Welcome to Seminarwatch.com - The Seminar Industry Watchdog Blog
This is a blog that has been created to monitor the Nationwide Seminar Business and the events and fraud associated with their existence. This blog is owned and controlled by the Western Capital Foundation, Robert Paisola and Western Capital and is a Media and Legal project of Western Capital Publications. Now covering the Trump University National Lawsuit.
Robert Paisola is driven by a passion for people--motivating them to reach for the highest standards of success. As founder and president of multiple Corporations, Robert trains sales and marketing professionals who want to strive to get to the top...and stay there. His innovative, no-nonsense approach is based on applying what he has observed in his fifteen-plus years in sales, motivational speaking and training, thus revealing the common business habits of the top 20% of sales performers in all organizations. Robert's approach works...that's why New York-based Success Magazine has rated Robert Paisola as one of the top-five most effective sales-training professional in the market today. Routinely Distinguished by The National Speakers Forum, Robert is also a regular contributor to Business Week Magazine, CNN, CNNFN, XM Satellite Radio, The Wall Street Journal, Telemundo International, National Public Radio and many other organizations.
UPDATE: 3-2016 TO THE NATIONAL MEDIA: YOU KEEP CALLING OUR USA OFFICES ABOUT OUR INVOLVEMENT WITH TRUMP UNIVERSITY. WE WERE THE NATIONAL BACKBONE FOR THE ORGANIZATION. WE WERE BASED IN PROVO, UTAH . WE DID THE COACHING AND MENTORING AND WORKED WITH BILL ZANKER AT THE LEARNING ANNEX. WE PAID TRUMP 1 MILLION DOLLARS "Per Appearance" . And, YES, THERE WERE LAWSUITS FILED... HERE IS OUR ORIGINAL STATEMENT from 2014 Robert Paisola, CEO
2016 UPDATE- WE HAVE ALL THE TRUMP UNIVERSITY LAWSUIT DOCUMENTS HERE!!!
DONALD TRUMP AND TRUMP UNIVERSITY SUED NATIONWIDE, ROBERT PAISOLA REPORTS
MORE LAWSUITS OUT OF UTAH! DONALD TRUMP SUED. ALL FULFILLMENT WAS DONE OUT OF THE SALT LAKE CITY AND PROVO UTAH AREAS. I WAS THERE. IF YOU HAVE A COPY OF THE LAWSUIT PLEASE EMAIL TO ROBERT@ROBERTPAISOLA.COM WHO IS BILL ZANKER WITH THE LEARNING ANNEX LETS LOOK AT JOHN SWALLOW? (Do your research America)
Michael Cohen told the Associated Press on Saturday that Schneiderman's lawsuit was filled with falsehoods. Cohen said Trump and his university never defrauded anyone. LOL
The New York State attorney general’s office filed a civil lawsuit on Saturday accusing Trump University, Donald J. Trump’s for-profit investment school, of engaging in illegal business practices.
The lawsuit, which seeks restitution of at least $40 million, accused Mr. Trump, the Trump Organization and others involved with the school of running it as an unlicensed educational institution from 2005 to 2011 and making false claims about its classes in what was described as “an elaborate bait-and-switch.”
In a statement, Eric T. Schneiderman, the attorney general, said Mr. Trump appeared in advertisements for the school making “false promises” to persuade more than 5,000 people around the country — including 600 New Yorkers — “to spend tens of thousands of dollars they couldn’t afford for lessons they never got.”
The advertisements claimed, for instance, that Mr. Trump had handpicked instructors to teach students “a systematic method for investing in real estate.” But according to the lawsuit, Mr. Trump had not chosen even a single instructor at the school and had not created the curriculums for any of its courses.
“No one, no matter how rich or famous they are, has a right to scam hardworking New Yorkers,” Mr. Schneiderman said in the statement. “Anyone who does should expect to be held accountable.”
The inquiry into Trump University came to light in May 2011 after dozens of people had complained to the authorities in New York, Texas, Florida and Illinois about the institution, which attracted prospective students with the promise of a free 90-minute seminar about real estate investing that, according to the lawsuit, “served as a sales pitch for a three-day seminar costing $1,495.” This three-day seminar was itself “an upsell,” the lawsuit said, for increasingly costly “Trump Elite” packages that included so-called personal mentorship programs at $35,000 a course.
On Saturday evening, Michael Cohen, a lawyer for Mr. Trump, denied the accusations in the lawsuit and said the school had received 11,000 evaluations, 98 percent of which rated students as “extremely satisfied.”
George Sorial, another lawyer for Mr. Trump, called the lawsuit politically motivated. He said that Mr. Schneiderman had asked Mr. Trump and his family for campaign contributions and grew angry when denied.
“This is tantamount to extortion,” Mr. Sorial said.
Andrew Friedman, a spokesman for the attorney general’s office, said that although Mr. Schneiderman had accepted a contribution from Mr. Trump in the past, “the fact that he’s still brave enough to follow the investigation wherever it may lead speaks to Mr. Schneiderman’s character.”
NY AG Sues Trump, 'Trump University,' Claims Fraud
New York's attorney general sued Donald Trump for $40 million Saturday, saying the real estate mogul helped run a phony "Trump University" that promised to make students rich but instead steered them into expensive and mostly useless seminars, and even failed to deliver promised apprenticeships.
Trump shot back that the Democrat's lawsuit is false and politically motivated.
Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says many of the 5,000 students who paid up to $35,000 thought they would at least meet Trump but instead all they got was their picture taken in front of a life-size picture of "The Apprentice" TV star.
"Trump University engaged in deception at every stage of consumers' advancement through costly programs and caused real financial harm," Schneiderman said. "Trump University, with Donald Trump's knowledge and participation, relied on Trump's name recognition and celebrity status to take advantage of consumers who believed in the Trump brand."
But Trump's attorney accused Schneiderman of trying to extort campaign contributions from the real estate mogul through his investigation of Trump. Attorney Michael D. Cohen told The Associated Press on Saturday that Schneiderman's lawsuit was filled with falsehoods. Cohen said Trump and his university never defrauded anyone.
He said Trump University provided nearly 11,000 testimonials to Schneiderman from students praising the program and said 98 percent of students in a survey termed the program "excellent."
"The attorney general has been angry because he felt that Mr. Trump and his various companies should have done much more for him in terms of fundraising," Cohen said. "This entire investigation is politically motivated and it is a tremendous waste of taxpayers' money."
State Board of Elections records show Trump has spent more than $136,000 on New York campaigns since 2010. He contributed $12,500 to Schneiderman in October 2010, when Schneiderman was running for attorney general, records show. An outspoken conservative, Trump himself flirted with a presidential run last year.
"Donald Trump will not sit back and be extorted by anyone, including the attorney general," Cohen said.
The lawsuit says many of the wannabe moguls were unable to land even one real estate deal and were left far worse off than before the lessons, facing thousands of dollars in debt for the seminar program once billed as a top quality university with Trump's "hand-picked" instructors.
Schneiderman is suing the program, Trump as the university chairman, and the former president of the university in a case to be handled in state Supreme Court in Manhattan. He accuses them of engaging in persistent fraud, illegal and deceptive conduct and violating federal consumer protection law. The $40 million he seeks is mostly to pay restitution to consumers.
He dismissed Trump's claim of a political motive.
"The fact that he's still brave enough to follow the investigation wherever it may lead speaks to Mr. Schneiderman's character," Schneiderman spokesman Andrew Friedman told AP.
State Education Department officials had told Trump to change the name of his enterprise years ago, saying it lacked a license and didn't meet the legal definitions of a university. In 2011 it was renamed the Trump Entrepreneur Institute, but it has been dogged since by complaints from consumers and a few isolated civil lawsuits claiming it didn't fulfill its advertised claims.
Schneiderman's lawsuit covers complaints dating to 2005 through 2011. Students paid between $1,495 and $35,000 to learn from the Manhattan mogul who wrote the best seller, "Art of the Deal" a decade ago followed by "How to Get Rich" and "Think Like a Billionaire."
Scheiderman said the three-day seminars didn't, as promised, teach consumers everything they needed to know about real estate. The Trump University manual tells instructors not to let consumers "think three days will be enough to make them successful," Schneiderman said.
At the seminars, consumers were told about "Trump Elite" mentorships that cost $10,000 to $35,000. Students were promised individual instruction until they made their first deal. Schneiderman said participants were urged to extend the limit on their credit cards for real estate deals, but then used the credit to pay for the Trump Elite programs. The attorney general said the program also failed to promptly cancel memberships as promised.
Donald Trump sued by attorney general for $40M over 'Trump University'
New York's attorney general sued Donald Trump for $40 million Saturday, saying the real estate mogul helped run a phony "Trump University" that promised to make students rich but instead steered them into expensive and mostly useless seminars, and even failed to deliver promised apprenticeships.
Trump shot back that the Democrat's lawsuit is false and politically motivated.
Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says many of the 5,000 students who paid up to $35,000 thought they would at least meet Trump but instead all they got was their picture taken in front of a life-size picture of "The Apprentice" TV star.
"Trump University engaged in deception at every stage of consumers' advancement through costly programs and caused real financial harm," Schneiderman said. "Trump University, with Donald Trump's knowledge and participation, relied on Trump's name recognition and celebrity status to take advantage of consumers who believed in the Trump brand."
But Trump's attorney accused Schneiderman of trying to extort campaign contributions from the real estate mogul through his investigation of Trump. Attorney Michael D. Cohen told The Associated Press on Saturday that Schneiderman's lawsuit was filled with falsehoods. Cohen said Trump and his university never defrauded anyone.
He said Trump University provided nearly 11,000 testimonials to Schneiderman from students praising the program and said 98 percent of students in a survey termed the program "excellent."
"The attorney general has been angry because he felt that Mr. Trump and his various companies should have done much more for him in terms of fundraising," Cohen said. "This entire investigation is politically motivated and it is a tremendous waste of taxpayers' money."
State Board of Elections records show Trump has spent more than $136,000 on New York campaigns since 2010. He contributed $12,500 to Schneiderman in October 2010, when Schneiderman was running for attorney general, records show. An outspoken conservative, Trump himself flirted with a presidential run last year.
"Donald Trump will not sit back and be extorted by anyone, including the attorney general," Cohen said.
The lawsuit says many of the wannabe moguls were unable to land even one real estate deal and were left far worse off than before the lessons, facing thousands of dollars in debt for the seminar program once billed as a top quality university with Trump's "hand-picked" instructors.
Schneiderman is suing the program, Trump as the university chairman, and the former president of the university in a case to be handled in state Supreme Court in Manhattan. He accuses them of engaging in persistent fraud, illegal and deceptive conduct and violating federal consumer protection law. The $40 million he seeks is mostly to pay restitution to consumers.
He dismissed Trump's claim of a political motive.
"The fact that he's still brave enough to follow the investigation wherever it may lead speaks to Mr. Schneiderman's character," Schneiderman spokesman Andrew Friedman told AP.
State Education Department officials had told Trump to change the name of his enterprise years ago, saying it lacked a license and didn't meet the legal definitions of a university. In 2011 it was renamed the Trump Entrepreneur Institute, but it has been dogged since by complaints from consumers and a few isolated civil lawsuits claiming it didn't fulfill its advertised claims.
Schneiderman's lawsuit covers complaints dating to 2005 through 2011. Students paid between $1,495 and $35,000 to learn from the Manhattan mogul who wrote the best seller, "Art of the Deal" a decade ago followed by "How to Get Rich" and "Think Like a Billionaire."
Scheiderman said the three-day seminars didn't, as promised, teach consumers everything they needed to know about real estate. The Trump University manual tells instructors not to let consumers "think three days will be enough to make them successful," Schneiderman said.
At the seminars, consumers were told about "Trump Elite" mentorships that cost $10,000 to $35,000. Students were promised individual instruction until they made their first deal. Schneiderman said participants were urged to extend the limit on their credit cards for real estate deals, but then used the credit to pay for the Trump Elite programs. The attorney general said the program also failed to promptly cancel memberships as promised.
Donald Trump investment school sued by New York attorney general: report
(Reuters) - The New York state attorney general filed a $40 million lawsuit on Saturday against Donald Trump's for-profit investment school, Trump University, accusing it of engaging in illegal business practices, according to the New York Times.
The newspaper reported that New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman alleged that the real estate mogul, his Trump Organization company and others made false claims about classes at the school, including that Trump handpicked instructors.
Representatives for the New York attorney general's office and Trump were not available for comment late on Saturday.
But Trump said in a post on Twitter, "Light weight NYS Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is trying to extort me with a civil law suit."
The tweet linked to a website about Trump University, which says the school has a 98 percent approval rating from students.
The New York attorney general's lawsuit seeks restitution of at least $40 million, the Times said, and it alleges that Trump University was run as an unlicensed educational institution from 2005 to 2011 and that Trump did not create the curriculum for any of the school's courses.
(Reporting by Mary Wisniewski in Chicago; Editing by Alex Dobuzinskis and Peter Cooney)
New York Attorney General Is Investigating Trump’s For-Profit School
The New York State attorney general’s office is investigating whether a for-profit school founded by Donald J. Trump, which charges students up to $35,000 a course, has engaged in illegal business practices, according to people briefed on the inquiry.
Dozens of students have complained about the quality of Trump University, which charged up to $35,000 per course.
The investigation was prompted by about a dozen complaints concerning the Trump school that the attorney general, Eric T. Schneiderman, has found to be “credible” and “serious,” these people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was not yet public.
The inquiry is part of a broader examination of the for-profit education industry by Mr. Schneiderman’s office, which is opening investigations into at least five education companies that operate or have students in the state, according to the people speaking on the condition of anonymity.
The investigation is the latest problem for a six-year-old company, known until last year as Trump University, that already faces a string of consumer complaints, reprimands from state regulators and a lawsuit from dissatisfied former students.
George Sorial, a managing director of the Trump Organization, confirmed that the company had received a subpoena from the attorney general’s office, and said, “We look forward to resolving this matter and intend to fully cooperate with their inquiry.”
Mr. Schneiderman is looking into whether the schools and their recruiters misrepresent their ability to findstudents jobs, the quality of instruction, the cost of attending, and their programs accreditation, among other things. Such activities could constitute deceptive trade practices or fraud.
The four other companies are the Career Education Corporation, which runs the Sanford-Brown Institute, Briarcliffe College and American InterContintental University;Corinthian Colleges, the parent company of Everest Institute, WyoTech and Heald Colleges; Lincoln Educational Services, the owner of Lincoln Technical and Lincoln Colleges Online; and Bridgepoint Education, the operator of Ashford University.
Spokesmen for Lincoln Educational Services, Bridgeport Education and Corinthian Colleges each said the companies had been sent requests for information by the attorney general’s office and would comply with them.
A representative of Career Education Corporation declined to comment.
For-profit schools have become big business in the United States, especially as the unemployed seek a way back into the work force. Some of those schools, however, have been accused of creating as much economic harm as help: students have reported falling deep into debt to pay for classes that they said had failed to deliver what they had promised.
Mr. Trump’s institution is unique among for-profit schools: it is built almost entirely around the prestige and prominence of a single individual. Mr. Trump said he created the university in 2005 to impart decades’ worth of his business acumen to the general public. He aggressively marketed the school, telling students that his handpicked instructors would “teach you better than the best business school,” according to a transcript of a Web video.
The school has charged premium prices because of the Trump name, with the cost of the courses ranging from $1,500 to $35,000 each.
But, as The New York Times reported last week, dozens of students have complained about the quality of the program to the attorneys general of New York, Texas, Florida and Illinois. The Better Business Bureau gave the school a D-minus for 2010, its second-lowest grade, after receiving 23 complaints. Over the last three years, New York and Maryland have told the company to drop the word “university” from its title, saying that using it violated state education laws. (The school was renamed the Trump Entrepreneur Initiative in 2010.)
