forward, it is estimated that dozens remain silent. Give voice to those who are too embarrassed or ashamed to speak for themselves. TELL the State of Utah what is happening. You have an opportunity that the vast majority of other victims do not. Please contact your local news.
