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  • Report:  #892964

Complaint Review: Swiss America Trading Corporation - Phoenix Internet

Reported By:
Protect yourself and your family - Scottsdale, Arizona, United States of America
Submitted:
Updated:

Swiss America Trading Corporation
15018 N. Tatum Phoenix, 85323 Internet, United States of America
Phone:
800-289-2646
Web:
www.swissamerikkka.com
Categories:
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good? What's this?

REVIEW UPDATE: June 6, 2018: Swiss America Trading Corporation remains committed to increased customer satisfaction and has improved their business practices over the years to better serve their customers. Swiss America Trading Corporation is truly dedicated to making sure their customers are satisfied and that any complaints which do arise are addressed promptly and fairly.

To date, Swiss America Trading Corporation has made good faith efforts to resolve all complaints reported on Ripoff Report. Based on our experience, the member business has proven to be among the top members of the Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program as a Verified Safe Business™.

Over time and since becoming a member, Swiss America Trading Corporation has remained actively engaged and improving the way they address customer service complaints. As an active and current member of the Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program we are happy to report that now more than ever Swiss America Trading Corporation remains committed to improving customer satisfaction.

Remember, no company or individual can ever satisfy 100% of the people 100% of the time. There are no products or services that will always be perfect for everyone and even the best companies will receive complaints from time to time. However, by participating in the Corporate Advocacy Program, the member business has made a commitment to working with its customers to resolve complaints quickly and fairly whenever possible.

Please keep in mind that as a consumer you have some responsibilities as well. Success has many definitions that based on your past experiences, current situation and your perceived expectations. Success with any product or service is always based on the proper application and understanding. The fastest car will not run if you never turn the engine on. Look at how you used the product or service that was provided in relation with the instructions that you received. The Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program will help you get your voice heard but please be prepared with documentation and fair representation of your concern, also have an idea of how the company can fix your concern. Can they offer additional services, extend warranties, offer a fair refund or just get you talking with someone that can help. ..let them know and let us know!

*Any consumer not receiving satisfaction from a member of the Corporate Advocacy Program should email us at [email protected].

Ripoff Report Verified™ REVIEW:

EDitor’s UPDATE: Positive rating and recognition has been given to Swiss America for its commitment to excellence in customer service.

Ripoff Report’s discussions with Swiss America have uncovered an ongoing commitment by the company to total client satisfaction. This means that clients can expect that the company will work towards finding a mutually satisfactory resolution to any complaints or concerns. Swiss America listens carefully to client concerns and sees them as an opportunity to learn from past mistakes and become more efficient as a company in the services offered and the support for those services.

Swiss America's CEO, Mr. Dean Heskin, has informed us that his personal philosophy is that his clients are a precious resource. As a successful businessman, Mr. Heskin feels it is critical to listen to his clients and respond properly. By always putting his customers first, Mr. Heskin hopes to maintain Swiss America as a successful enterprise both now and for many years to come.

Another top executive of the company told Ripoff Report that Mr. Heskin's personal business philosophy is based on the premise that "strives to add value in its services as they understand that a successful business model is based on value-added services, and client care”. Swiss America's mission statement says it all: "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." Some of the other things Ripoff Report learned in the course of its review is that typical customer feedback reads: “Swiss America (and Mr. Heskin) truly communicate all aspects of the job in a timely and effective manner. We are very pleased with the responsiveness that he and his employees show us. They are serious about meeting commitments, and deliver on all their promises.

The information provided in this report below is based on comments made by CEO Dean Heskin during an onsite inspection held by a third party verification company with no biases toward Swiss America Trading Corporation.

Ripoffreport Report Image
Ripoff Report Verified™ .. part of Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program.A program that benefits the consumer, assures them of complete satisfaction and confidence when doing business with a member business..

Swiss America Trading Corporation has no direct relationship with the US Mint, although they are not precluded from dealing with the mint. Most of their involvement with the mint is done through their suppliers.