Four former students filed a suit against Trump University last year in a federal court in California, seeking class-action status. They contended that the school used high-pressure sales tactics to enroll students in the costly classes, promised extensive one-on-one instruction that did not materialize and employed “mentors” who at times recommended investments from which they stood to profit.
Mr. Sorial of the Trump Organization, which oversees Mr. Trump’s businesses, forcefully disputed those claims. He said on Thursday that 95 percent of the school’s students in New York had rated their courses as “excellent” on evaluation forms. The school’s national average is even higher, he said.
“Our customer satisfaction surveys speak for themselves,” he said.
As its troubles have mounted, the school has suspended new classes and begun overhauling its curriculum, executives said. One priority is finding a way to inject more of Mr. Trump into the program.
“The one thing is that they really wanted me involved, instead of the teachers,” Mr. Trump said in an interview last week.
In interviews, several former students said they felt betrayed by the real estate mogul and his school, especially after investing tens of thousands of dollars in what they thought was to be a comprehensive education.
“They lure you in with false promises,” said Patricia Murphy, 57, of the Bronx, who is among the former students suing Mr. Trump, whose suit makes similar claims. She said she had spent about $12,000 on Trump University classes, much of it paid with credit cards, in the hope of escaping her career as a part-time teacher and becoming a real estate investor.
Her instructors said they would introduce her to banks, help her secure loans and walk her, step by step, through deals, she recalled. “They did none of that,” she said. “I was scammed.”
Mr. Sorial said the school was looking into Ms. Murphy’s claims.
Carmen Mendez, 59, a public school teacher in Brooklyn, wrote to the Better Business Bureau in 2009 about her disappointment with the school — and with Mr. Trump. She said she had dipped into her retirement savings to pay nearly $35,000 for the classes, because “Mr. Trump is a very respectable person, and I thought that Trump University was a real institution,” she said in the letter to the Better Business Bureau.
An instructor promised her, she wrote, that the school guaranteed financial assistance to buy e real estate. But once she had enrolled, Ms. Mendez wrote, she was refused such assistance. Because her credit cards were loaded with debt to pay for the classes, mortgage brokers told her she was ineligible for a loan, she said.
“I am writing because I want people to be aware that Trump University is not a real educational institution,” she told the Better Business Bureau. “Please advise other people so they do not lose their savings in these difficult days.”
Mr. Sorial said that the school tried to offer Ms. Mendez a full refund more than six months ago. “She failed to return our numerous calls and e-mails,” he said.
A version of this article appeared in print on May 20, 2011, on page A18 of the New York edition with the headline: New York Attorney General Is Investigating Trump’s For-Profit School.
UPDATE 7/15/1013 Look for our upcoming report "WHO IS WEALTHROCK CEO JOE JOHNSON" also " MIT FINANCIAL JAMES SMITH MITCH HUHEM to KARI MICHAELSEN to JAY MITTON to JAMES MITTON TO MITCH HUHEM TO DEBORAH HUHEMTO DONALD TRUMP (WTF?) TO TO ROB STAHURA TO DAN HEATON -TO NATIONAL REAL ESTATE INVESTORS TO JAMES SMITH SERIES TO NRI, NATIONAL REAL ESTATE INVESTORS TO MULTI MILLIONAIRE SHOWCASE, TO THE JAMES SMITH COMPANY TO PSI GROUP JAMES SMITH STRATEGIC FINANCIAL SUMMIT, TO PETER LOWE, TAMARA LOWE TO AARON OSMOND (THE OSMOND BRAND) AND GET MOTIVATED TO WEALTHROCK... TO BILL COSBY TO LAURA BUSH ? (MUCH MORE) TO THE FBI-- FOLLOWING THE MONEY TRAIL FROM A SENIOR INSIDER (WITH DOCUMENTS)
Until February, Get Motivated had a partnership with Investools, a unit of discount broker TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. (AMTD) that offered options training costing as much as $20,000. The Buffalo courses were to be taught by WealthRock, which is owned by Joseph Johnson, a resident of Apollo Beach, Florida, who bought Get Motivated in January.
Buffalo ticket holders were entered in a raffle, and Jerry Petrotto won the $10,000 grand prize. He said he hasn’t received a check and the company hasn’t returned calls or e-mails. A Get Motivated Facebook page still promotes him as the winner
WEALTHROCK LAWSUIT, LAURA BUSH NOT PAID, BLOOMBERG NEWS SERVICE
Laura Bush May Go Unpaid in Investing Seminars’ Shutdown
TD Ameritrade Class Pitched at Get Motivated! Event
A Florida company that hired celebrities including Rudy Giuliani and Colin Powell for motivational events that filled arenas around the U.S. has closed, leaving lawsuits complaining of unpaid bills.
Get Motivated Seminars Inc. drew as many as 400,000 people a year, selling tickets starting at $1.95 to day-long pageants featuring fireworks and confetti. Photographer: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty images
Get Motivated Seminars Inc. drew as many as 400,000 people a year, selling tickets starting at $1.95 to daylong pageants featuring fireworks and confetti. The seminars were actually vehicles for investment firms to sell courses in stock options and other trading tactics from the same stage where luminaries held forth, Bloomberg News reported May 2.
Commercial presenters promoted annual returns of as much as 25 percent. A Michigan pastor told Bloomberg he lost $11,500 trading options after paying for $12,000 of classes advertised at a Get Motivated seminar.
After a sparsely attended event in June in Buffalo, New York, starring former Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes, comedian Bill Cosby and Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Wozniak, Get Motivated canceled seminars scheduled for Michigan and Kentucky. The Tampa, Florida-based company shut down July 2, said Rick Nash, a spokesman. A sister firm that sold financial courses, WealthRock LLC of Draper, Utah, also terminated most of its staff, Nash said. The companies employed more than 250.
“It’s a hard business to make a profit,” said John LaRosa, research director at Marketdata Enterprises Inc. in Tampa. “We really haven’t seen anybody else doing this kind of format, where you have six or more big-name people that require large speaking fees.”
Last Stop
The Washington Speakers Bureau was owed $1.7 million for speeches made between November 2011 and February 2012, according to claims in legal documents. The bureau represents well-known people who spoke at the events, including Giuliani, a former New York mayor, Powell, a former U.S. secretary of state, and former first lady Laura Bush, who made their last Get Motivated appearances on Feb. 16. Michael Menchel, the bureau’s senior vice president, declined to comment.
Speakers were supposed to earn $35,000 to $125,000 an appearance, according to the documents. Most speeches lasted 20 minutes. Giuliani netted $1.8 million from January 2006 to February 2007 for more than 20 Get Motivated events, according to disclosures he filed while running for president in 2008.
At Get Motivated’s last stop in Buffalo June 12, the 18,690-seat First Niagara Center was less than half full. Cosby, in a blue State University of New York at Buffalo sweatshirt and sweatpants, mixed one-liners with an appeal for seminar-goers to listen to the speakers selling financial instruction.
“All these millionaires are coming up and telling you how to make it,” he said. “Come on, understand what they’re saying. Get up.”
Door Prize
Until February, Get Motivated had a partnership with Investools, a unit of discount broker TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. (AMTD) that offered options training costing as much as $20,000. The Buffalo courses were to be taught by WealthRock, which is owned by Joseph Johnson, a resident of Apollo Beach, Florida, who bought Get Motivated in January.
Buffalo ticket holders were entered in a raffle, and Jerry Petrotto won the $10,000 grand prize. He said he hasn’t received a check and the company hasn’t returned calls or e-mails. A Get Motivated Facebook page still promotes him as the winner.
“It’s just disappointing they disappear right after my moment,” said Petrotto, 53, a design engineer from Williamsville, New York.
Johnson is named in a lawsuit in Hillsborough County, Florida, alleging he defaulted on a $12 million loan from an investor that he used to buy and operate Get Motivated. Laurence Pino, a lawyer representing the investor, said he couldn’t comment on the case. Companies that handled advertising, Web design and other services for the Tampa company have filed suits for allegedly unpaid bills.
Possible ‘Relaunch’
Johnson is working with Get Motivated’s founder, Peter Lowe, to raise money to “relaunch” the seminars, Nash said. He said debts incurred since Johnson took control will be repaid once funding is secured and events resume. Johnson is in negotiations to resolve the lawsuit, according to Nash.
“Joe’s a really good guy and his intentions were the best,” Nash said. Johnson didn’t return telephone calls.
Peter Lowe, the son of a missionary, started Get Motivated 10 years ago, after the collapse of another celebrity seminar series he ran, called Success. Get Motivated also featured his wife Tamara Lowe, a self-help book author who performed a rap about Jesus at the events. The Lowes divorced in April.
Johnson paid $11.75 million for Get Motivated, with $4.75 million up front and the rest in promissory notes, according to documents filed in the divorce. Though Johnson is behind in payments, “he is working very, very hard to make everything as successful as possible,” Peter Lowe said. “I would like all those people, including myself, to get paid.”
Lowe said he has filled arenas for 20 years and is confident he could do it again.
“Get Motivated is about learning how to deal with the twists and turns of life -- when you’re beat down, how to get up,” said Lowe, 53. “This is probably a living example of that right now.”
Bill Cosby was among speakers at Get Motivated seminar June 12 at First Niagara Center, along with former presidential candidate Steve Forbes and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.
JOE JOHNSON, WEALTHROCK CEO, NOW OUT OF BUSINESS
TAMPA --
Peter and Tamara Lowe pack arenas with their "Get Motivated Seminars."
You could also call their shows the Ex-Politicians Retirement Fund.
Consider that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani collected $1.8
million in 2006-2007 for appearing at the couple's motivational powwows,
according to financial disclosures from Giuliani's failed 2008
presidential run.
But now the Tampa-based operation is in turmoil, tied up in the couple's ugly divorce.
Tamara accuses Peter of selling Get Motivated Seminars out from under
her to an Apollo Beach man. Peter counters that Tamara's company
ransacked his offices, carting off cubicles and chairs, stealing
computer files and leaving a web of phone lines dangling from walls —
all so she could carry on the business without him.
Peter Lowe has seen his business model fall on hard times before — 11
years ago, when the motivational company Success Events International
collapsed amid millions of dollars in debt.
For now, their star-studded events continue without a hitch — in Las
Vegas, Honolulu, and elsewhere. What the future holds for the seminars
and operation's estimated 150 workers in Tampa likely will be left to a
judge.
* * * * *
Buffalo was end of line for Get Motivated seminars
By Peter Robison
Bloomberg News
Published: September 5, 2012, 12:01 AM
Updated: September 6, 2012, 02:55 PM
The Buffalo show was the last for the Get Motivated seminar series.
The Florida company that hired celebrities including Rudy Giuliani and Colin Powell for motivational events that filled arenas around the U.S. has closed, leaving lawsuits complaining of unpaid bills.
The closing came after the seminar failed to draw a door-buster crowd in Buffalo in June.
The seminars has drawn as many as 400,000 people a year, selling tickets starting at $1.95 for daylong pageants featuring fireworks and confetti. The seminars were actually vehicles for investment firms to sell courses in stock options and other trading tactics from the same stage where luminaries held forth, according to a Bloomberg News report.
Commercial presenters promoted annual returns of as much as 25 percent. A Michigan pastor said he lost $11,500 trading options after paying $12,000 for classes advertised at a Get Motivated seminar.
After the sparsely attended event in Buffalo, starring former Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes, comedian Bill Cosby and Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Wozniak, Get Motivated canceled seminars scheduled for Michigan and Kentucky. The Tampa-based company shut down July 2, said Rick Nash, a spokesman. A sister firm that sold financial courses, WealthRock LLC of Draper, Utah, also terminated most of its staff, Nash said. The companies employed more than 250.
"It's a hard business to make a profit," said John LaRosa, research director at Marketdata Enterprises Inc. in Tampa. "We really haven't seen anybody else doing this kind of format, where you have six or more big-name people that require large speaking fees."
The Washington Speakers Bureau was owed $1.7 million for speeches made between November 2011 and February 2012, according to claims in legal documents. The bureau represents well-known people who spoke at the events, including Giuliani, a former New York mayor; Powell, a former U.S. secretary of state; and former first lady Laura Bush, who made their last Get Motivated appearances on Feb. 16. Michael Menchel, the bureau's senior vice president, declined to comment.
Speakers were supposed to earn $35,000 to $125,000 an appearance, according to the documents. Most speeches lasted 20 minutes. Giuliani netted $1.8 million from January 2006 to February 2007 for more than 20 Get Motivated events, according to disclosures he filed while running for president in 2008.
At Get Motivated's last stop in Buffalo on June 12, the 18,690-seat First Niagara Center was less than half full. Cosby, in a blue University at Buffalo sweatshirt and sweatpants, mixed one-liners with an appeal for seminargoers to listen to the speakers selling financial instruction.
"All these millionaires are coming up and telling you how to make it," he said. "Come on, understand what they're saying. Get up."
Until February, Get Motivated had a partnership with Investools, a unit of discount broker TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. that offered options training costing as much as $20,000. The Buffalo courses were to be taught by WealthRock, which is owned by Joseph Johnson, a resident of Apollo Beach, Fla., who bought Get Motivated in January.
Buffalo ticket holders were entered in a raffle, and Jerry Petrotto won the $10,000 grand prize. He said he hasn't received a check and the company hasn't returned calls or emails. A Get Motivated Facebook page still promotes him as the winner.
"It's just disappointing they disappear right after my moment," said Petrotto, 53, a design engineer from Williamsville.
Johnson is named in a lawsuit in Hillsborough County, Fla., alleging he defaulted on a $12 million loan from an investor that he used to buy and operate Get Motivated. Laurence Pino, a lawyer representing the investor, said he couldn't comment on the case. Companies that handled advertising, Web design and other services for the Tampa company have filed suits for allegedly unpaid bills.
Johnson is working with Get Motivated's founder, Peter Lowe, to raise money to "relaunch" the seminars, Nash said. He said debts incurred since Johnson took control will be repaid once funding is secured and events resume. Johnson is in negotiations to resolve the lawsuit, according to Nash.
"Joe's a really good guy and his intentions were the best," Nash said. Johnson didn't return telephone calls.
Peter Lowe, the son of a missionary, started Get Motivated 10 years ago, after the collapse of another celebrity seminar series he ran, called Success. Get Motivated also featured his wife, Tamara, a self-help book author who performed a rap about Jesus at the events. The Lowes divorced in April.
--
It's hard to miss the Lowes' extravaganzas.
Full-page newspaper ads scream of bargains — $1.95 per person to get
pumped up by the likes of Giuliani, former Secretary of State Colin
Powell and former first lady Laura Bush.
Even Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney jumped in two
years ago, earning nearly $30,000 for speaking to a Salt Lake City crowd
via satellite, his recent financial disclosure forms show.
Tamara Lowe said in an e-mail that some speakers donate their honorariums to charity, but she couldn't provide details.
The work leading up to each daylong climax in arenas across the
country is done in a one-story, white-and-blue-trim business park across
from Tampa International Airport, Eisenhower Technology Park.
People here sell tickets to the nationwide powwows and coordinate with speakers' bureaus.
Giuliani and Powell just attract the crowds; the company makes its
money by referring attendees to investment advisory firms that offer
follow-up workshops and courses. The extravaganzas, in other words, are
star-studded sales-lead generators.
Investools, a unit of TD Ameritrade, and Utah-based Wealthrock pay
Get Motivated Seminars an undisclosed fee for the leads, said Joe
Johnson, an Apollo Beach man who recently purchased Get Motivated
Seminars and a related company, Life Win Inc., from Lowe.
Johnson also owns Wealthrock, which he purchased from real estate investment speaker James Smith in 2010.
People who attend a Get Motivated seminar can expect to get a sales pitch or two in return for a super-low ticket price.
"I'm sure they're going to get the name and emails and phone numbers
of the people who attend, and that's when the real marketing begins,"
said John LaRosa, research director for Marketdata Enterprises, a Tampa
market research firm that follows the self-help industry.
