Misty
Ankeny,#2Consumer Comment
Thu, May 18, 2006
Today, I received an email from Mari Silva ([email protected]: Misty, I was forwarded the email that you sent to Don Danks and have read and discussed your response to me with the upper management team. We have therefore, decided to offer you a cancellation and refund on the basis that we cannot know for a fact that you were told verbally about your three-day right of rescission. Although we believe we did abide by all the laws and statues of your state, we want to make sure and find resolutions to every concern that any of our merchants may have. In your case, we feel you would be best served by us offering a cancellation and refund your purchase. I have attached a release form that will need to be signed, dated and returned to us within the time frame specified in order for us to complete this request for you. Please contact me directly if you have any questions or concerns. Mari Silva Customer Relations StoresOnline Inc. Phone:801-227-0004 Fax:(801) 812-8533 Fax:(888)416-7370 Toll Free It looks like I have to fill out a form & fax it back, as well as mail in my Stores Online package.....THEN I should receive a check in the mail. Let's hope they follow through. The only reason she finally agreed to the refund is because I've sent in several emails & I think I bugged Don Danks enough that they probably just wanted me to leave them alone. I had sent Mari an email stating that Iowa law requires both written & oral notice during the seminar of a 3-day cancellation policy & I included a link to the Iowa attorney general website where it stated this. On the phone she had told me that I was notified orally, but I was not. In my email, I told her that there was no way she could know if I were notified orally because she wasn't there. If you are trying to get a refund from Stores Online, you may also want to check into the laws of your state, regarding seminars.
Misty
Ankeny,#3Consumer Comment
Mon, May 15, 2006
Don Danks did finally return my email on 5/10/06. This is what he wrote me: Misty ? I'm sorry I didn't get back to you sooner; I was out of the office for most of the last week. I am sending your message on to Sean Guy, our head of customer service and he will work with you. I am sorry for your experience, but I am unaware of the specific challenges you've faced. Sean will be able to look up all that has happened with your account and work through this with you. I am copying Sean on this email and he or one of his top people will be directly in contact with you in the next day or so. If for some reason you don't get a contact from us, please email me back and I'll get more involved personally. Also, I'm not sure if you're aware that we are willing and fully capable of completely programming your site for you. StoresOnline is a hosted software program and it is fully operational, that is, if it didn't work for one person, it wouldn't work for anyone since all of our clients access the same software from our servers. Sean can go through this with you, but again, I'm sorry for your frustration. Take care and do write back if you don't get a response in the next day or so. Sincerely, Don Danks The email address for this Sean Guy is [email protected]. I did a reply-all on this email, letting them know that I had just filed a complaint with the Iowa Attorney General & would be happy to cancel that complaint if offered a full refund from Stores Online. I thanked him for getting back to me. I also quoted the attorney general website about Iowa law stating the 3-day cancellation policy must be stated both orally & in writing at the seminar. I mentioned that I was not orally notified of the 3-day policy which, according to the attorney general, allows the consumer to request a refund after the 3 days. I did not receive a response to my email. I told them "I am not interested in using or keeping the product. I am only interested in a full refund. This product is not a good fit for me." I emailed Don & Sean again today requesting a response. I was then contacted by phone, by a Mary Silva ([email protected]). She then gave me the same answers I received the 1st time I spoke to a customer service manager, which is that all of my problems can be resolved by them & my complaints do not warrant a refund. She has asked me to send her a list of things I wanted the website to be able to do for me (because I had complained about customizability & being misled), so she can go through one by one, & see if their website can do it. If not, she said THEN it might warrant a refund. I may try to do that this week. When I told her I had submitted a complaint with the attorney general, she stated that those complaints come through her & she will tell the attorney general that she has already offered to resolve my problems & that I was unwilling to accept that (because I just want a refund at this point). I plan to email Don Danks again today, referring to the previous rebuttal in here where his email stated he would try to help anyone with complaints or even buyer's remorse, & tell him about my conversation with Mary. What does it take to get a refund from these people? I've been going back & forth with them for 3 weeks now & getting nowhere!
Misty
Ankeny,#4Consumer Comment
Wed, May 10, 2006
After reading this report, I also tried to contact the CEO of ImergentInc, Don Danks. The phone # listed in this report has been disconnected. I noticed his email address ([email protected]) on this report also & have emailed him twice requesting a refund. I did not receive any delivery failure notices, so I'm assuming it's a valid email address. I have received no response. Has anyone found a valid phone # for this guy? I too have been unsuccessful with my refund request to Stores Online customer service.
Johanna
St. PAscal,#5Consumer Comment
Mon, April 24, 2006
Thanks for all the other posts. I hope everyone that has received invitations in the mail for this company's information session in the Ottawa area this week is doing their homework on the internet! This company sounds scary. It's amazing!
Lynne
West Falls,#6Consumer Comment
Sun, April 02, 2006
I too fell for stores online. I read this took the number to Don Banks 949-300-5233 and guess what? I is not a working #.