When buying and reselling gold and other precious metals, their company practices a standard process. First, they utilize radio, television, internet, and print ads to advertise. After a potential customer contacts them, they look at the materials that they offer and determine if they want to become involved in the market. If a customer decides to work with their company, they are assigned to a representative. Over the phone they will secure the product with the trader and representative, verifying name, address, product price, date and time etc. During this process they also cover their company’s disclosure in terms of market risks and costs. Throughout this process, clients are allowed to maintain contact with their representative, by email or phone. They also have online access to see the value of their product whenever they want. Clients also have the choice of receiving e-newsletters or print newsletters to update them on new information.



"During the onsite interview CEO Dean Heskin was asked to describe their target market consumer and the overall mission for the company: “That’s the same as our previous 30 years. Our clientele tends to be conservative; we don’t push this as a “get rich quick” type of endeavor. Most of our customers are purchasing our products as a means of better diversifying their wealth. This means that a portion of their money may be in land, a portion in stocks and bonds, a portion in tangible wealth, such as gold or silver, and a portion in cash. Overall, our mission is to present people with the concept of being diversified in their holdings.”

In order to keep their end consumers educated, Swiss America Trading supplies them with plenty of information prior to them becoming involved in the market. Their chairman and founder of the company is co-author of five books pertaining to different aspects of the economy and financial markets. He is a frequently featured speaker on Fox News as well as a plethora of radio shows. They have been able to provide their clients with a vast amount of information through the things they have done with the establishment of the NCA (Numismatic Consumer Alliance) and their involvement with different industry affiliates.

The common complaints typically center on market performance

Mr. Heskin was asked to discuss the common complaints that their company receives and describe the standard practices they use to resolve these issues: “The common complaints typically center on market performance, meaning that a person’s investment in the market went up or down, and it might not have been as much as they would have liked it to. These are the vast majority of our complaints. The good thing is that we have a very thorough and specific process that anyone must go through before purchasing. It is disclosed that there are risks due to the fact that this is a market and it does fluctuate. Typically, the majority of those complaints are resolved, often by sending them an audio copy of their agreement in which they have acknowledged that there is a risk involved in entering this market.”



When asked what were some internal process and procedures that need improvement within their company, Mr. Heskin replied, “Thankfully, that’s a tough, actually odd question because it implies that there are problems. If we have recognized any problems then we have probably already fixed them or are well on our way to fixing them. In the last few years we have incorporated our verbal lock into our customer agreement that contains all of the various disclosures, as well as expands on much we are trying to make sure clients know what they are getting involved with before entering into the market. We work on an internal basis and take all the necessary security measures. We want to preemptively make sure that we are more proactive in seeing any problems or issues. We have weekly staff meetings where we review various processes, issues, policies, and procedures to make sure everybody is on the same page and if there are any little holes, we get them plugged up.”

Swiss America Trading Corporation is the largest, most comprehensive dealer of their kind. In order to maintain a competitive edge they give customers free online access to their portfolios, the continuously educate the consumer about market trends, and are actively involved in their community. They also implement a competitive buy back policy. They have always made keeping people informed and educated as the forefront for their business.

In addition, Mr. Heskin was asked to address specific complaints made on Ripoff Report about end consumers being overcharged and what was done to resolve this issue: “Well, first off in terms of being overcharged for a coin, the individual who made that complaint was not complaining about being overcharged, she was complaining about the coins that she did not make money on. In terms of how we settle such issues, we will offer them their money back or offer a reduced cost in what they will get back. In other words, we’ll eat half the cost.



From our vantage point, this is often difficult for us because we tell clients from the beginning what the risks are. We explain to them the prices and what the cost is to buy and sell, we also publish it online. We couldn’t be any clearer on these points. If necessary, we will perhaps give them their money back or give them a discount just in the interest of making things right. However, sometimes we deal with unreasonable people, it just happens.”