The Lowes' divorce after 24 years of marriage, though, has thrown it all into doubt.
Peter and Tamara Lowe are themselves motivational speakers who share a
spiritual message at Get Motivated events. He is the son of
missionaries; she does a Christian rap performance that draws a crowd on
YouTube.
"I don't care if you're JLo or Leno or Bono, one day you're gonna
die, Bro. Then where you gonna go," she raps in one YouTube video.
* * * * *
Religion notwithstanding, the Lowes have lobbed some very un-Christian allegations against each other.
She alleges Peter was going to sell Get Motivated Seminars and Life
Win Inc. to her own motivational seminar company, Take Action Media.
Instead, he "secretly" sold the company at a discount to Johnson, the
Apollo Beach man, according to a statement provided by Tamara Lowe's
attorney.
What's more, Johnson has a history of financial and legal trouble,
according to their statement. How can Peter entrust the motivation
companies to him, they ask.
In 2010, the Tribune wrote about a failed charity that Johnson ran
called the SeedAmerica Foundation. Manufacturers would donate abandoned
industrial buildings to SeedAmerica, which would renovate and find new
tenants for them.
Instead, the nonprofit agency declared bankruptcy and didn't make
good on its plan to revitalize many of its empty industrial buildings in
places such as Salem, Ill., and Medina, N.Y.
Today, Johnson, 36, said SeedAmerica got caught up in the national
real estate downturn, but he has been successful in other real estate
ventures.
"When the financing dried up, there was nothing we could do," Johnson said.
For his part, Peter Lowe said he had every right to sell Get Motivated Seminars and Life Win.
He sued Tamara Lowe's company last month in Hillsborough circuit
court, claiming Take Action Media representatives sabotaged his
companies' headquarters. They stole trade secrets and even recruited his
employees for her company, the lawsuit says.
Today, his company's offices appear gutted, while her company is
operating the Get Motivated Seminars from offices just two doors away
inside the same airport business park.
Lowe dropped his lawsuit against his wife a couple weeks ago when he
completed the company's sale to Johnson, he said. As his successor,
Johnson immediately filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Tampa
alleging the same things.
Until the couple works out their differences, all sides seem to
understand that the show must go on. The Lowes' divorce case is playing
out in Palm Beach County, where they both live.
Recent shows in Las Vegas and Honolulu went on as planned with no
noticeable hiccups, convention center managers from both cities told the
Tribune.
Get Motivated's website, at www.getmotivated.com, even touts that it has lined up a new superstar for upcoming shows: Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong.
True to its penchant for hype, Get Motivated Seminars labels him, "The Greatest Athlete of All Time."
Brad C. Smith, No. 6656
David B. Stevenson, No. 12244
STEVENSON & SMITH, P.C.
3986 Washington Boulevard
Ogden, UT 84401
Telephone: (801) 394-4573
Facsimile: (801) 399-9954
Attorneys for Plaintiff
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF UTAH
JAMES SMITH, REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT SUPPORT, LLC, a Utah Limited Liability Company, THE COACHING COMPANY, LLC, a Utah Limited Liability Company,
Plaintiffs,
vs.
ELIZABETH ARDEN, a California Corporation d/b/a/ Complaintsboard.com,; KHANSAMA PUBLICATIONS, Inc., a New York corporation d/b/a Artvoice.com; AUTOMATTIC a California Corporation d/b/a Xenophilius.wordpress.com,; and DOES 1-10, individuals,
Defendants.
COMPLAINT
Civil No. _____________________
Judge _______________________
JURY DEMANDED
[FILED ELECTRONICALLY]
COMES NOW Plaintiff, by and through the undersigned counsel, and hereby complains of Defendants as follows:
PARTIES, JURISDICTION AND VENUE
1. Plaintiff James Smith is a resident of the State of Florida, Seminole County, and has a secondary residence in Utah. Case 2:10-cv-01181-DB Document 2 Filed 12/02/10 Page 1 of 18
2. James Smith is an owner of The Coaching Company, LLC, (hereinafter “The Coaching Co.”) a Utah limited liability company.
3. James Smith is an owner of Real Estate Investment Support, LLC, (hereinafter “REIS”) a Utah limited liability company.
4. Defendant Khansama, d/b/a artvoice.com (hereinafter “Artvoice”) is a New York corporation.
5. Through the website known as artvoicedaily.com, Artvoice published defamatory statements about Plaintiff James Smith and his entities, thereby causing tortious injury.
6. Defendant Elizabeth Arden, d/b/a complaintsboard.com (hereinafter “Complaintsboard) is a resident of the State of California, and the owner or controlling member of Complaintsboard.
7. The website known as complaintsboard.com is published worldwide via the internet. Through the website known as complaintsboard.com, Complaintsboard has published defamatory information about Plaintiff and his entities, thereby causing tortious injury.
8. Defendant Automattic, d/b/a Wordpress, d/b/a Xenophilia (hereinafter “Xenophilia”) is a California corporation doing business worldwide via the internet.
9. Defendant Xenophilia runs a website known as Wordpress. Wordpress provides free blog hosting for its users. One such user is the Xenophilia blog located at xenophilius.wordpress.com. Case 2:10-cv-01181-DB Document 2 Filed 12/02/10 Page 2 of 18
10. Jurisdiction is proper in the above-entitled court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 and 1332.
11. Venue is proper in the above-entitled court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1391 (b) and (c).
MATERIAL FACTS
12. Plaintiff James Smith is a real estate and financial success speaker.
13. Plaintiff, Coaching Co. and REIS provide real estate investment advice via seminars, products, and other programs.
14. Plaintiff has been a featured speaker on the popular Get Motivated seminar series.
15. Plaintiff’s reputation is vital to his business interests.
16. Beginning in early 2010 defamatory and slanderous comments and posts about James Smith were made to blogs at Complaintsboard.com, Arvoice.com and Wordpress.xenophilia.com causing Plaintiff James Smith tortious injury.
17. At least one unknown Doe has illegally obtained information from Plaintiff James Smith’s cell phone and/or computer and/or by intercepting text and/or phone messages. Said Doe also tracked Plaintiff’s location using digital GPS or other confidential and private information.
18. Said Doe published text messages and confidential and private information about the Plaintiff’s and his schedule on Defendants’ websites. Defendants indexed and/or edited the comments.
19. In addition, said Doe published false and defamatory information about James Smith, alleging his involvement in extramarital affairs with public figures and Case 2:10-cv-01181-DB Document 2 Filed 12/02/10 Page 3 of 18
escorts, and that he and his entities are dishonest, deceitful, untrustworthy, and who fleece investors.
20. Plaintiffs, through counsel and through his entities, notified the websites of the slanderous information and requested that the blogs be pulled, and that the identity, contact information and IP address of the person(s) registered with the blog and responsible for the posts be revealed. Despite repeated demands, the posts were not fully removed.
21. At the request of one blog editor Plaintiffs provided an affidavit and/or declaration under penalty of perjury that the information in the blogs was untrue.
22. In August 2010 Plaintiffs sent a draft complaint to the editors of the three websites demanding that the posts be removed and that the identity of the bloggers be revealed. Upon information and belief, by late August 2010 Artvoice.com and Wordpress.xenophilia.com removed the offending posts. Complaintsboard.com continues to have offending posts, including new posts on prior threads.
23. Neither Complaintsboard.com, Arvoice.com or Wordpress.xenophilia.com has revealed the contact information and identity of the bloggers, despite the fact that such information is not protected when the bloggers use the blog for illegible purposes. In addition, two of the blogs have confirmed that the registration information for one or more Doe blogger is false and that one or more of the persons who signed up on these websites used multiple fictitious names to make these posts. Case 2:10-cv-01181-DB Document 2 Filed 12/02/10 Page 4 of 18
24. Both of these circumstances violate the conditions and terms of use employed by the blogs.
25. Defendants have committed tortious wrongs through their respective websites.
Artvoice Daily
26. Defendant Artvoice publishes the Artvoice Daily blog (hereinafter “Artvoice”) online.
27. On or about 19 August 2009, Artvoice posted a local interest story written by an Artvoice correspondent.
28. On or about 18 February 2010, a user posted a defamatory comment in response to the local interest story. The user referred to a Kari Michaelson as the “mistress” of James Smith.
29. On or about 12 March 2010 another user posted a comment to the same story, stating he was “surprised that James Smith has Kari Michaelson for a mistress.”
30. On or about 29 March 2010 a third user posted a comment asserting that James Smith hired Kari Michaelson in order to facilitate his ongoing extramarital affair with her.
31. On or about 25 May 2010 a fourth Artvoice user posted a comment alleging that James Smith was carrying on an extramarital affair and had irreparably damaged his marriage.
Case 2:10-cv-01181-DB Document 2 Filed 12/02/10 Page 5 of 18
Complaintsboard
32. On 13 April 2010 a Complaintsboard user posted a lengthy complaint which included portions of numerous other comments, all asserting that James Smith carried on an extramarital affair with Kari Michaelson.
33. On or about 17 April 2010 a Complaintsboard user alleged that James Smith and Kari Michaelson were in Hawaii together without their respective spouses, and they “looked like any other honeymooning couple.”
34. On or about 6 May 2010 a Complaintsboard user posted a complaint insinuating that James Smith stayed with Kari Michaelson at a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, hotel.
35. On or about 20 May 2010 a Complaintsboard user copied and posted to Complaintsboard the 29 March 2010 Artvoice comment.
36. A second complaint posted on or about 20 May suggests that James Smith has carried on extramarital affairs, and therefore has lied about being “happily married.” The complaint implies that James Smith is neither trustworthy nor honest.
37. On or about 27 May 2010 another Complaintsboard user posted a complaint calling James Smith a liar and asserting that he is carrying on an extramarital affair with Kari Michaelson.
38. On or about 30 May 2010, Complaintsboard users alleged that James Smith and one Paula White are “in a romantic relationship that is adultery for James Smith. To trust a company that we pay only based on faith since they do not sell a product Case 2:10-cv-01181-DB Document 2 Filed 12/02/10 Page 6 of 18
but a service, it is very important to have FAITH and TRUST. Both are impossible in light of these facts.”
39. On or about 15 June 2010 a Complaintsboard user posted that “Pastor Paula White of Without Walls and James Smith of James Smith Company are in a relationship that has come to public notice” and accused James Smith of immorality.
40. On or about 20 June 2010 another Complaintsboard user referred to James Smith as Paula White’s “new boyfriend” and alleged that “[i]f the leader is guilty of all that James Smith has been doing and that people have listed WITH dates places and happenings, then his own company can NEVER be trusted.” The user reasserted that James Smith could never be trusted.
41. On or about 21 June 2010, the same Complaintsboard suggested that James Smith was trying to become Paula White’s third husband in order to take her congregants’ money.
42. On or about 23 June 2010 another Complaintsboard user alleged that James Smith is carrying on at least two extramarital affairs. The user claims that to have James Smith “speak to people is a crime”, and he is unfit to conduct business and provide investment advice based on his “problem with sleeping around.”
43. On or about 24 June 2010, another Complaintsboard user claims that “James Smith has been sleeping around for years,” has had several hundred mistresses, and hires escorts. Case 2:10-cv-01181-DB Document 2 Filed 12/02/10 Page 7 of 18
44. On or about 24 June 2010, another user referred to James Smith’s alleged adultery as “repeated deceitful acts” and claimed “the public believes him and pays him and gets fooled.”
45. On or about 25 June 2010, a Complaintsboard user posted what he/she alleges are “texts from James M. Smith’s phone to [Kari Michaelson’s] phone.”
46. On or about 27 June 2010, a Complaintsboard user accused James Smith of carrying on an extramarital affair with Paula White.
47. On or about 27 June 2010, another Complaintsboard user asserted that, that James Smith and Kari Michaelson were “dishonest and cunning” and carrying on an extramarital affair.
48. On or about 4 July 2010, a Complaintsboard user posted a complaint calling James Smith a “snake oil salesman” and alleging that his carrying on extramarital affairs with both Kari Michaelson and Paula White.
49. On or about 7 July 2010, a Complaintsboard user claimed that Paula White and James Smith were “devious”, engaged in an extramarital relationship, and “fleecing believers and investors.”
50. On or about 8 July 2010, a Complaintsboard user posted a complaint alleging that James Smith is carrying on extramarital affairs with two different women, and lying to his family.
51. On or about 9 July 2010, a Complaintsboard user argued that James Smith was in the Caribbean with a mistress rather than on business, and called James Smith and his employees “scum bags.” Case 2:10-cv-01181-DB Document 2 Filed 12/02/10 Page 8 of 18
52. On or about 12 July 2010, a Complaintsboard user posted information detailing travel itineraries and scheduled flights for James Smith, Kari Michaelson, and Paula White.
53. Upon information and belief, Does 1 through 10 have used a GPS tracking program to track the location of Plaintiff Smith’s cellular telephone, to intercept and forward private messages, and to uncover proprietary information related to Plaintiff’s business.
54. Complaintsboard users continue to post false, defamatory, and private statements, and Complaintsboard continues to publish and index these statements.
55. The Complaintsboard Terms of Use state that posted messages may be indexed by internet search engines. See http://www.complaintsboard.com/terms-conditions.html.
56. The Terms of Use state that members may not “[d]efame, abuse, harass, stalk, or otherwise violate the legal rights (such as rights of privacy and publicity) of others,” nor may they “[p]ublish, distribute or disseminate any inappropriate, profane, defamatory” material information.
57. Complaintsboard.com “reserves that right at all times to monitor, review, retain and/or disclose any information necessary to satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or government request.” Case 2:10-cv-01181-DB Document 2 Filed 12/02/10 Page 9 of 18
58. Complaintsboard.com stores and archives members’ registration information, the contents of their posts, and messages sent in regard to posts. See Complaintsboard.com Privacy Policy.
59. Complaintsboard.com may “disclose information about its users if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such disclosure is reasonably necessary” to respond to claims that a listing violates the rights of a third party or to respond to a legal process.
Xenophilia
60. On 25 March 2009, Xenophilia posted a review entitled “Get Motivated Seminar, Colin Powell, Michael Phelps, others live @ Arco arena”.
61. On 29 March 2010, Anne Waldon posted a comment alleging James Smith is engaged in an extramarital affair.
62. On 3 May 2010, a user called Giddy posted defamatory messages copied from the Complaintsboard site.
63. On 5 May 2010, a user called KNC asserted that James Smith is carrying on an extramarital affair with Kari Michaelson, and that Smith’s wife would force him to fire Michaelson.
64. On 25 May 2010, a user called CindyS posted defamatory comments about James Smith regarding a non-existent extramarital relationship.
65. On 22 June 2010, a user called Candy alleged that James Smith is carrying on an extramarital affair with a Pastor Paula White. Candy further alleged travel
Case 2:10-cv-01181-DB Document 2 Filed 12/02/10 Page 10 of 18
itinerary information that would not be available to an individual without access to James Smith’s cell phone.
66. On 24 June 2010, a user called CandyJS posted a comment stating that James Smith was benefiting from Pastor White’s congregants’ funds.
67. In August 2010, attorneys representing Plaintiffs contacted Defendants Artvoice, Complaintsboard, and Xenophilia, requesting that the defamatory comments be removed. In response, some of the defamatory and slanderous comments were removed by Defendants Artvoice, Complaintsboard, and Xenophilia.
68. Since that time, additional defamatory comments have been posted on Defendant Complaintsboard’s website. Defendant Complaintsboard has not removed those comments.
FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION
Defamation and Libel
69. Plaintiffs re-allege paragraphs 1 through 68 as though fully contained herein.
70. Defendant Does 1 through 10 made false statements which impeach the honesty, integrity, and virtue of Plaintiff James Smith and his companies.
71. Defendant Does 1 through 10 named James Smith, an ascertainable person, in making the false and defamatory statements.