Noreen
Vancouver,#7Consumer Comment
Mon, February 27, 2006
Has Don Danks called anyone else yet? Or are we continuing to get the run around by Mr. Danks. I am still gathering information on his fraudulent and deceitful business practices. My credit card company is still standing behind their merchant agreement, but I'm working on it. Having a terrible time, but I am going to keep fighting. Thanks for your help and support. Keep the advice coming, I really appreciate it.
Jeannie
Monmouth Junction,#8Consumer Suggestion
Sat, February 18, 2006
After reading Nancy's ripoff report, I decided to call the CEO of Stores Online, Don Danks, to see if he would ever call me back to help me with my problem. I called him on 2/5/06 and left a voice message on his cell phone. On 2/6/06, to my surprise, Don Danks called and left a message to call him because I wasn't home to answer his call. That same night, we spoke. I told him that the products that I purchased from Stores Online wasn't right for me. I purchased 3 websites with the ECI and Link4trade for $3898.00. I told him that I tried to get a refund from the supervisor but they said no because it was passed the three days cancellation. Don told me that he will take care of it and promised me a full refund. He told me that he will contact his head of customer service to start the refund process. On 2/14/06, my credit card company told me that I received a refund back from Stores Online. Don Danks can help you too if you call him. He told me that out of the 4 years he's posted his cell number, only about 3 people ever did call him. He was very polite and understanding and he kept his word to give me a full refund.
Nancy
Penticton,#9Author of original report
Fri, February 03, 2006
Advocacy works! RIBO (Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario) withdraws their approval of StoresOnline Internet Marketing Workshops and advises them to immediately remove any reference of RIBO from Imergent's website. RIBO is to be congratulated on their exemplary behavior. They have restored my faith in business ethics and integrity. Now if only Imergent and StoresOnline could do the same. My prayers are out there.
Nancy
Penticton,#10Author of original report
Fri, February 03, 2006
In response to the Consumer Reply: Why, if Mr. Don Danks was sincere in his offer, why hasn't he contacted me? The ball is in his court. He says he contacts everyone? He has not contacted me, myself or I. Could it be becuase he has bigger fish to fry? Check out the Salt Lake Tribune article updated 1/31/2006 re: Orem's Imergent misses another filing deadline by Bob Milne. Here is the link: www.sltrib.com/portlet/article/html/ fragments/print_article.jsp?article=3463017 or do a Google search of Imergent Inc. and one of the first listing is this news report. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) are investigating account statements of income for 2003, 2004, 2005 and the first 2 quarters of its current 2006 fiscal year. Imergent Inc. acknowledges it is having "revenue recogniton-related problems." The news release states: "Imergent, which sells its Web site software and services through seminars, also is the target of numerous proposed class-action lawsuits filed in Salt Lake City's U.S. District Court. The complaints include allegations of securities fraud and violation of accounting practices that plaintiffs contend led to materially inaccurate financial results over the past four fiscal years." Further the report atates that "Imergent ran afoul of Australian consumer protection officials, and last November agreed - without admitting any guilt - to a settlement of a $460,000.00 settlement of a Texas state fraud complaint. Finally, the report states, "Investors, who have watched their Imergent stock bounce from a high of $26.50 per share in the past year, saw a close at $5.45 on Tueday, down 6 cents." I place a call to my broker today seeking reassurance that I did not own any stock via a mutual fund with Imergent Inc. Otherwise, I'm busy bringing all of my information into a semblance of understandable order. I am filing with the Competiton Bureau in Canada who are very interested in this company and its conduct in our country. As well I am asking Goldhawk, www.goldhawk.com; for his valuable input. He solves problems, chases bad guys and fights for change. He is a Canadian icon. Back to Mr. Don Danks: if sincerity and integrity is the name of the game, why has he not contacted me with his olive branch? I am still waiting for requested information from customer support at StoresOnline...further proof they cannot deliver on service and support. I see by the tracking number, that my return package to to StoresOnline was received but refused and is on its way back to me. Perhaps it will useful as evidence in a court of law. On another note of update, I received my letter of dispute from my Credit Card company and sent 80+ pages of documentation to them yesterday, the very day I recieved the dispute letter. By the way, your rebuttal led me to take another look at Imergent Inc. Corporate web page. In the newsroom there, I was shocked and horrified to find that the RIBO (Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario) have affiliated themselves with StoresOnline Internet Marketing Workshops. RIBO members can earn 7 Continuing Education Units by attending SOL workshop! I am very dismayed at this, coming from an insurance background myself and now having been briefly involved with SOL. A BIG mistake on behalf of RIBO as they regulate the licensing, professional competence, ethical conduct and insurance related financial obligations of all independent general insurance brokers in the province. How could they possibly align themselves with this company? What were they thinking? On another note of interest, I found this report on an Alexa search for Imergent Inc. Site: http://members.aol.com/mhenzel182/iig.htm Therein it states: "A class action lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Utah on behalf of purchsers of Imergent, Inc. (AMEX: IIG) pubicly traded securities during the period between November 30, 2004 and Febgrurary 25, 2005 (the class period)." Further: "the complaint alleges that through out the Class Period, Imergent represented to the invesment community that it was a successful software company while concealing that its sales practices violated the laws of many of the