Swiss America Trading Corp is pleased to be a part of Ripoff Reports Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program. They are fully supportive of any entity that stands up and represents the consumer to make sure they are protected. They are in full support of ensuring people are not getting ripped off. They appreciate the advocacy aspect of this program because that is what they have tried to implement within their business for the last 30 years. If there is an issue or a problem, they want to ensure that it is addressed. If something is wrong, they want to make it right and they believe Ripoff Report gives them the platform to do that.

"I have seen Mr. Heskin take personal interest in the ongoing improvement of the overall experience for the customer. With his background in finance and years of experience in assisting thousands of families in their financial decision making, I know that he has only the betterment of the customer in mind. It always gives me great pleasure to go back to our customers & know that they have been provided the best quality service at the best quality price.” ~The Director of Administration

Swiss America takes employee satisfaction seriously as well. Employee feedback and surveys reveal comments such as this: "Swiss America provides a very positive environment to work. Opportunities for suggestions and improvements are encouraged. Mr. Heskin is truly concerned about our contribution to the company and providing growth opportunities for us. He takes the time to listen and communicate with employees and customers." Ripoff Report was pleased to learn that Swiss America's past and current approach to business is focused on its pledge to total commitment towards client and employee satisfaction.

Avoiding Investment Gold Scams Consumer Alert:

Get a basic education before buying!

With the increased public interest in owning precious metals for financial safety and profit potential also comes the increased risk of new consumer fraud and rip-off scams. Swiss America offers consumers suggested steps of action to avoid gold dealer problems and/or to help resolve outstanding gold dealer complaints.

7 Warning Signs Of Commodity "Come-Ons.

STATED IMPROVEMENTS FROM SWISS AMERICA

Swiss America recognizes that complaints posted on Ripoff Report (whether true or not) are issues that need to be addressed, not ignored. If handled correctly, complaints can be valuable learning opportunities. With the feedback generated by Ripoff Report’s review, Swiss America has made organizational changes allowing its clients and employees a more streamlined approach to problem resolution and a commitment to a great client experience.

In summary, after our investigation, which included discussions with Mr. Heskin and many of his past and current associates, Ripoff Report is convinced that Swiss America is committed to quality delivery of services resulting in total client satisfaction.

Read more about why consumers should feel confident when doing business with a member of Ripoff Report's Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program. Yes, it’s a long name for a program that does a lot for both consumers and businesses alike.

Read about Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program, a program that benefits the consumer, assures them of complete satisfaction and confidence when doing business with a member business. this program works.

As a matter of policy, when a business becomes a member of the Corporate Advocacy Program they agree to allow Ripoff Report to contact every client who filed a complaint so they can make things right with them. In order to confirm that the complaints were resolved, Ripoff Report is copied on all responses so we can insure that the member business did right by their customer.

NOW TO THE ORIGINAL REPORT THAT WAS FILED

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Swiss America Trading Corporation Craig Smith Dean Heskin and Company Employment Fraud and Commissions Theft Phoenix, Internet

Do not work for this racist company and do not let your friends or family members work for this company.

They literally steal commissions from their own sales force. The entire sales force is predicated on favoring those with seniority, which is fine and something most companies do, but this company actually allows and encourages senior brokers at their firm to steal from junior brokers, which is unethical and disgusting when you consider that they promote themselves as a Christian company.

They do this by 1) transferring leads out of your name into only a senior brokers name 2) closing leads that were in your name and claiming they were duplicate leads 3) changing the phone number on leads so you think you are getting a wrong number and then closing the lead behind your back 4) stalling the close of a lead if they think you might be quitting so they don't have to split a commission with you and worst of all 5) making you depend on them to close your leads and then starving you out (i.e. not closing your leads so you can't make any money) until you quit and then closing your leads so they get all the commission to yourself. These practices are not only tolerated at SwissAmerica, they are encouraged. And the senior brokers literally brag out loud about doing it. They literally ride you about working harder and harder and about all the benefits of hard work and then they steal those benefits from you. It's a disgusting place to work.