72. Defendant Does 1 through 10 lacked sufficient knowledge to make these defamatory statements or reasonable belief that the statements were true.
73. Defendant Does’ false statements thereby exposed Plaintiffs to public hatred, contempt, and ridicule. Case 2:10-cv-01181-DB Document 2 Filed 12/02/10 Page 11 of 18
74. Defendant Does 1 through 10 intended to cause this kind of harm, and were reckless as to whether such harm would occur, and were aware that the actions posed substantial risk of causing this harm. Defendant Does’ actions entitle Plaintiffs to punitive damages.
75. Defendants Artvoice, Complaintsboard, and Xenophilia have published these slanderous and defamatory statements.
SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION
Defendants Artvoice’s, Complaintsboard’s, and Xenophilia’s Liabilities under §230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996
76. Plaintiffs re-allege paragraphs 1 through 75 as though fully contained herein.
77. As internet content providers or facilitators, Defendants Artvoice, Complaintsboard, and Xenophilia are not providers or users of an interactive computer service.
78. Defendants Artvoice, Complaintsboard, and Xenophilia developed and disseminated online posts containing defamatory and harmful information.
79. Defendants Artvoice, Complaintsboard, and Xenophilia failed to exercise their right—pursuant to their respective Terms of Use agreements—to remove or edit defamatory and otherwise offensive content.
80. Defendants Artvoice, Complaintsboard, and Xenophilia encouraged and facilitated defamation of Plaintiffs.
81. Defendants Artvoice, Complaintsboard, and Xenophilia lacked any reasonable belief the defamatory statements were true. Case 2:10-cv-01181-DB Document 2 Filed 12/02/10 Page 12 of 18
82. Defendants Artvoice, Complaintsboard, and Xenophilia failed to exercise reasonable care in disseminating defamatory statements. Said failure entitles Plaintiffs to the remedies permitted under the statute.
THIRD CAUSE OF ACTION
Interference with Prospective Economic Advantage
83. Plaintiffs re-allege paragraphs 1 through 82 as though fully contained herein.
84. Defendants intentionally, fraudulently, maliciously and/or recklessly interfered with Plaintiffs’ present and future economic relations.
85. Defendants interfered with Plaintiffs’ economic relations by defamatory, untrue, and improper means.
86. Defendants’ interference has caused substantial injury to Plaintiff Smith and to his companies. Defendants’ actions entitle Plaintiffs to punitive damages.
FOURTH CAUSE OF ACTION
Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress
87. Plaintiffs re-allege paragraphs 1 through 86 as though fully contained herein.
88. Defendant Does 1 through 10 intentionally, fraudulently, maliciously and/or recklessly defamed the Plaintiffs.
89. Defendant Does 1 through 10 intended to inflict emotional distress on Plaintiff Smith. They either knew or should have known that this outcome would result from their publication of false and defamatory statements. Case 2:10-cv-01181-DB Document 2 Filed 12/02/10 Page 13 of 18
90. The false and defamatory statements are outrageous and intolerable, and offensive to generally accepted standards of decency and morality.
91. Plaintiff suffered distress and injury due to Defendants’ outrageous and intolerable behavior towards Plaintiff Smith.
FIFTH CAUSE OF ACTION
Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress
92. Plaintiff re-alleges paragraphs 1 through 91 as though fully contained herein.
93. On their respective websites, Defendants Artvoice, Complaintsboard, and Xenophilia edited and indexed false and defamatory statements directed at Plaintiff Smith.
94. Defendants Artvoice, Complaintsboard, and Xenophilia either knew or should have known the statements violated Plaintiff’s rights and inflicted emotional distress on Plaintiff Smith.
95. Defendants Artvoice, Complaintsboard, and Xenophilia failed to exercise reasonable care in editing, administering, and indexing the statements contained in their respective websites.
96. The refusal by Defendants Artvoice, Complaintsboard, and Xenophilia to remove the offensive statements is—particularly in light of their respective Terms of Use—outrageous and intolerable, offensive to normal standards of decency and morality. Case 2:10-cv-01181-DB Document 2 Filed 12/02/10 Page 14 of 18
97. Plaintiff Smith suffered distress and injury due to Defendants’ outrageous and intolerable behavior.
SIXTH CAUSE OF ACTION
Invasion of Privacy
98. Plaintiff re-alleges paragraphs 1 through 97 as though fully contained herein.
99. Defendants publicly disclosed and disseminated statements, facts, and private personal information about Plaintiff Smith throughout the world, via the websites of Artvoice, Complaintsboard, and Xenophilia.
100. The facts—including information stolen from the private telephone of Plaintiff Smith—are all private.
101. The facts deal with alleged extramarital affairs and impugn Plaintiff Smith’s character and morality. They are highly offensive to an ordinary person of reasonable sensibilities.
102. Defendants’ invaded Plaintiff’s privacy, thereby injuring Plaintiff Smith, his business, and his reputation. These intentional acts were done intentionally, fraudulently, maliciously by Does 1 through 10. In the case of the websites it was done recklessly.
SEVENTH CAUSE OF ACTION
Violation of Utah’s Unfair Competition Act
103. Plaintiffs re-allege paragraphs 1 through 102 as though fully contained herein. Case 2:10-cv-01181-DB Document 2 Filed 12/02/10 Page 15 of 18
104. At least one Defendant Doe has illegally obtained information from Plaintiff Smith’s cell phone, and has willfully communicated this information without Plaintiff’s authorization by posting the information on the websites of Defendants Artvoice, Complaintsboard, and Xenophilia.
105. Defendant Doe’s actions constitute malicious cyber activity as defined by Utah Code Ann. § 13-5a-102(3)(c).
106. Defendant Doe’s actions were intentional, unlawful, unfair, and fraudulent, entitling Plaintiffs to punitive damages.
107. Defendant Doe’s actions have lead to a material diminution in the value of Plaintiffs’ businesses and intellectual property and loss of reputation.
EIGHTH CAUSE OF ACTION
Negligence/Negligence Per Se
108. Plaintiffs re-allege paragraphs 1 through 107 as though fully contained herein.
109. Defendants Artvoice, Complaintsboard, and Xenophilia were notified that the information posted on their websites was defamatory and slanderous.
110. Upon receipt of notice, Defendants Artvoice, Complaintisboard, and Xenophilia had a duty to investigate the nature of the comments posted about Plaintiffs, to ensure that Plaintiffs were not further defamed, and to make sure that bloggers using their websites were complying with the terms of use.
111. Defendants Artvoice, Complaintsboard, and Xenophilia have not investigated the nature of the comments made about Plaintiffs, have left some of the comments remaining on their websites, have failed to timely remove said comments, have Case 2:10-cv-01181-DB Document 2 Filed 12/02/10 Page 16 of 18
failed to remove/ban bloggers who used false registration information, have failed to prohibit bloggers from using their site for illegal means, and/or have allowed additional defamatory comments to be posted on their websites, all of which are breaches of their duties.
112. Plaintiffs have been injured as a result of the failure of Defendants Artvoice, Complaintisboard, and Xenophilia to comply with their duties.
113. Defendants violations of the statutes above is negligence per se.
PRAYER FOR RELIEF
WHEREFORE, Plaintiffs hereby respectfully requests the following relief:
a. Injunctive relief to stop and prohibit further illegal actions of the Defendants;
b. Injunctive relief to force the Defendant companies to reveal the identity, contact information and IP addresses of Does 1 through 10 who made defamatory statements;
c. Damages, including general, special, direct, indirect, consequential, etc. for the causes of action noted above in an amount to be proven at trial, but no less than $200,000.00;
d. Punitive damages in an amount to be proven at trial;
e. An award of reasonable costs and attorney’s fees;
f. Such other and further relief as this Court deems just and proper.
Plaintiffs request a jury decide this matter once all issues are joined. Case 2:10-cv-01181-DB Document 2 Filed 12/02/10 Page 17 of 18
DATED this 2nd day of December, 2010.
s:/ David B. Stevenson
David B. Stevenson
Brad C. Smith
Attorneys for Plaintiffs
Case 2:10-cv-01181-DB Document 2 Filed 12/02/10 Page 18 of 18
Tampa-based Get Motivated stiffs prominent speakers
Get Motivated Seminars Inc., with offices on West Waters Avenue
in Tampa, has closed, leaving a host of celebrity speakers, unpaid,
according to Bloomberg.
The company’s sister firm, WealthRock LLC of Draper, Utah, has
also terminated most of its staff. The two entities employed some 250
people.
“It’s a hard business to make a profit,” John LaRosa, research director at Tampa’s Marketdata Enterprises,
is quoted as saying. “We really haven’t seen anybody else doing this
kind of format, where you have six or more big-name people that require
large speaking fees.”
The Washington Speakers bureau was owed $1.7 million for
speeches made between November 2011 and February 2012, according to
claims in legal documents. The bureau represents well-known people who
spoke at events, including Rudi Giuliani, former mayor of New York City, Colin Powell, and former first lady Laura Bush, who made their last Get Motivated appearances on Feb. 16.
At Get Motivated’s last stop in Buffalo in June, the
18,690-seat First Niagra Center was less than half full. Speakers at
that event included Bill Cosby.
The Buffalo courses were to be taught by WealthRock, which is owned by Joseph Johnson, an Apollo Beach resident who bought Get Motivated in January.
Johnson is named in a lawsuit in Hillsborough County alleging
that he defaulted on a $12 million loan from an investor that he used to
buy and operate Get Motivated.
WEALTHROCK... ANOTHER COMPANY NAME TO RUN JAMES SMITH / PETER LOWE IS OVER! http://www.wealthrock.com/pdf/WealthRockPressRelease11-20-11.pdf
By MICHAEL SASSO | The Tampa Tribune
Published: July 22, 2012
» Comments | Post a Comment
TAMPA --
The collapse of Get Motivated Seminars, which packed arenas with its
tips on success and spirituality, has thrown out of work at least a
hundred people and lef
t millions in bills unpaid.
The Tampa company for years promoted its powerhouse lineup of speakers,
including Colin Powell and former first lady Laura Bush, in full-page
newspaper ads and drew attendees with dirt-cheap tickets — $1.95 a pop.
But Get Motivated's suppliers are stumped by the last eight months.
Since winter, it has been sold to a little-known Apollo Beach man with a
troubled business history, its staff shuffled among at least three
offices and its operations eventually shut down. Lawsuits are flying.
"I've heard stories and rumors, but none of it seems to make any
sense," said Bill Fries, whose Tampa staffing company, Hiregy, supplied
workers to Get Motivated.
Its glamorous seminars got all the
attention, but Get Motivated Seminars actually was a marketing company
that generated sales leads for investment advisory firms.
Its real
corporate name was Life Win Inc., and until recently it operated out of a
technology park across from Tampa International Airport. There, more
than 100 people sold tickets to Get Motivated powwows in arenas and
convention centers nationwide. They tempted customers with $1.95 tickets
but eventually tried to upsell them with pricier tickets.
Company
agents also steered customers to at least two firms that offered classes
and advice on financial investing, a Utah firm called WealthRock and a
TD Ameritrade affiliate called Investools.
At its events, big-name
politicians and sports stars such as Rudy Giuliani and Joe Montana
earned five-figure fees for their talks. Every show also featured at
least a few minutes of Christian inspiration.
Life Win's founding
couple, Peter and Tamara Lowe, were known for their Christian faith. He
once ran the Rev. Billy Graham's crusade in Tampa; she can be spotted on
YouTube performing a Christian rap song.
But things seemed to go downhill quickly.
The Lowes are going through a nasty divorce in Palm Beach County, where
they both have separate houses, and their motivational seminar business
appears to have been caught in the middle.
Life Win Inc. shut its
last known office on West Waters Avenue sometime early this month and
laid off dozens of employees. Since then, the company's suppliers and
investors and their lawyers have tried to piece together what happened.
Among the curious events are:
Allegations of theft. Peter Lowe claimed in court papers filed in
January that Tamara sabotaged his company's former offices, stole
intellectual property and essentially set up a rival motivational
speaking company.
Tamara shot back that Peter sold the company out
from under her to a little-known 36-year-old Apollo Beach man named Joe
Johnson. What's more, Johnson had a shaky business history with a failed
charity called SeedAmerica Foundation.
Johnson promised to help
small Midwestern towns revitalize their dilapidated industrial
buildings, but instead SeedAmerica filed bankruptcy and never fulfilled
its promises. The Tribune has been unable to reach Johnson or his lawyer
in recent weeks.
Mysterious moves. Since the fall, Life Win's staff
of more than 100 has moved in and out of at least three offices on
Eisenhower Boulevard near the airport and Waters Avenue. The owner of
the Eisenhower property won a $226,000 judgment against Life Win in
April.
Sudden shutdown. Having closed on his purchase of Life Win,
Johnson had been running the seminar company in recent months. However,
he canceled powwows scheduled for this month in Louisville, Ky., and
East Lansing, Mich.
He eventually shut the company altogether around
the beginning of this month. Former employees declined to comment for
this story, but Fries, the staffing agency executive, said they've come
to his company looking for jobs.
Even if the company has disappeared, Life Win's debts haven't, and former vendors and creditors are trying to collect.
A Naples woman, Amy Wolfe, claims in one lawsuit that she loaned
Johnson $12 million to help him buy the seminar company from the Lowes,
but Johnson has defaulted. Her attorneys did not return the Tribune's
calls.
Meanwhile, the company that lined up many of those political
and sports figures, the Washington Speakers Bureau, claims in court
papers that Life Win owes it more than $1.7 million in speaking fees
plus interest and attorneys fees. And Fries has sued for $19,518 in
unpaid staffing services.
This is not the first time Life Win or a
predecessor company has collapsed amid a mountain of debt. Eleven years
ago, a motivational seminar company Peter Lowe ran called Success Events
International shut down owing money to dozens of vendors. Lowe has not
returned the Tribune's calls in recent weeks.
For now, those arena-packing Get Motivated powwows have gone dark, and it's not clear if they will return.
Aaron Osmond, a member of Utah's famous Osmond family, in April left
WealthRock, the investment firm that got referrals from the seminars. He
hasn't been in touch with anyone from Get Motivated Seminars or Life
Win since and said he doesn't know where they are.
"I think they've got a lot of work bringing that company back," Osmond said.
As a LinkedIn member, you'll join 175 million other professionals
who are sharing connections, ideas, and opportunities. And it's free!
You'll also be able to:
The WealthRock offices have closed their doors and the phones are no longer functioning.
WealthRock students who are attempting to email or call the
WealthRock office asking about the status of purchased programs,
refunds, or events will need to send your email to: wealthrock.questions@gmail.com.
The WealthRock President, Joe Johnson, has a point person who will
contact you regarding responsibilities for fulfilling your WealthRock
purchases, refunds, or events.
Here are lines of communication that are still being handled for
Wealth Rock students who have refund issues or questions about purchased
programs:
I attended the 3-day financial
success seminar in San Diego last week, and I was completely blown away.
I have 13 pages of notes, and have already made 4 offers on investment
properties using the knowledge I gained. I think it is in everyone's
best interest to be as educated as possible. I am sorry that some people
have had a bad experience. For myself, I will be taking every
opportunity to work with this company again in the future.
Laura did you pay the $4000 - $25,000
to them to be able to go to the advanced seminars, or did you just take
notes on keywords & concepts at the bait & switch $49 weekend
session? Speaking of which I didn't get my pre-paid visa to compensate
me back at the end of the seminar... did anyone else get their $49
debit mastercard?
I did attend the Real Estate Core
Strategies seminar this last weekend, and it totally blew the first one
out of the water. I can't begin to express how valuable those 3 days
were. They handed out evaluation forms at the end asking what we liked
most (among other questions) and my response was, "so much useful information!" I am so grateful for what the Smith family offers.