states it operates in and the full extent of the uncollectibility of its installment contracts with its client, many of which did not meet the Company's own credit ciriteria. On February 22, 2005 it was disclosed that the Texas Attorney General had filed suit against Imergent, the Company's Chairman, Donald L. Danks (Danks), and the Company's President, Brandon B. Lewis, alleging the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, StoresOnline.com, was selling defective storefront software and service packages and extorting thousands of dollars in additional "executive mentoring" fees from its customers when they could not use the software packages. In addition, Danks admitted at an investment conference held on February 25, 2005, that Imergent had been selling the software packages in installment contracts to customers with subprime credit. Many of these customers had little or no success with the Company's software and simply walked away from their contractual obligations when new online "businesses" failed. Danks admitted that in the aggregate, only approximately 56% of the purchase price was eventually collected from these subprime customers through installment contracts." Further: "According to the complaint, as a result of defendants' false statements, Imergent's stock traded at inflated levels during the Class period, increasing to above $25 per share on February 9, 2005, at which time the Company's top officers and directors sold or otherwise disposed of more than $6.5 million worth of their own shares. As the market digested this news, the Company's stock price plummeted from its class period high of over $25 per share on February 9, 2005 to below $12 per share on March 1, 2005, when trading was halted. As the saying goes: What you sow, you reap. I only hope that all of us "customers" see our day in court when we are reimbursed for our losses. Perhaps we will be entitled to pain and suffering as well.
Mr.
Menasha,#11Consumer Suggestion
Wed, February 01, 2006
Since the company I work for builds website UsellCorp.com and connects people to dropshippers, we get calls from people who have joined StoresOnline. Once these people realize what they can get from us, they feel like they have been ripped off. I then tell them to go here and file a complaint along with hundreds whom have already done so. We ran some ads in Goggle and other SE's letting people know of their reputation, so one day I got a call from a man representing himself as Dan Danks ( See Email Below) Mr. Danks told me that he wants to help all those people who think they were ripped off and wanted me to remove the ads. I agreed to remove the ads as long as they change their business practices and send me an email with his information so those people can contact him. Below is that email I was sent from Mr. Danks. We are still getting many calls from clients of StoresOnline, so at least now you have Mr. Danks contact information. I called his cell phone below yesterday January 31, 2006 and it is still in service. Hopefully he wi8ll keep his word, if not then Post it here - Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 09:47:31 -0700 Download StoresOnLine.msg From: "Don Danks" Import addresses [email protected] Block email [email protected] Block SMTP Relay ylpvm01.prodigy.net To: Subject: StoresOnLine All headers All attachments Just a brief email to follow up our conversation - - Imergent, Inc. (AMEX TRADING SYMBOL: IIG) iMergent provides eCommerce solutions to entrepreneurs and small businesses enabling them to market and sell their business product or idea via the Internet. We are headquartered in Orem, Utah the company sells its proprietary StoresOnline(TM) software and training services, helping users build a successful Internet strategy to market products, accept online orders, analyze marketing performance, and manage pricing and customers. In connection with our software, we also offer site development, web hosting, marketing and mentoring products. We typically reach our target audience through a concentrated direct marketing effort to fill Preview Sessions, in which a StoresOnline expert reviews the product opportunities and costs. We will hold about 2700 of these two hours Previews this year and these sessions lead to a follow-up full day Workshop Conference, where product and technology experts train potential users on the software and encourage them to make purchases. We will conduct about 750 to 800 of these in the U.S. and internationally. From time to time we have customer complaints and we want to solve 100% of these. To that end, I would like to have anyone who contacts you complaining that they felt like they have been misled or even just have buyer's remorse, to call me personally at 949-300-5233. That is my cell phone and I take all my own calls. I would like you to take down the link from Google - http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=storesonline&btnG=Google+Search that leads to http://www.usellcorp.com/ripoff.htm . I have been personally contacting anyone who posts on Rip-Off report and to date ONLY one person has contacted me back and I resolved their issue is two minutes. This forum and other internet sites are used PRIMARILY by what I believe to be short sellers in our stock trying to create havoc and uncertainty to get people to sell the shares in our company that will create a nice profit for the short seller. We have been battling these folks for a long time. They contact newspapers, TV stations, etc. and lead them to the few Attorney General inquiries and all the Internet complaint sites and have gotten several to print negative stories. The newspapers and TV reporters, who contact us, get the full picture and do not run their stories. The lazy ones think they have a great consumer rip off story and run with it We run our business ethically and with full disclosure. From time to time we have had Attorney General Inquiries and a few who have thought we sell business opportunities. In every case, we educate them and get resolution. I've attached a PowerPoint on the company including a profile of our technology and you can visit some merchant sites at www.imergentinc.com. In addition to getting you to remove the link, there may be a business relationship. Please have your President/CEO contact me at 949-300-5233. Sincerely, Don Danks CEO Imergent, Inc. --------- end ------------ UsellCorp.com