They don't pay any one an hourly rate to be there, they force you to work 10 hour days, they berate, and then to add insult to injury they steal what you do earn. Nobody wants to telemarket all day long only to have their commissions stolen from them, but that is exactly what is done at SwissAmerica. Don't let them do it to you. It's hard enough to make money at commission only jobs, it's nearly impossible when your firm is stealing from you. Don't waste a year or more of your life like I've seen dozens of men do. Your time is valuable. Your family is depending on you and all Craig Smith and Dean Heskin want you to do is telemarket for their closers FOR FREE.

I've always espoused the value of hard work, but If you value your time and your family as much as I do, don't let these thieves screw you over. Don't let them waste your time. Look for work elsewhere. I've never posted this sort of message before, but if posting this saves one person the trauma that Swiss Amerikkka put me and several of my associates through it will have been worth it.

(and if this is what they do to their employees just imagine what their doing to their clients)



3 Updates & Rebuttals

Jim

Delhi,
California,
I am a former employee of Swiss America

#2UPDATE EX-employee responds

Thu, May 09, 2013

My name is Jim Epps I worked at SwissAmerica off and on for 10 years I never had any complaints working their, Craig Smith and Dean Heskin are stand up guys, I would always be proud to work their again. We were all a bunch of guys, cocky sales people, the lame sales people got the crappy leads and the good sales people got the good leads, the whiners and non producers got the boot out the front door. Swiss America disclosed their commissions to their clients on TAPE, I hated it like any normal sales person would but it kept Swiss America out of trouble. That's all I have to say about Swiss America all the other stuff I don't know about because I was to busy making money not whining and crying all the time.


Gold Broker

Phoenix,
Arizona,
United States of America
Dean Heskin and Craig Smith are not Patriotic and they are not Christian. They are simply profiteers getting rich by ripping off their employees and their customers. Your reply is completely baseless.

#3UPDATE EX-employee responds

Sat, January 05, 2013

Dean Heskin and Craig Smith are not Patriotic and they are not Christian. They are simply profiteers getting rich by ripping off their employees and their customers. Your reply is completely baseless. It's easy to accuse someone of libel or false claims, it's another thing to prove it.

What I like most about your reply is that you didn't bother to dispute the assertion that both men are racists who I've witness both crack Jew and N*gger jokes at company meetings. In addition to notating files as Code 2 which is racist code for a black client (who therefore probably doesn't have any money to invest). Furthermore, when looking at your company photo, it's hard not to notice that not a single African American works at your company. Let me repeat that, not a single negro works on your sales floor Mr. Smith, what an atrocity.

Of course, your representative launched his retort with a personal attack which is one of the many reasons I've withheld my identity, for fear of retribution by Mr. Heskin, a meathead, whom I've witness challenge brokers to fist fights on the sales floor, and from Mr. Smith who put the fear of god into the last person to post a rip off report on him and his evil company. I have no desire to spend 20 grand on an attorney. I simply wish to protect other hard working Americans from the same year after year fate I, and several of my new and old co-workers, suffered. And I am not "hiding" behind anonymity as you put it in your response which I hope to God was not  a veiled threat, Mr. Anderson? I've already received a bizarre voicemail from someone at SA and so have two of my other former co-workers, if I receive any more I will be calling the police.

Many great political documents like the Federalist Papers were written anonymously and I see no reason why that should discredit what was published or who wrote what was published there or elsewhere and neither did the United States Supreme Court when they wrote, "Protections for anonymous speech are vital to democratic discourse. Allowing dissenters to shield their identities frees them to express critical minority views. . . Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority. . . . It thus exemplifies the purpose behind the Bill of Rights and of the First Amendment in particular: to protect unpopular individuals from retaliation . . . at the hand of an intolerant society."