I'm sorry you saw it as a bait and switch. I guess that depends on what
your expectations were. I would assume that no one is going to rent a
hotel ballroom, fly out and teach us for free, with no hope of making
money. I was expecting a sales pitch. I was just hoping that I would get
information I could put to use immediately, rather than just teasers
for their 5-figure educational packages, like some others give you
(*cough*RichDadEducation*cough*). They exceeded my expectations by far,
which is why I'm comfortable doing business with them.
The $49 gift card is offered by Get Motivated and will supposedly be
mailed 6-8 weeks after attending Financial Success. Their customer
service number is 800-431-8337, if that helps. That company I'm not so
sure about, since they specifically say that you can safely leave your
checkbook at home, because there's nothing to buy at Get Motivated. That is a bait and switch. It worked out fine for me I guess, but I wish they had more integrity.
I went to the 3 day free seminar.
Fell for the assertion they could turn my 15K into, "a fortune". I
signed up for the cash flow seminar=$3995. For whatever reason, a few
days later I was, then "selected" to be in their special program to be
mentored, one on one, for the low price of 7K, which would be for real
estate training. One, this so called program is really nothing more than
a couple of days to make sure the mark actually can pay the 7K
required. I've talked to a few people, who are actually some of the
hired guns the James Smith Company employs, and they were unaware of
this program. One Kerry Lucas did at first pretend he was going to
figure this out for me, but in reality only wanted to sell his program,
which he asserted, "was much cheaper than I had paid". I'm looking for
as many individuals as I can to start a class action lawsuit against
this company. I have much more information, and a longer list of
complaints, than I want to type right now. If you have found this post
and are wondering about JSC, I can tell you some things. Please contact
me at mcglyph@gmail.com soonest.
Stay away from the James Smith Company, do not buy into the very high
priced program they offer, as there are no refunds, and a man named Nate
Day is seemingly for me at least the only one I can work things out
with. If you want to be successful, the tools are out there, you don't
need to go to this company for anything. If you want training in real
estate save your 10K or whatever, and find a real estate club (they are
every where). My coach had me do this exact thing, go to a real estate
club, that was his first pearl of advice. The people at the real estate
club told me I should have saved my money. Do not be like me, please
look elsewhere for training.
Methinks that everyone gets
"selected" for the (S)pecial (H)igh (I)ntensity (T)raining (mentoring)
and I also believe that old-time member 2-post Laura just might be a
shill.
Just my opinion...
Last edited by PatrickinGa : 06-25-2011 at 05:57 AM.
I was not selected for mentoring, but
I'm sure it was clear to them that I couldn't have afforded it. It
makes sense that their selection criteria would be "Are you good for
it?" Everyone wants to feel special, to be part of an exclusive group,
so they're going to present the selection in that way. Maybe it's
because I worked in sales for a couple of years out of college, but I'm
pretty understanding about things like that. Presenting your case in
such a way that it gets your audience's attention and makes them feel
good is not the same as being dishonest.
That said, some people definitely are dishonest, and they give all
salespeople a bad name. I want to believe that people like that would
not be welcome at James Smith's company. I'm really not in a position to
say. I can say that all my interactions with the company and its
representatives were overwhelmingly positive. I'm sure there is no
company in the world with zero complaints posted about it. When I search
for James Smith without specifically looking for complaints or scams, I
still find more positive comments than negative, which is impressive
considering that people are more likely to share a negative experience
than a positive one (think of the last 5 conversations you had). In a
forum like this, of course you would expect to find more negative
comments, which is why I made it a point to share my positive point of
view here.
Believe what you like about me. Not everyone will have a positive
experience with a given company, and not everyone will have a negative
experience. I believe that your concerns are valid, I hope that they are
resolved asap, and most of all I hope that yours is a rare case.
Respectfully,
Laura
Just got off the phone with Dan
Heaton VP of customer service at James Smith Company. After continually
indicating my dissatisfaction, they are going to be crediting me a
little over half of my money. I'm very pleased and applaud this
company's eventual mostly positive action.
Just got off the phone with Dan
Heaton VP of customer service at James Smith Company. After continually
indicating my dissatisfaction, they are going to be crediting me a
little over half of my money. I'm very pleased and applaud this
company's eventual mostly positive action.
Thank you
Bryan
Telling you that you will be getting a refund, and your actually getting one, are two totally different things.
They may be telling you that to stall or buy time for now, or just to
get you off the phone right now, hope you get your money, but don't
spend it before you get it.
I have to add my experience with
James Smith. I too was entertained at the James Smith seminar when I
attended April 8, 9 and 10 in Portland, OR. I was impressed with the Tax
Lien program so paid $3,999 (discounted rate for seminar!) in order to
get the one on one training and software that was promised. A month
goes ** and I had not heard a word from anyone at James Smith. I finally
called and was told that there were so many people who signed up for
the various programs offered, they were behind in getting contact
information downloaded. Ok, I gave them the benefit of the doubt.
Another 3 weeks go ** and I get a phone call about a webinar on tax
liens that was 2 days away and was I interested. I'm a working girl and
part of my job is organizing webinars. Webinars are scheduled weeks in
advance! Once the webinar is over, attendees are notified within two
days and given a link plus password to view the webinar as many times as
they wish! I was not able to attend James Smith's webinar because it
was scheduled during my work hours. I thought no problem, I would get a
link and view when I could. I never received any kind of communique'
giving me this option after the webinar was over! What I've learned
about tax liens I've been able to get off the itnernet and trips to the
library. On August 10th, I had a conference call with a RyanTrimble of Wealthrock
(formerly James Smith Companies). For additional funds and fees, I
could continue my 'learning' experience. He wanted to know if my husband
and I had a good credit rating which we do. He then wanted to know what
the credit limits were on our cards. I told him about one (limit only
not card number). He then suggested as an 'option' to use (borrow) the
credit limit in order to purchase tax liens and the proceeds from the
liens would make the payments on the credit card. This really disturbed
me to say the least. A significant amount would be used to purchase a
lien and fees would also be deducted using our credit card limit! Dollar
amounts were not specially mentioned but after reading the comments
above, I can only imagine what Ryan had in mind! Ryan
also wanted me to fill out a questionnaire that would give him a better
picture of our financial situation. I asked him to call back when my
husband was present. This was done the evening of August 15th. During
the course of the conversation, Ryan
behaved in a very unprofessional manor when he discovers we were not
immediately jumping into his program and that we wanted answers to
further questions. The poor guy probably had many conversations similar
to ours and was getting frustrated because he wasn't meeting his quota
so he took it out on us. Our intentions are to still invest in tax liens
but it won't be through James Smith's organization ** any stretch of
the imagination! I am in the process of contacting Jame Smith's
organization for a refund. I may or may not get one but I do want others
to beware! Do go to the seminars as they are entertaining but leave
your money at home! Be diligent and investigate other learning tools!
Don't get caught up in the soft sales techniques that promise a better
life. . . they come with hefty fees. You can do better elsewhere!
I did attend the Real Estate Core
Strategies seminar this last weekend, and it totally blew the first one
out of the water. I can't begin to express how valuable those 3 days
were. They handed out evaluation forms at the end asking what we liked
most (among other questions) and my response was, "so much useful information!" I am so grateful for what the Smith family offers.
I'm sorry you saw it as a bait and switch. I guess that depends on what
your expectations were. I would assume that no one is going to rent a
hotel ballroom, fly out and teach us for free, with no hope of making
money. I was expecting a sales pitch. I was just hoping that I would get
information I could put to use immediately, rather than just teasers
for their 5-figure educational packages, like some others give you
(*cough*RichDadEducation*cough*). They exceeded my expectations by far,
which is why I'm comfortable doing business with them.
The $49 gift card is offered by Get Motivated and will supposedly be
mailed 6-8 weeks after attending Financial Success. Their customer
service number is 800-431-8337, if that helps. That company I'm not so
sure about, since they specifically say that you can safely leave your
checkbook at home, because there's nothing to buy at Get Motivated. That is a bait and switch. It worked out fine for me I guess, but I wish they had more integrity.
Have you attempted to use any of the training and was it successful.Dis you make any money.
I'm sorry to say I'm one of the many
who don't follow through. I started with a lot of enthusiasm, then got
sidetracked with helping my husband in his business and have not come
back to real estate yet. I will let you know if/when I use what I know
and get results. I still believe it works for those who have the time,
optimism, and persistence to see it through. I definitely want to be one
of those people.
I attended a couple seminars back in
2005 at an Orlando hotel. It was the same bait and switch scam. Yes I
call it a scam. A legal scam. You hear a very well trained motivational
speaker talk about how he has bought so many homes he can not count them
all. I had already been buying foreclosures for 8 years, so I checked
up on the information about himself that he provided at the seminar. I
could only find less than 10 or 12 confirmed properties that he had
purchased. Yes, I drove to the properties that he owned and sure enough
it was the same as the pictures he provided on the big screen.
Classic Real Estate seminar bait and switch. He motivates you to buy the
$4000 program and of course everyone gets the call to be offered the
premium package for $20,000 PLUS. I talked to Ryan
back then at the end of the seminar. He told me about the further
opportunities that would be available to their students, The high priced
programs. That seminar was a couple of days. I went to the first one
and did my research later that night. I went back the next day to hear
more on the subjects for that day. It is just a long info-mercial with
the final moment of HURRY!!! Buy today, We only have 20 packages left.
What they teach about at the seminars is so elementary its pathetic. I
could do better than that with no preparation. It was insulting to my
intelligence that James was speaking on Foreclosures and tax Deeds while
getting $4,000 a pop. I clearly had more experience and knowledge
regarding the subject material. I don't remember Ryan
speaking during the event. He was quite young. He has been trained to
be a speaker like his father. Do your own research on them. I am a
research pro and I did mine, the picture did not look at all like what
they painted. James is in Seminole County FL. and Ryan is in Orange county FL.
There is a lot of money in doing what James and Ryan
Smith do verses messing around with buying property. Its less work and a
whole lot more respect. 20 people X $4,000 ($80K). 20 people X $20,000.
= $400,000. Total Purse $480,000 for a weekend. Not to shabby. No
fixing a dumpy home, no tenants just a big snow shovel to scoop in the
cash. THAT IS JUST 20 PEOPLE FOLKS. There are a heck of a lot more
suckers than that. Not to insult those of that are reading and have been
hooked. We all have been hooked by some one in our lives. Just don't go
and swallow the hook line and sinker. Please email me. I will talk to
you. I have bought, pre-foreclosures, at auctions, bank owned, from
individuals etc.. etc....
The WealthRock offices have closed their doors and the phones are no longer functioning.
WealthRock students who are attempting to email or call the
WealthRock office asking about the status of purchased programs,
refunds, or events will need to send your email to: wealthrock.questions@gmail.com.
The WealthRock President, Joe Johnson, has a point person who will
contact you regarding responsibilities for fulfilling your WealthRock
purchases, refunds, or events.
Wealth Rock is in the business of making millions by selling programs they claim will make YOU millions within 5 years.
Is this possible? Yes, to a select few who are willing (and able) to
spend $$$$$ (thousands) on and never ending lists of classes, workshops
and training. If you have the money to spend they are more than excited
to take it and ask for more.
I'll take responsibility for "buying into their stories and "investing"
over $40, 000 with the guarantee that they would "stay with me" through
whatever it took to get me started and make back the $40, 000.
THAT WAS A LIE.
I felt like the prodigal son who was popular as long as he had money. When the money ran out the "friends" ran away.
Sure, they will stick with you but you'll need to spend more...and more...and more in order to get the training you need.
They will tell you one story, gladly take your money and ask for more at
the next workshop/seminar. But, they WILL NOT stay with you.
Their guarantee is FALSE!
I post this so YOU don't make the mistake I did and lose $40, 000+.
Don't be fooled. There will always be something else you need to buy in
order to "succeed." As long as you have MORE money they will be there.
When your funds and credit cards are maxed they are gone.
Give me a call. I'll tell you about it. It's cheaper. Oh, and I will sell you nothing.
Dennis Schwarm
541-521-0826
pursuinghim@gmail.com
This company is one HUGE scam that preys on good people by lying to them and doing so in the name of God.
My wife went to the Get Motivated event in Miami a few months back
because she was excited about the speakers. She saw James Smith and Phil
Town speak bought both of their programs. Initially I was mad at how
much money she spent at the conference but I decided to support her and
went to hear what these "experts" had to say.
When we attended the first event, instead of seeing Phil Town, we
listened to Ryan Smith. He stated that he was the son of James Smith,
one of the two speakers that my "sold" my wife at the Get Motivated
event. Ryan Smith essentially spent most of the first day bragging about
how great he is, how much money he has, how charitable he is and how
stupid other people are. He is extremely arrogant and abrasive. He
claimed that he was a professional baseball player. The only problem for
him is that he never made a professional roster because I am a
religious baseball fanatic. I know every team and practically every
player. He never played major league ball, or AAA or even AA for that
matter. Why someone would claim to be a professional athlete when they
verifiably were not is pretty brazen. Ryan also claimed that Donal Trump
asked him to teach his kids how to invest in real estate. Although I
cannot dispute this fact because I do not know Donald Trump, I did
research and find that Donald Trumps kids went to University of
Pennsylvania, the same school that Donal went to and Ivanka graduated
with a specialty in real estate. Trump also donated millions to that
school. Why would Donal Trump pay Ryan Smith, who was (and still is) a
kid, to train his children when he is one of the wealthiest real estate
investors in the world and sent them to a preeminent school that he
obviously believes in because he supports it financially.
On day 2, the tone of the seminar drastically changed. We were invited
to meet with "coaches" in the back of the room who would help us figure
out a game plan to start investing. As it turns out the coaches wanted
to know how much money I had and they asked me if I had credit cards,
cash and other assets. I did not know any of these people and yet they
were asking me for my personal financial information. This should be a
red flag... run.
Toward the end of the day, it became very clear to me why they asked if I
had credit cards or cash: they were selling training courses for almost
$30, 000. Ryan became very aggressive and spouted off that if we wanted
to be prosperous and basically good people, then we would "invest" in
ourselves. I don't see how spending tens of thousands of dollars on a
program that I have to "buy now" positions me for success in life. If
the company that Ryan and all of the other seminar monkeys work for is
so reputable and will be around for the long haul, then why do I have to
buy now. Why such pressure? We did not return for day 3, even though I
was told by one of the "coaches" (read: high pressure salesmen) Nikko
that God would be in the room on Sunday and therefore I didn't need to
go to church.
I was so upset from the event that I didn't want to go to the next
seminar. My wife was very embarrassed as well. Despite the first event,
my wife wanted to hear James Smith speak and she said that he was much
different from his son Ryan. I decided to go with her to the next event.
To my dismay and her horror, the next event which was supposed to
feature James Smith actually featured Ryan Smith and his wife Jamie and
all of his goons. They told the same stories, tried to tell the same
jokes and basically repeated what we paid for just a few days earlier.
The event was an exact copy of what we had just listened to. Why did my
wife pay two fees for the same classes that had two different names.
Makes no sense.
To sum it up, we left and demanded a refund. Wealth Rock was terrible to
deal with because they sounded shocked that we weren't happy with the
event and pretended like we were the only customers who wanted their
money back. I knew that we were the only ones wanting refunds because at
the second event, we sat with 3 other couples that we met at the first
event. We all decided to leave at lunch on the first day and we all
asked for our money back. I spoke with several other people at the event
who had similar complaints.
Three months have passed and they still haven't refunded my money. I
called Wealth Rock last week to see when my refund was coming. The phone
rep couldn't answer my questions and I asked for the manager. I was
told that I couldn't speak with anyone else because Wealth Rock's staff
was on "furlough". I had to look up the word and it means a "temporary
unpaid leave of absence". Wealth Rock has apparently let their staff go
on an unpaid leave for some reason.
