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A personal note to me from Sandy:
“Brian, Thanks for responding with sincere interest in my opinion about Auction Profits/Thrive Learning. I can download the app you suggested but I don’t think I have a decent mic and quite frankly, I really don’t want to do a video myself. I would prefer if you introduce it. I have had a terrible experience so far and would like to warn others about this product as I am into it now for almost 10K and have not made a dime! I am a fairly intelligent person and once again, frankly, I feel as though I have been foolishly victimized by this company by professional fast talking business consultants. They are supposed to be affiliated directly with Google, which, I suppose made me feel confident that they were legitimate and would and could do all they promised. I will relate my experience below and feel free to contact me about anything that you feel needs to be edited, added or left out as extraneous unnecessary info. I have edited this several times and it is exactly 1000 words.
Thanks Again,
Sandy”
Sandy’s Review
“Auction Profits/Thrive Learning
I was contacted by a business consultant who told me that he had gotten my information from an inquiry on Craig’s list. I told him that I did not remember making any specific request but since I had been checking into online businesses for a while I was willing to listen. After several minutes consultation everything he said sounded very feasible and he guaranteed unequivocally that I would make money if I put in approximately 10 to 15 hours per week and was willing to learn the program.
I thought hard about it and feeling confident, decided to sign up. The price tag was a whopping $5855. I was immediately given access to their Thrive web site which included a very extensive E library which contained many videos and pdfs which I was to study in preparation for beginning. I was also given exclusive membership in the platinum package with 1lwdropship directory. Also a free consult with a tax/business company that could set up my business. After putting in that kind of money and not wanting to have to deal with the nuts and bolts of the business/tax setup details I signed on with them at the price of $3500. I was still confident, though petrified, at laying down that kind of money. The entrance fee from Thrive also included web hosting service and complete support and help in building my web site with their provided software.
After eight long weeks of working like a dog, keeping in constant contact with my “coaches” I have found that I have not been able to find a supplier/drop shipper to provide my product line niche without spending more money for their subscription services, etc. The support from my coaches has been consistent but absolutely no help in actually finding a true drop shipper and getting me started into making any money at all. Most require a fee to join, wholesale purchases that I must pay for up front and warehouse and ship, or bulk prices which requires the same. After several phone calls I am getting pep talks, promises, and lip service but no real help. Furthermore, I was to receive a “kit” of some kind at which time I was to have three days to change my mind if I felt the program was not for me. I received no “kit” and when informing them of this fact, I was still not able to get any kind of a refund or even an offer of a partial one. I also have received no call back from several of those contacts, including 1lwdropship who was supposedly there to help me find a drop shipper who could fill my needs. Thrive is already charging me for a monthly web hosting service when I am miles away from having any kind of web site. I had explained to them my problem at length, including the fact that could spend absolutely mo more money at this time. I was contacted by my original business consultant who assured me that if I kept in contact with my coaches to prove that I was still working diligently, that he could help me get some type of special help until I did start succeeding with their program but he did not specify. I have not received that either. My most recent contact from my coaches listed two web sites to check out, one of which is actually a retail online site, and the other does not do drop shipping at all and is not even close to providing the products needed. Just another quick answer that gives no help. This tells me that these coaches are not truly interested in helping me get going. They have my money now and I have decided that this is all they were truly interested in from the beginning. They are doing their job, but apparently have no real interest or obligation in getting me past this hump. In one e mail I specifically asked for them to fine me a site that was truly what I needed and their reply was that there were just too many out there for them to be able to give me that information! Advice was to do further research on my own.
The instructions for getting started on ebay (which is their main thrust in the beginning) were incomplete. I made one very small sale which when paid, sent the money thru Paypal but was not connected to my account properly and therefore I never received it. Even when I noticed a strange e mail for payment and asked my coach about it, he brushed that aside and did not instruct me how to properly connect my sales to my Paypal account therefore causing the misstep. I was instructed to list the item at 99 cents being assured that bidding would go higher. I was also instructed that if I listed it with free shipping it would generate more interest. The item sold for 99 cents, I paid for shipping, never even got the 99 cents anyway and lost on the shipping cost. I finally called Paypal and got that glitch straightened out myself so that would not happen again if I should make another sale. They fixed it, not the coaches from Thrive.
Now all I can hope is that I can find some other method that I can recoup my investment with something that really works and costs very little more investment. Or, hoping my tax people can recover some of my losses at the end of the year when I file my taxes!
So, in conclusion, no one should even think about using this service or buying their education system as it obviously is not as advertised and no matter what kind of guarantee they make it is worthless. I have found at this point that it has been a huge and costly mistake on my part can expect absolutely no recourse from them. I would like to sue them for fraudulent sales tactics, but what chance would I have in succeeding in that!
Brian, I made my mistake by not Googling this company in the beginning. Since then I have found nine complaints against them, pretty much exactly what I have described above. I have several questions about your top three recommendations and my only question is this: If I purchase any or all of these products, do I have to spend a lot more money beyond the initial investment to actually get started making my lost money back?
Thanks again,
Sandy”
Alaura Patterson
Posted on June 2nd, 2009 at 10:11 pmHi Sandy;
I too was scammed by this fraud company, but got all my money back through my credit card company. I filed a dispute with them, and explained how the frauds worked. My credit card company immediately charged back my funds of $1,736.00 CAD back into my credit card account, and never had to pay it back.
I think everyone should do what I did, so that you will never be in debt by these asshole fraud internet scammers. have you tried this already with your credit card company at all? Hope this helps?
Delilah Davis
Posted on February 1st, 2010 at 8:32 amHi Brian…
I too am a new blog reader of Tactic.
I too was taken for a long hard ride with Thrive learning e-commerce course. I got involved around 1st week of Nov. 2008. I lost about $2500 and about 5-6 months… of working tirelessly on my website which was called (bestskatedeals.com) It was very stressful and was taking too long to build and get my site to the marketing stage. Despite putting in 40 hours per week and all of the photo’s pages of content, and over a 50 pairs of skates uploaded and articles and more that was added. I became very frustrated and tired. I was paying for coaching sessions working hard and getting nowhere I was completely drained of my money my time and in debt with and I still am. I still am going thru bouts of hopelessnes, depression, anger, and bad feelings of how I wasted almost a whole year of my time I was told flat out I can not receive a refunded. I am not obviously not a satisfied customer. If Thrive is so great of a company why is it will not refund my money Of course, yes they can pay to cover their tracks and protect their reputation, still everyday someone new shows up stating they were ripped off. I have sat around depressed for too long doing nothing. Allowing them to take advantage of me in 2009. But today I want to take a stand. I reviewed many complaints on the internet about Thrive and see I am not alone. So for 2010 I am asking you you guys to please help me. And I am filing my reports with the BBB, FTC and who ever I need to get results. Also Thrive goes under these names; Thrive Learning Thrive Learning Institute is also The Summit Group, The Sellers Lounge, Concept Executions, Biz Review, Infusion Media, Auction Sizzle, Diverse Marketing, Internet Auction Solutions, Platinum Trading Solutions, Momentum Marketing, Biz Review… so Buyers Beware of their fast talking sales people. Follow your first mind if it don’t feel good in your gut… It’s probably not good for your wallet.