That having been said, nothing I wrote was far from the truth. I've since checked with five other former brokers and introducing brokers as they are known as SA and they all agreed that everything I listed took place at Swiss America in one form or another. Essentially, they all agreed that Dean and Craig steal from their employees. They all agree those practices were not only condoned, but encouraged by both Smith and Heskin. When Mr. Anderson refers to the company dealing with things swiftly, he must be referring to the junior broker quickly getting the shaft while the "Closer", as they are known on the sales floor, swiftly takes all his money and threatens not to share any more leads with him if he says anything more about it.

When it comes to Heskin and Smith's claims that they are both patriots and Christian's, it's all a crock of s**t. If they are so patriotic why hasn't either EVER volunteered for military service. Neither one served in Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan, and they call themselves patriots? Obvously Heskin was too young for Nam and Smith too old for Iraq, but if they were so patriotic you'd think they would have done something other than fly flags so their customers would think they were patriots. And if they're such devout Christians why don't their employees have health care? I've never worked for a great "Christian" company who's employees faced death if they became sick or injured. And what's Christian about
stealing from your employees. Puh-lease, Mr. Smith.

Mr. Anderson, you state that "The beauty of my job... is that our successes or failures fall squarely on our own shoulders. Perhaps my perspective is rather elementary but I feel that there are two type of individuals out there. Those who take personal responsibility for where they stand in life and those that blame everyone else."

Well, I too take responsibility for my actions and that's why I left and I posted this on the world wide web because I wanted to take responsibility for exposing the actions of the liars and thieves that run SwissAmerica so that other hard working Americans don't fall prey to their actions.

I wish you the best of luck surviving your federal prison sentence when you and Mr. Smith and Mr. Heskin are finally arrested for investor fraud.

(this response/rebuttle was erroneously posted elsewhere on this site, i am cut and pasting it here not because I agree with it simply because it is obviously a reply to the previous post).


Dustin

Scottsdale,
Arizona,
United States of America
Setting the Record Straight

#4UPDATE Employee

Wed, June 06, 2012

My name is Dustin Anderson and I have had the pleasure to work for Swiss America Trading Corp for more than six years. I suppose I should start out by saying that I have neither been requested by Dean Heskin, Craig Smith, or anyone else at Swiss America to type this rebuttal. In fact as I type this they have no knowledge of my doing so.  Nor do I feel like I need to hide behind any anonymity or fake name. I feel that as a dedicated account executive working on the sales floor it is my duty to set the record straight regarding these libelous and false claims.

There are so many false hoods in this "report" that I question whether or not it was in fact written by a person with any experience actually working at our firm or just simply a competitor trying to damage our business and reputation. Either way it's important that anyone reading this know the truth. 

Swiss America does not condone, allow, nor encourage anyone "stealing" anything from another account executive. The author of this report uses the term "junior broker" which is not even a term I have   previously even heard used at our firm.  Nonetheless the author's grievances about senior account executives stealing from "junior brokers" are completely false. In fact I can attest that anytime anything remotely resembling these claims is dealt with in a fair and swift manner. It would seem that each of the five points made by this author almost border on paranoia as they are so far from the truth its almost laughable.

The beauty of my job or any other sales job is that our successes or failures fall squarely on our own shoulders. Perhaps my perspective is rather elementary but I feel that there are two type of individuals out there. Those who take personal responsibility for where they stand in life and those that blame everyone else. If indeed this report was written by someone who actually worked with me than I suppose more than anything I feel sorry for you.

There is not a better company to be working for right now, period. Not only for what we do for our clients but for who both Dean Heskin and Craig Smith are.  I can only imagine that if you had taken the any self responsibility for your failures instead of deluding yourself that all of these false grievances were taking place than perhaps you may have enjoyed more successes. Nonetheless I sincerely wish you all the best at whatever endeavor you choose to pursue.

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