Watch out for Wealth Rock, Phil Town, James Smith, Ryan Smith and the
rest of these clowns. They will tell you anything and make up lies just
to get a sale. Oh and they will do everything in the name of Jesus.
Wealth
Rock took over $50, 000 from my husband and I and we now have nothing
to show for it. If you read nothing else, read this...
Run for your financial life!
We went to the Get Motivated Seminar because my husband is a huge Joe
Montana fan. We both grew up in the bay area but move to LA about 10
years ago. When Montana spoke at the Get Motivated conference, my hubby
had to be there. The Get Motivated event was long but fun. It was at the
Staples center and was a neat event. We listened to lots of great
speakers. We didn't know what to expect but by the end of the day, we
listened to, and were really impressed by, James Smith. We signed up for
his event just to hear him more. In the days leading up to the
conference that we bought from James, we should have known something was
wrong. Two companies, both posing as the company that is officially
with James began calling me. I probably received 5 emails and just as
many autodials each days asking me to come to different locations on the
same day. When we got to the event, we felt good because James was
actually there and so was his son Ryan and his daughter in law Jamie and
lots of other coaches. At the event, Ryan Smith was the main presenter
and he talked about all of the mobile home parks that he owns and he
showed pictures of his porsche and of the vacations he went on. It was
over the top, even for LA, but we were still impressed and signed up for
a $23, 000 (we negotiated a discount) set of classes on trading the
stock market and on buying real estate.
We were told that if we signed up for this level of training that we had
all that we needed and that we were part of Wealth Rocks inner circle.
The first class that we attended was supposed to teach us how to buy and
sell residential real estate and provide us with all of the in's and
outs of investing. We were also told that we would receive all of the
contracts that we would need to be investors. The teacher was a person
named Bob Thornton and he had a helper in the back of the room who was
another one of James Smith's daughter in laws. We were told that the
people at these classes were going to be experts. We asked James'
daughter in law several pretty elementary questions and she could not
answer a single one. Bob on the other hand was knowledgeable but this
class didnt accomplish nearly what we were told that it would. We didn't
learn the ins and outs of foreclosures and we didn't receive any
contracts. We were merely given a set of books that are very basic and
in my opinion, below the grade of what you would receive from an off the
self book on real estate from Barnes and Noble.
After we left the first class on real estate investing, we were a little
disheartened. This coincided with the time that our phone started to
get called repeatedly. When we answered, we were told that James Smith
had asked the company to call us to invite us to be part of a select
team. They claimed that James wanted to build a select group of highly
motivated people that he could train and turn into success stories. We
were told that we had to qualify to be a part of the team. We were asked
to state our goals and to describe the resources we would use to
achieve them. We were asked specific details about our credit cards and
bank balances. We believed that because James was part of the company
that it had to be good. We gave this information naively. After giving
our personal information, another person got on the phone and told us to
join James' team, it would require a personal investment. We were told
that this investment would prove our commitment and that it would James'
team would personally mentor us once a week through the phone and that
they would hold our hands through our first deal. We were also going to
be joining James for a week long mentorship where he would personally
mentor us and a few other people. We foolishly fell for this scam and
changed another $25, 000 on our credit card.
The calls with our mentor were an absolute joke. The person we spoke
with told us that he had never met James and had never done a deal with
him. I am not sure how someone could be a part of James' team when they
have never met him. Our mentor also basically told us to run ads for
property that we did not yet own in order to find potential buyers. We
spent two weeks just talking about running craigslist ads and putting
out cardboard signs. The cost of those sessions was $2, 000 by
themselves. We were also told that if we wanted to find investors, that
we could run ads in craigslist for investors. I later learned that this
tactic was outright illegal and my mentor, whom I paid a HUGE amount of
money for was telling me to do this!!!
We then attended the M5 event in San Diego. This event was supposed to
feature James. We were told that he would teach much of the course.
James only spoke in front of the room for two brief moments. We actually
had a chance to meet and speak with him privately. We told him that we
were real excited to get to know him better at the group mentoring
course that we were taking right after the M5. James surprised us when
he said that he wasn't going to be there!!! He said that Wealth Rock had
been sold and that the new owner did not want him to be at the group
mentoring course and that he was not welcome to speak at the M5 other
than what he did. How could this be? We were sold on James. We were told
that he would teach the group mentorship and he wound up telling us
that he was not going to be there. James was right, he was not at the
mentorship.
Wealth Rock is a huge scam. James Smith is just a paid speaker. He is so
nice and hilarious but he has nothing to do with the company and its
training other than speaking at the Get Motivated seminar. Do not fall
for lying phone reps who call you and invite you to be part of their
inner circle. Its all a lie.
We have asked and now demanded a refund but nothing has happened. We got
so mad that we spoke to the CEO Aron Osmond who told us that he
understood our anger and that he would look into our situation. For
several weeks we waiting to hear back and when we didn't we called
Wealth Rock and asked to again speak with Osmond. When we were told that
he wasn't available, my husband became irate. We later found out that
Osmond was no longer with the company.
Take it from me, when a company lies to get sales, won't issue refunds and they are firing key staff, there is a problem.
Please google Wealth Rock and Get Motivated before making any decision.
Wealth Rock set us back 2 years in our savings. Dont make the same
mistake as we did and decide to enroll in their classes just because you
like James or you have a gut feeling. Do your research. These guys are
high pressure sales people.
After
one year, my husband and I are still trying to get a refund from this
company. These snake oils salesmen lied to us about the training that
they would provide, about who would be at our training and about the
refund policy that backed our investment decision. They use God and
faith as a hook.
We were told that if we signed up for the M5 that we would receive the
blue prints for success in mobile home park. Ryan Smith said that
investing was about following a check list and that checklist would be
given to us at the M5. I was told that Ryan and Jamie would personally
be there.
All lies.
Ryan and Jamie did not come to the M5 in San Diego. Instead, there were
over a dozen salesmen trying to get my husband and I to buy more
trainings. We were not taught how to invest in mobile home parks - the
company tried to sell us live on site mentoring from someone who would
teach us. We were not taught how to invest in senior living homes - the
company tried to sell us on a bootcamp that would teach us how to invest
in care facilities. On and on the company pitched at least a dozen
classes. It was an endless sales event. Almost no meat or substance. I
learned from one of the instructors named Jared Osmond but he only spoke
a few hours a day. The rest was terrible. Jared told us that his
brother was the CEO of the company. We recently learned that his brother
quit. Thats right... the CEO quit.
My husband and I also bought one on one coaching. We were promised the
opportunity to work with a seasoned investor. The person we spoke with
on the phone taught us strategies that conflicted with what we were
taught at the Core Strategies class. One coach admitted that he had
never attended the class that we paid $4000. Apparently Wealth Rocks
feels that it is important to train customers but not their own staff!!
My husband and I are about to sue Wealth Rock if they don't refund our
money. The lied about what they would provide. Not one class has met our
expectations except for the first 3-day event when we signed up for
everything. The level of service dissappears as soon as they have your
money.
Wealth Rock also tried to claim that they did not owe use anything
because the company recently changed hands. From my attorneys research,
this company has used about 6 different names in the past 4 years. A
company that changes names that much is doing it for a reason.
Stay away.
Reverend Rick Christy’s story about
how he lost $11,500 trading options starts in a Michigan sports
stadium with Colin Powell, Rudy Giuliani and Terry Bradshaw.
They were headliners at an event called Get Motivated! in
Grand Rapids a year ago that cost Christy $4.95 for a ticket and
a few bucks for a concession-stand soda. He was looking for
inspiration, and he said they delivered in speeches that brought
the crowd of 12,000 in Van Andel Arena to its feet.
May 2 (Bloomberg) --
Bloomberg's Peter Robison reports on his experience at a Get Motivated!
seminar in Oklahoma City and attending a TD Ameritrade Holding Corp.
investing class promoted at the event. (Source: Bloomberg)
It was a TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. (AMTD) representative who
left a lasting impression. Bob Kittell, a square-jawed athlete,
delivered a pitch he’s honed across the country: A photo of a
Corvette flashes on a screen, and he asks, wouldn’t you like
one? Articles about secretaries and steelworkers who got rich in
the stock market scroll by, and he asks, wouldn’t you like 17
percent returns? He suggests it’s possible with options trades.
Christy was lured by the bait of celebrity and hooked by
the promise of easy money at a road show that’s been traveling
the U.S. for a decade, drawing as many as 400,000 people a year.
What’s billed as a chance to hear upbeat lectures from the
famous is actually a vehicle for companies to sell investing
tactics, with the implicit promise of high returns, on the same
stage as luminaries like Powell.
The pastor said he stepped forward when Kittell urged
people to buy a $99 course from TD Ameritrade’s Investools. A
few hours later he signed up for more investing lessons sold by
another company. Soon he was buying call and put options and
using a complicated strategy known as the “Iron Condor.” His
accounts shrank to $8,500 from $20,000.
Easy Marks
“I feel taken,” said Christy, 49, senior pastor at Voice
of Hope Church in Wayland outside Grand Rapids. “I really
thought I was going to turn my life around financially, and I’m
actually worse off a year later.”
Americans are easy marks, particularly at a time of
economic uncertainty and a see-sawing stock market, said Lynn Turner, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s chief
accountant from 1998 to 2001.
“People are so hungry for an investment that will give
them enough to retire on,” Turner said. “If someone from a
well-known firm stands up, and people have just heard this
speech by a celebrity and got their adrenalin pumping -- this is
a place where you can sell an Eskimo a refrigerator.”
Until a change of ownership at Get Motivated Seminars Inc.
earlier this year, Investools, a TD Ameritrade unit since 2009,
was the largest source of income for the events, said Richard
Nash, a spokesman for the Tampa, Florida-based seminar series.
The partnership with Get Motivated ended in February.
Former First Lady
Before former First Lady Laura Bush took the stage at a Get
Motivated assembly in Oklahoma City Feb. 16, a speaker named
Kory Thurston asked people to wiggle their index fingers.
“You just proved you can make money on the Internet,”
Thurston said, as the crowd in Chesapeake Energy Arena clapped.
By purchasing a $29.95 class in Web marketing, he said,
almost anyone could learn to make $1,000 a month clicking a
mouse. He represented National Marketing Resources LLC, another
company that paid to appear on Get Motivated programs.
Billboards and ads in cities ahead of Get Motivated events
tout ticket prices as low as $1.95 for lessons on success and
leadership, without disclosing the sales pitches sandwiched
between the stars. A website says attendees will “be sold on
the value of continuing education” and that “follow-on
workshops may be offered.” People should consult with “tax,
legal, financial, accounting or other advisors before
implementing any views, opinions or advice given during the
seminars,” fine print on the back of a ticket says.
Shooting Flames
The commercial speakers have been fully part of the
pageantry. When Kittell bounded up the steps in Oklahoma City,
flames shot from corners of the stage.
At the next Get Motivated, in Des Moines, Iowa, May 8, real
estate and investing workshops will be sold. Comedian Bill Cosby
and Republican strategist Karl Rove are among the billed stars.
The seminars were started in 2002 by Peter Lowe, the son of
a missionary who spent time in India, and his ex-wife Tamara
Lowe, a self-help book author who writes Christian rap. The
events, which have filled stadiums in more than 30 cities a
year, give Americans a chance to enjoy a show and see prominent
people in person, said Nash, the spokesman.
TD Ameritrade was happy with its Get Motivated partnership,
according to Ted Bloomberg, the Omaha, Nebraska-based
brokerage’s managing director of investor education. He declined
to say why it ended.
Nothing ‘Irrational’
“I would dispute the notion that there’s a hard-sell
environment in a 10,000-person arena,” said Bloomberg, who has
no relationship to Bloomberg News. “We were always very pleased
with the way they presented our product.”
Get Motivated provided as many as 300,000 of the 500,000
students who took Investools classes over 10 years, according to
Nash. Bloomberg called it a “significant portion.”
The collaboration continued after Investools agreed to pay
$3 million in 2009 to settle SEC allegations it let instructors
mislead students into thinking they could make “extraordinary
profits,” and to claim they were expert options traders when
their income really came from selling more courses. Investools
didn’t admit or deny wrongdoing in the case, which covered 2004
to 2007, before TD Ameritrade’s purchase.
Investools teachers disclose all risks and don’t make
guarantees, the broker’s Bloomberg said. “One of the things
we’re very concerned about is people having an irrational view
of what’s possible from a return perspective,” he said.
Flag-Draped Arena
At an Investools course in February, the teacher told
students that options, contracts to trade a security at a set
price by a certain date, could yield 18 percent annually. That
is a performance achieved by fewer than 1 percent of about
41,000 mutual funds over the past five years, according to data
compiled by Bloomberg.
Before dawn in Oklahoma City on Feb. 16, hundreds were
already filing into the 16,591-seat stadium for Get Motivated.
People said they came because their bosses bought tickets, or as
members of a church or charity, or to see someone they admired.
Carol Snow, visiting from Maine, carried a hand-made welcome
banner for Bush and waited nine hours to raise it.
Inside the flag-draped arena, retired Pittsburgh Steelers
quarterback Bradshaw strode in to the theme from Fox Sports’ NFL
Sunday broadcast. Bush offered updates on her family. (“Memo to
the ex-president: turmoil in East Timor is no longer an excuse
not to pick up your socks.”) Former New York Mayor Giuliani
told people to read, write and have goals.
Buying Corvettes
A speaker introduced as Mark Larson promoted courses in
what he called tax-lien investing that he said could offer 18 to
25 percent annual returns. “And listen closely to the last part
of this: guaranteed,” he said.
Larson and Thurston, who had people wiggle their fingers,
both represented National Marketing Resources of Kearney,
Missouri, according to Nash. It sells online coaching and also
specializes in credit card processing, marketing and direct
mail, according to its website. Telephone calls and e-mails to
National Marketing weren’t returned. The speakers couldn’t be
reached for comment.
Tamara Lowe talked about her rise from a drug-addicted
youth and performed rap she wrote, with lyrics including, “You
can shop nonstop or pop a pill/but the void won’t fill and the
pain won’t kill/until you love the one that hung on the hill.”
Powell, a former U.S. secretary of state, confided it was
hard returning to private life after having met kings and prime
ministers. “The solution became obvious, it was perfect: I
bought a Corvette,” he said, to laughter.
‘Secret Weapon’
Most speeches lasted about 20 minutes. TD Ameritrade’s
Kittell took an hour, revving up the crowd with a photo of the
same model Powell said he owned. He talked about covered call
options, in which someone who owns a stock sells to another
investor the option to buy it. The stockowner pockets the option
payment no matter what happens to the stock, he said.
“How many of you would like to get a brand-new car and
have the premiums take care of it from your covered calls?”
Kittell asked, to whoops.
He closed with a special deal. The Investools course
Investing Foundation, usually $2,245, was $99. Lights came on in
the walkways. He told people to head toward the light -- and
hurry, “it’s going to get crazy.” Hundreds streamed down.
For TD Ameritrade, the largest U.S. discount broker by
daily trades, Investools is a “secret weapon,” Chief Financial
Officer Bill Gerber said at an investor forum in Miami in
February. “We have an education business that I think is very
unique and helps differentiate us, that really talks about how
to invest mostly in options,” he said.
Super Bowl Wager
Unlike stocks, options expire, so traders often place new
orders. TD Ameritrade charges $9.99 for an order plus 75 cents
for every 100 shares involved. Stock trades are $9.99. Options
customers average 30 options trades and 31 stock trades a year
compared with 24 stock trades for others, according to a survey
released in 2010 by the Options Industry Council trade group. Andrew Stoltmann, a Chicago securities lawyer, called
Investools courses “the holy grail for a brokerage firm”
because “they get people to pay large sums of money to trade
one of the most profitable investment products around.”
While lucrative for brokers, options are risky for
amateurs, said Mark Sebastian, a former floor trader at the
Chicago Board Options Exchange who teaches at Option Pit
Mentoring, which charges $1,800 for a 14-week seminar.
