Complaint Review: Realty Bargains Inc - New Hyde Park New York

I got a call from an "Unknown Number" (first red flag, right?) and a woman with a very heavy accent (Indian or Pakistani) who did not identify herself, started asking me questions about what areas I mostly worked, as a Realtor. She went on to describe a home buyer and seller lead-providing program her company, Realty Bargains, was offering for $90 whcih would cover 60 days. She mentioned a couple of times that there was no automatic billing and that a representative would be in touch to see how many closings I did and if I would want to continue the program.

She asked me for a zip code and told me they only assigned one real estate agent to each zip code, so the leads would be exclusive. I checked a couple of area codes in Miami Beach and saw they had an agent in Ft. Lauderdale assigned. I then checked on a zip code I had interest in and found there was the same agent "assigned", though the gal told me it was available. She looked it up herslef and told me she had 11 Buyer and Seller leads in that zip code for me. I asked her how long they have had those "leads" and she kept on telling me about monthly reports and other things that were not answering my question. I tried three times, asking her the same question s-l-o-w-l-y, in case that would help her understand, but she couldn't grasp what I was trying to find out. She finally put me on hold and got a manager, named "John" with the same thick accent, but a better grasp of the English language. He told me that when they get a lead they pre-qualify to see if the potential buyer has applied for financing, and their time frame for moving...to make sure they are giving us quality leads. He also said that they tell the interested party about the Realtor they are being referred to, and to expect a call from them in 2-3 days. I told John that if an agent didn't get back to the person in 2-3 hours (not days!) that they would already be contacting someone else! I had to repeat to him that in this business, you cannot get back to someone in 2-3 days, if you want any chance to connect with them and do business, but he just couldn't seem to grasp the concept of today's way of doing business.

While I was talking to him, I was online trying to find out about the company he was representing, as I had never heard of them before. When I asked both the first gal and John where they were calling from, they both said New Hyde Park, NY. I stated to John very specifically that a company could be located in N.Y., but I wanted to know exactly where he was calling from and asked if he was calling on behalf of the company from outside the country. He insisted he was calling from New York, and kept asking me if I wanted to go ahead with the program. While I was online, I saw a Ripoff Report about this company's UNAUTHORIZED BILLING and also a C+ rating on BBB. I thanked John for his time and hung up!

This sounds like a scam to me. Anyone can put up an intricate website anymore, but calling from an unknown number and trying to get you to give them a credit card number while promising not to automatically bill sends up a red flag for me. Be wary of companies promising "exclusive leads"...it just doesn't happen!