They’re not unlike a Super Bowl wager with a point spread:
you have to get both the magnitude and the direction right.
Sebastian said about 10 percent of his students make more
trading options than they would leaving their money in the bank.
Opening Accounts
Eight days after Get Motivated in Oklahoma City, 300 people
sat in a suburban conference room for the Investools Investing
Foundation course. Instructor Rob Lant, 42, said he would level
with them: Trading isn’t as simple as Kittell made it seem.
Lant said he had no intention of getting into the market
until taking the same Investools class seven years ago, which
changed his life and has “blessed everybody” in his family. He
showed pictures of his wife and children and their mountainside
home, talked about their recent vacation at the Wynn resort in
Las Vegas and shared his love of horseback riding.
He started with basics -- how a broker handles trades, how
banking and brokerage accounts can be linked -- and noted TD
Ameritrade representatives were there to help open accounts. He
asked students to bring in financial statements. Then he had
everyone write down two words: option trading.
“This is not an options class; this is a stock class,” he
said. “But at the same time, I personally like to trade
advanced options strategies.”
‘Highly Regulated Industry’
He said most people hand their money to mutual fund
managers and pay fees. “What if we could get 1.5 percent return
on your money every month?” he said. “That would be 18 percent
a year. Do you guys think this is possible?”
It is, he said. Lant said he aims for 3 percent to 5
percent a month -- 36 to 60 percent a year -- trading options.
In an interview after class, Lant said he couldn’t say
whether he hit his objective. “I don’t say what my returns
are,” he said. “It’s a highly regulated industry. I can tell
you my goal.”
Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours”
sent students off to a break. Later, Lant told them about stock
and options courses that cost $5,999 and a Complete Investor
class at $19,999, marked down from $28,999.
Better Than Professionals
Many students are happy with the instruction, according to
TD Ameritrade. It provided the name of Evie Petrikkou, a
Colorado Springs photographer who said she has paid $30,000 for
Investools classes. She and her husband now handle most of their
money themselves after watching professionals miss warnings of
the 2008 crash, she said.
“We’re learning so we can actually do at least as well as
what these guys are doing,” Petrikkou said. She declined to say
what her returns have been.
In Michigan, Christy took the two-day Investools course and
put $4,000 on a credit card to pay for options trading. He said
he learned the drawbacks of the covered call strategy Kittell
heralded. For one thing, he had to buy stock so he could sell
options on it, and he said could only afford second-rate shares
that lost value, wiping out the options premiums he was paid.
“Nobody tells you that,” he said.
The pastor said he also signed up during Get Motivated for a
workshop offered by James Smith Companies, now called WealthRock
LLC. He later bought $12,000 in more WealthRock courses, he
said, financing them at them at $300 a month.
‘Better Than Reality’
A WealthRock instructor showed him the Iron Condor, which
requires buying four options on one security with four strike
prices and two spreads; it takes its name from the payout
diagram resembling a bird with outstretched wings.
Christy said he complained to WealthRock after the
strategies didn’t work as advertised. A representative offered
to reduce the debt by $2,000 and provide more coaching, said
Christy, who hasn’t given up on trading.
“I know I have been gullible,” he said, blaming himself
and “the ones who made it all sound so easy. They didn’t
outright lie. They just made it sound way better than reality.”
WealthRock is owned by Get Motivated’s new owner and former
CFO, Joseph Johnson of Apollo Beach, Florida. He said WealthRock
stands by the quality of its classes, which cost up to $25,000.
Nash said Johnson paid $11.75 million for Get Motivated. The
business had $4 million in net income in the first nine months
of 2011, according to filings in the Lowes’ divorce, which
became final last month.
Wire Transfers
The Lowes reached agreements that would let them remain
involved in the events, he as a $1 million-a-year consultant
and she as a $25,000-per-appearance speaker, according to
documents filed in the divorce. They declined to comment.
Johnson said it wasn’t necessary to continue the Investools
partnership now that WealthRock and Get Motivated are under the
same management, though he didn’t rule out reviving it.
Until he took over, Investools made wire transfers based on
revenue-sharing that were Get Motivated’s largest source of
funds for most of its history, according to spokesman Nash.
Bloomberg declined to elaborate on the financial terms. Gerber,
TD Ameritrade’s CFO, said April 17 that ending the “vendor
relationship” would have little effect on earnings. The broker
is now marketing Investools through “other channels,”
Bloomberg said.
Among Johnson’s tasks will be resolving a dispute with the
Washington Speakers Bureau, which is owed $1.7 million for Get
Motivated appearances its clients made between November and
February, according to legal documents filed April 6. The bureau
represents Bush, Powell and others, its website says.
Romney Via Satellite
Johnson had pledged in an e-mail to pay the company “over
time,” saying the new business model “makes the Get Motivated
Seminars more profitable than ever before,” the documents show.
Officials with the bureau, a unit of New York-based Omnicom
Group Inc. (OMC), didn’t respond to e-mails and telephone calls.
The celebrity speakers from Oklahoma City declined to be
interviewed. Peggy Cifrino, a spokeswoman for Powell, said, “He
goes in and speaks and leaves. He has nothing to do with any
other speakers.”
Giuliani netted $1.8 million for more than 20 Get Motivated
speeches from January 2006 to February 2007, according to
disclosures he filed while running for president. Republican
presidential candidate Mitt Romney was paid $29,750 to speak via
satellite in 2010 to a Get Motivated event, his disclosures
show. Andrea Saul, a Romney spokeswoman, didn’t respond to e-
mails or telephone calls.
At Get Motivated in Des Moines -- where former CBS News
anchor Dan Rather and Robert Gibbs, President Barack Obama’s
former press secretary, are on the bill -- one commercial
presenter will be Phil Town, an investment-book author who
represents WealthRock.
After Bloomberg News asked why Town and James Smith,
another WealthRock representative, weren’t advertised, Get
Motivated put them on its website.
“In terms of disclosure, we’re making lots of changes in
the organization,” Johnson said, “and that’s one of them.”
TAMPA --
The collapse of Get Motivated Seminars, which packed arenas
with its tips on success and spirituality, has thrown out of work at
least a hundred people and left millions in bills unpaid.
The
Tampa company for years promoted its powerhouse lineup of speakers,
including Colin Powell and former first lady Laura Bush, in full-page
newspaper ads and drew attendees with dirt-cheap tickets — $1.95 a pop.
But Get Motivated's suppliers are stumped by the last eight months.
Since
winter, it has been sold to a little-known Apollo Beach man with a
troubled business history, its staff shuffled among at least three
offices and its operations eventually shut down. Lawsuits are flying.
"I've
heard stories and rumors, but none of it seems to make any sense," said
Bill Fries, whose Tampa staffing company, Hiregy, supplied workers to
Get Motivated.
Its glamorous seminars got all the attention, but
Get Motivated Seminars actually was a marketing company that generated
sales leads for investment advisory firms.
Its real corporate
name was Life Win Inc., and until recently it operated out of a
technology park across from Tampa International Airport. There, more
than 100 people sold tickets to Get Motivated powwows in arenas and
convention centers nationwide. They tempted customers with $1.95 tickets
but eventually tried to upsell them with pricier tickets.
Company
agents also steered customers to at least two firms that offered
classes and advice on financial investing, a Utah firm called WealthRock
and a TD Ameritrade affiliate called Investools.
At its events,
big-name politicians and sports stars such as Rudy Giuliani and Joe
Montana earned five-figure fees for their talks. Every show also
featured at least a few minutes of Christian inspiration.
Life
Win's founding couple, Peter and Tamara Lowe, were known for their
Christian faith. He once ran the Rev. Billy Graham's crusade in Tampa;
she can be spotted on YouTube performing a Christian rap song.
But things seemed to go downhill quickly.
The
Lowes are going through a nasty divorce in Palm Beach County, where
they both have separate houses, and their motivational seminar business
appears to have been caught in the middle.
Life Win Inc. shut its
last known office on West Waters Avenue sometime early this month and
laid off dozens of employees. Since then, the company's suppliers and
investors and their lawyers have tried to piece together what happened.
Among the curious events are:
Allegations
of theft. Peter Lowe claimed in court papers filed in January that
Tamara sabotaged his company's former offices, stole intellectual
property and essentially set up a rival motivational speaking company.
Tamara
shot back that Peter sold the company out from under her to a
little-known 36-year-old Apollo Beach man named Joe Johnson. What's
more, Johnson had a shaky business history with a failed charity called
SeedAmerica Foundation.
Johnson promised to help small Midwestern
towns revitalize their dilapidated industrial buildings, but instead
SeedAmerica filed bankruptcy and never fulfilled its promises. The
Tribune has been unable to reach Johnson or his lawyer in recent weeks.
Mysterious
moves. Since the fall, Life Win's staff of more than 100 has moved in
and out of at least three offices on Eisenhower Boulevard near the
airport and Waters Avenue. The owner of the Eisenhower property won a
$226,000 judgment against Life Win in April.
Sudden
shutdown. Having closed on his purchase of Life Win, Johnson had been
running the seminar company in recent months. However, he canceled
powwows scheduled for this month in Louisville, Ky., and East Lansing,
Mich.
He eventually shut the company altogether around the
beginning of this month. Former employees declined to comment for this
story, but Fries, the staffing agency executive, said they've come to
his company looking for jobs.
Even if the company has disappeared, Life Win's debts haven't, and former vendors and creditors are trying to collect.
A
Naples woman, Amy Wolfe, claims in one lawsuit that she loaned Johnson
$12 million to help him buy the seminar company from the Lowes, but
Johnson has defaulted. Her attorneys did not return the Tribune's calls.
Meanwhile, the company that lined up many of those political and
sports figures, the Washington Speakers Bureau, claims in court papers
that Life Win owes it more than $1.7 million in speaking fees plus
interest and attorneys fees. And Fries has sued for $19,518 in unpaid
staffing services.
This is not the first time Life Win or a
predecessor company has collapsed amid a mountain of debt. Eleven years
ago, a motivational seminar company Peter Lowe ran called Success Events
International shut down owing money to dozens of vendors. Lowe has not
returned the Tribune's calls in recent weeks.
For now, those arena-packing Get Motivated powwows have gone dark, and it's not clear if they will return.
Aaron
Osmond, a member of Utah's famous Osmond family, in April left
WealthRock, the investment firm that got referrals from the seminars. He
hasn't been in touch with anyone from Get Motivated Seminars or Life
Win since and said he doesn't know where they are.
"I think they've got a lot of work bringing that company back," Osmond said.
Wealth Rock Financial Systems. Stocks, Real Estate, Legal, Tax Liens,
Ryan Smith, Jamie Smith, Mark Walters, Phil Town, Aaron Osmond Selling
Dreams for 99 dollars / or Retail $65, 895 dollars. But if you call
before Midnight it is only $26, 995. deal. Saved $38, 900 . Miami, fort
lauderdale, Florida
I attended the get motivated seminar in
Miami. I Heard Phil Town (rule one investing) and Jamie Smith of
(Wealthrock). As a single mother with 3 kids what they were saying was
interesting to me. I make 26k a year so I was a Prospect... I signed up
for the 99 dollar 3 day course.
Ryan Smith Jamies son was
teaching the class. He told us he Taught Donald Trumps Kids how to be
Rich stories of how he was worth hundreds of millions of dollars but was
broke? did not own any thing in his name all through the companys
names. I will show you how to be broke. I am Part of the 99% he joked.
(i am part of that in real way not a joke) I drive a Porsche, live in
Mansion, I was a pro baseball player. Showed pictures of his wife and
staff with 50, 000 dollars bundle of money. He said that he took to
dinner a deal finder lady and her negative husband and on way home that
night threw the cash 5k at a time on man till it hit 50k Now the ladys
husband will not be negative and believe.. Wow I thought this is
incredible I have found my dream this is to good to be true. Lady made
50 k in one deal with him.
So they brought a team of 40 people
with them. Each one stood in the front and told of there success with
wealth rock system. Easy, take chance, do it they said. Then gave me a
goals sheet they meet with you in back and sell you a course they know
my debt/ net worth . avial credit Goals (dreams and hopes to exploit) .
My adviser told me that it will be easy to make 5 million in 5 years.
Think of your kids she said. You dont want them to see a old broke lady
in the future do you. I asked what she made she said I can not tell you.
I thought wow i just told you everything about me
The Costs of
the Courses Tax Liens with Mark Walter $4995, Stocks with Phil Town
Basic $4995, Intermediate $7995, Symposium $9999, Advanced $15, 999,
Real Estate with Ryan Smith Basic $4995, Intermediate $7995, M5 mega
$9995, Advanced 15, 995, Asset Protection with Lawyer $4995, Bonds
master $4995. The way it works is, if you buy the upper tier packages,
you get the lower tiers thrown in for the price. Thank God for the Elite
I can get all for $26, 995 was $65, 895 Save 38, 900. I bought this one
for $26, 995 my salary per year is $26000.
He also told a story
that Donnie and Marie Osmonds cousin wanted to make record but donny and
Marie would not support him with money he came to Ryan Smith learned
the real estate and bought 3 mobile home parks. He also gave us the name
and number of Credit Repair guy Greg Tilly. Told us no affiliation to
him at all. Aron Osmond (the cousin) is the CEO of wealth rock, And
vhesse financial credit repair is listed as a partner with him. Lies
lies and more lies... I am trying to get my money back but they my
Representative said paper work lost.
Do not go to Get Motivated
seminar they lead you to these guys...Fast talking, slick, Rip off
artists sprinkle, Christian values, Be Broke the99% (but secretly rich),
helping the poor, while fleecing the poor. Nobody in there right mind
would let a lady with 3 kids charge $26, 000.00 to her credit card that
makes $26000 per year. My Representative said 28 people who bought elite
packages. $755, 860 in Sales not a bad weekend Seminar total.
The
FTC has been active in policing real-estate seminar operators in the
past. " Eleven states brought 18 legal cases against seminar operators
selling a variety of business and investment schemes.
The Tax
Lien ScamAnother popular ploy used to hook potential investors is buying
tax lien properties. You need the help of the course or system or
seminar to do this, so the sellers of such items would have you believe.
In truth however, you can call your local tax assessor or pay them a
visit and get the same information for free.
"These seminars are
fascinating from a sociological perspective, " says Stephen Roulac, a
professor of real estate at Stanford University, and a real-estate
investment consultant for the past 30 years."They play to people's greed
and fear."
Real estate seminar speakers and their ilk prey on
the innocent, the greedy and the naive and, quite frankly, many of us,
if we looked deeply inside ourselves, might find one or two of those
targeted traits, so nobody is really immune from these shysters
IN CONCLUSION
I'm saying:
Don't trust them
Don't do business with them
Run far, far away from them.
P.T. Barnum were alive today, he would be a real estate seminar speaker.
Many of you have contacted our offices asking about the current lawsuit that has been filed by people who state that they are "Victims" of The James Smith Real Estate Organization. As members of the national media, we are compelled to provide you with the raw information that is available on this site and many others. In the interest of justice we present the original filing that was filed in the Third Judicial District Court in Salt Lake City, Utah.
We are going to provide you with the legal filing data, however, we are not going to comment on the current legal proceedings because of a confidentiality agreement that we have with this company. Please understand that we know and have known many of the defendants in this lawsuit, and as a media organization, it is our obligation to simply provide you, the American Public, with the facts of the current case.
James Smith NRI, Darel Snyder PSI group
Posted: 2007-01-23 by Hovsep A [send email]
Took their advice and lost $65,000!
Complaint Rating: 80 % with 56 votes
I was one of James Smith's students. Two years ago I went to a seminar in Burbank CA with my brother in-law and we decided to purchase the entry real estate package which was $5,000. At the real estate entry course we were offered a special deal for the entire real estate package (M5, foreclosure workshop, commercial workshop, mentor program and analysis software) which was additional $17,000 dollars for both of us. We were also offered an opportunity at M5 workshop, a profitable property which in return will have high return. So $22,000 which we spent will be covered. We bought the entire package. We took all the workshops except commercial workshop. We meet with other investors and the concept was good. We also talked with successful investors. Over all it was okay, we met interesting people. James has the right concept I thought.
At M5 workshop we were afford to purchase Edge luxury condo in Scottsdale AZ. We couldn't miss the opportunity. The condo that I purchased at that time the value was $350,000. The properties were discovered by PSI Group (http://www.psigrouponline.com/), which is run by Darel and Brycen Snyder. I personally spoke with Darel few times and he told me the Edge property is a sweet deal. I did some research and it looked like a good deal at that time. Plus given their expertise in real estate who am I to argue.
I signed an agreement with the builder that I can't sell the property for 18 months. Every month I did do diligence to make sure the value is going up. That specific zip code was always appreciating. I knew there were condos being built but I had no idea that it will impact the value of my condo. Plus I called the builder office few times to make sure my condo was appreciating, the answer to my question was always yes it's appreciating. 18 months is over now I'm trying to sell the condo and guess what my condo value down to $320,000. My total loss including negative cash flow is $65,000 dollars. I tried to contact PSI Group, they were going to get back to me in few days, and it’s been 3 weeks now. I paid $11,000 dollars to get an advice from real estate expert and this is what I get. It's very disappointing. That’s my story.
[Complaint comments] Comments [Complaint country] United States [Complaint category] Real Estate
Share with others: Digg it! Del.ici.ous Yahoo My Web Share on Twitter Facebook My Web
Was the above complaint useful to you?
Comments
Sort by: Date | Rating
2007-03-03 by Cheryl Schaumburg [send email] 0 Votes
Are you aware that the market has changed? I don't feel that we can blame James Smith for that!
Is that purchase the only one you made after attending the seminar? Perhaps you weren't putting much effort in to what you were taught!
I had an opportunity to buy at the Edge also. That property wasn't one I chose to invest in. That's not to say that I haven't purchased 2 properties in Waikiki, 3 in Butte, Mt., 5 in San Diego, & quite a few other ones after attending M5. I think James Smith is fantastic as well as many of the other instructors I had an opportunity to learn from.
Yes, I did buy investment property before I met James Smith. You sometimes get busy with life & become a bit complacent. He gave investing a different twist & also got us off our butts to get back out there to continue to look for investment properties. I feel my money was well spent.
2007-03-17 by Kelvin [send email] 0 Votes
For those who want to interact with others who have either heard of james smith, taken james smith courses, or just want to learn/share their knowledge and experience about James Smith OR real estate investing... please come and join us here:
Is he the real deal?? Ha... it depends whom you ask. This list has been around since 2004... w/over 800+ members and growing!
2007-03-29 by Jim [send email] 0 Votes
I am familiar with the Edge project and Darel and Brycen Snyder. I am a student of James Smith's and the experience has been life changing and worth every penny. To date, I have purchased over 200 units in 7 states through what I learned through his courses. Worth every cent. Through these classes I met Darel and Brycen and they are two of the most quality individuals out there. I have a hard time believing they have not contacted the person posting here as they are great about getting back to you when you need something. If you have doubts, go to their website and ask a question, see how long it takes. Anyways, love the training, love the PSI Group, and love James Smith.
2007-04-23 by Hovsep A [send email] 0 Votes
I was the one who wrote the complaint regarding PSI group. I just have to make few clarifications.
I liked the James Smith's training; it has a lot of potential. I just had higher expectations then what I got from M5. If you are serious about real estate I HIGHLY recommend James Smith's training. Like I wrote in my first message, he has the right concept. Just you have to go out there and do it.
I got a phone call from Darel Snyder regarding my Edge property and he was VERY SUPPORTIVE and honest. We have our differences, which is fine. I respect his different perspective.
At the beginning my vision was the following: hold the property for 18 months, sell it and make a quick cash. But the condo market has changed. Give my financial situation I can not hold on to the condo for a long time. And if I sell it right now I will loss money on it. If I can hold on to it, over time the price will go high for sure.
From my financial STRESS I was blaming PSI group, which was a wrong thing to do. It's my responsibility. THE LESSON FROM THIS IS THE FOLLOWING: Next time I will add following variables into my equation: changes of my financial situation and the real estate market fluctuation. WILL I DO BUSINESS WITH PSI GROUP NEXT TIME? YES. Given Darel's SUPPORT AND HONESTY. YES I WILL.
Regards,
Hovsep A
2008-04-29 by Dave F [send email] 0 Votes
My hat's off to you for your honesty and owning your situation. I listened to a James Smith seminar today for the first time, and must admit, was totally blown away by the guy. While in real estate exam school for my KY sales license one of my instructors was commenting on how her daughter's home value had plummeted in Az. since the Scottsdale area market had gone belly-up, just like all the rest of the rediculously over priced properties in California, Mich, and Florida. See a parrallel to the Tech Crash here? Unfortunately, and as you know all too well, you bought in to the top of one of the most over priced markets in the country. Once again, thanks for your honesty. I plan on attending a follow up session soon. I only hope I can take some advantage of Smith's knowledge and motivation without shelling out a boatload of cash. I am still a little troubled however, about the late or total lack of feedback or follow up between some students and NRI/PSI. Thanks.
2008-06-16 by Michael M [send email] 0 Votes
While I understand the disappointment that accompanies a failed investment, I can't feel bad for someone who doesn't do their own due dilligence. In response to Jim's post, I strongly disagree. Daryl Snyder is not a good person and is excellent at scamming the public through James' bravado. These guys pocketed commissions north of 10% on many of their bogus deals and pretended that they offered an "amazing deal" to students. It is so easy to prey on seminar students who bank on appreciation. You want to find a real investment - CASHFLOW IS KING! If it doesn't make sense now, then it probably won't in a few years. If it does make sense now and at least breaks even, the chances are much higher that you'll make money. James is an arrogant hypocrite and Daryl has gotten rich off his coattails.
2008-10-04 by Dan [send email] -1 Votes
I too was taken in by Darel Snyder and PSI Group. I bought into the Phoenix condo (Trilium project), and it was fine for the first 2 years during the "guarantee" period. But after that, everything went wrong. The market in Phoenix has totally tanked, NOTHING has sold in that complex in the last 2 years, we're trying to do a short sale to avoid foreclosure, but we would have to sell a $220, 000 condo for $110, 000 to even get any offers, and it might not even sell at that price. We're losing over $1, 000 per month on this, and can't afford it any longer. Darel used his relationship to James Smith to give his project credibility and get lots of buyers for the condo project, then he sold out at the top of the market. I saw the same thing happen at his project in Roseville, CA, but fortunately that is near my home so I was aware of the changing market and didn't fall for it there. Darel was pitched as a Real Estate expert who sold $1Billion (with a B) worth of Real Estate in TX, so he should have known that prices don't go up forever, and condos are the first to tank. Maybe if he had sat in on some of those Real Estate classes instead of just selling to the students he would've known.
2008-10-20 by Mimi [send email] -1 Votes
The trouble with the whole organization, for one thing, is who's on first? The lack of communication is troublesome. We are the Clients. We have hired them to teach us.
As Platinum student, a $16, 000 program at least, I resent the failure of the organization to let clients know about operational changes possibily affecting their sizable (at least it is to me) investment in education. Why do students have to call and request information about MP5 and/or other upcoming events - we should be the ones being kept informed. Why are some students being given terrible advice by mentors and essentially end up so frustrated they give up? I know of at least two other people in the small area where I live who are as annoyed as I am. One is a Platinum participant, and one took the supplemental mentoring program.
The organization, as I understand it, made some changes and we now have JamesSmithSeries Coaching, supposedly (?) a break away from the REIS/Success Group, and whatever else they call themselves.
PSI is not familiar to me except today I received a solicitatioin from them. The email was from Brycen Snyder who was with the Smith organization as recently as August 2008 that I know of.
It is true the training is good, and the knowledge base is there. James is brilliant and miles ahead of most of us. I believe he really does want us to be successful and independently wealthy. However, it seems his organization needs someone who is an operations-total picture person and can manage the somewhat seemingly predatory nature of some staff and outside providers.
Part of the Platinum program affords access to a team of "experts". Sorry, that, for me ended up in being referred to an outside entity wanting to sell me an expensive accounting package. My question related to Asset Protection.
Less than six months into the Platinum program, I was approached/invited to join the Elite program. Price tag: $19, 995. At first, I said yes and then cancelled within the 72 hour timeframe. The program overlaps the Platinum; uses some of the same materials, includes the "experts", and offers some other services including a guarantee.
The recruiter was provided my credit card information. The charges were applied after I cancelled. A few days later he called saying the charges were being removed that day. Later in the conversation, as before mentioned the OPM emphasis of the program, the proposed quick turnaround on profit, he convinced me to accept the offer again saying I could use my credit cards to leverage for time, and keep my equity line for investing needs. He calculated what he thought would be the monthly interest due on the credit cards, stating also my credit score would not be adveresely affected. He did not ask for my credit card information again.
Since I pay off my cards 100% each month, I felt uneasy and checked with my credit card companies who said my credit rating would be seriously affected if the balances remained open. Also, additional interest would accrue, and the monthly payments would escalate putting me at risk. Bottom line, the recruiter failed to be truthful.
Again, I notified these people within the 72 hour cancllation timeframe. Notification was sent to the recruiter and to James himself. Along with the cancellation, and request for removal of the charges immediately, some of the factors mentioned above were included in my letter/email. That was October 4, 2008.
There was no response so I contacted "customerhelp" and received a note from the CEO he was going to look into the matter. A week later, October 17, 2008, after several emails and phone calls, I received an email apologizing for the delay and yet no satisfaction. It seems the CEO has some type of difficulty comprehending the seriousness of the situation.
Over the weekend, I received a FICO notification my credit rating dropped by 28 points. It had been 804.
It is curious to me why after only being in a program less than six months, I was approached for another program. In light of that, in my letter/email I also mentioned some consideration, a rebate, or cost reduction should be offered to "Elite" recruits at the outset as an appropriate way to do business.
Because there was no mention of how the tuition was structured, I posed this question also: Is tuition based on a per student basis or was this another opportunity for single people to subsidize dual income couples.
2008-10-28 by Jamie Bailey [send email] -1 Votes
Dishonest Practices! I signed up for a Las Vegas event. I called to find out if I needed to bring any notepads, etc and was informed that the event had been cancelled due to a conflict with Mr. Smith's schedule. I sincerely think that if I wouldn't have called I would have went on to Vegas to find out in a bad way the event was cancelled. I paid $6, 495.00 for myself, my spouse and my kids (28, 25, 17, 16) to attend. Believe me it was hard to be able to get all 4, one of which has a wife to be able to go on an exact date. So they offered me a date in June for Vegas and it conflicted with 2-3 schedules. They offered several more dates and locations, which also conflicted. We just are not able to get everyone there at the same time. (in the meantime one son took a job with the Dept. of Defense and moved to Northern Virginia). So I asked for a refund on the basis that my Las Vegas Date was cancelled by their firm and not me. I was told that there was a 3 day cancel provision and that was it. The point is they cancelled the even more than 3 days after I signed the agreement...not me! Then I was told by Nate Bay that he only wanted to discuss it over the phone . I requested to discuss it via e-mail or written mail and of course haven't heard a word back from them. I really like James Smith, he cracks me up and I probaly would have scheduled another Summit when the time was right but to have them sitting on my 6k and then get all this jack and not have good business values and morals makes me think that I shouldn't attempt it again.
2009-04-13 by pink -1 Votes
I have to totally agree that the James Smith organization should be responsible for keeping attendees (students) informed of schedule changes especially when charging so much money to attend their training. I called to verify the location for an event and was tranfered four times to ever get the correct location where the training was being held (which had changed from the orignal advertised location by the way). When I finally was transfered to the fourth person, I also had to listen to another sales spill about joining a select group for training at a cost of $19, 000 which I did not appreciate.
2009-11-16 by CNJ -1 Votes
The fraud committed by NRI - James Smith, Jolee Tibbitts, Roger Williams, Aaron Asmond has personally effected me. I paid 20K to learn how to lose 200k cash. I am a single mom with 8th grade education. The properties were presented as GREAT investments and leveraged my home and bought each one out of trust and presentation. The Personal Coach processed all 11 of the Utah loans through his comapany. Broke confused and struggling...Jolee Tibitts offered to sell me a no-brainer home to flip from her sister to save me from the horrible situation, ("Stop the bleeding" they call it), only to find out, the house was not worth what I paid, but that NRI personal coach got it appraised and funded somehow. I reached out again to James Smith, Roger, Jolee who all stated I had bought horrible homes. Only to be offered another seminar. The embarrassment and the humiation of trusting the many years of expertise represented is my payment for investing in " guarentee satisfaction", "learning the ropes from the 20yrs experienced investment experts and coaches", seminar.
206 days ago by Salt Lake City -1 Votes
I must disagree with all the negative things I am hearing. I am a single Mom and invested the last pennies I had into James Smith company with little to no knowledge of how the real estate system worked. My Mentor was fabulous! and today I'm a living testimonial that if you do your DO Diligence, it works! I personally know Aaron Osmond is not scammer.
You know? anyone can get on here and write whatever they want. The Internet is not regulated, in fact, the BBB is not even a government/state entity. Maybe the truth of the matter is, that you are actually disappointed because you did not succeed. Many people pass the buck and do not take responsibility for their lack action.
Salt lake City, Utah
74 days ago by Mr. W. Brown 0 Votes
Dear Salt Lake City,
You sound like someone from the company. Especially since the company is based in Utah.
Signed,
Another Dissatisfied Student
71 days ago by Brad Weiss 0 Votes
I am a potentionally a new student. I have put a 5k down payment with the rest due tomorrow, 20k. I am alarmed by the some of the comments I am reading. I agree they are good salespeople and believe in the premise, "if it seems to good to be true it is". Is it a scam? Do the programs work if you do you homework? Should I get our now before I mortgage myself to the hilt?
Confused recruit,
Burlington, Iowa
69 days ago by Sean O'M Sr. 0 Votes
Hi Brad Weiss,
I have not attended the seminar I bought at the Get Motivated show yet. I too have been trying to find out more about James Smith and his real estate investing program.
I found several comments on the internet and they are both good and bad. My wife and I will be going to the 3 day class in Raleigh and make a decision about further education after that.
Hope this helps.
You can try running similar searches yourself if you ned more information.
God Bless.
James Smith Real Estate / Net Marketing, LC Complaints - Celebrity conference is a rip off!
Review all James Smith Real Estate / Net Marketing, LC complaints
James Smith Real Estate / Net Marketing, LC
Posted: 2006-12-21 by Erica [send email]
Celebrity conference is a rip off!
Complaint Rating:
My Boyfriend and I attended the Celebrity Conference in Orlando Florida this December. We found out about it through a mailing from Donald Trump's company, which also touted that his right hand man, George Ross would be there to speak. So we signed up for the seminar, really excited to hear the man speak, and figured we'd get some great information on real estate investing.
Needless to say, it was one big sales pitch from one speaker to the next with price tags of $2, 000 to $6, 000 for their seminars. We fell for two of the seminars, with their big promises of making big money and learning how to break out of the rat race. Once we left, we still felt good about our purchase, until I researched the Internet the next morning. To my chagrin, there were unlimited complaints easily found on this company. It took more research to find out who they actually did business as (Net Marketing, LC) and figure out how we were going to cancel these seminars.
It seemed it would be easy, since they provide telephone numbers to call and cancel with, but after those sales pitches and big price tags, neither he nor I trusted this company one bit. So we researched on the Better Business Bureau's web sites, which had complaints on this company and how to handle your cancellations. Immediately, I drew up cancellation letters, signed them and sent them certified mail to the company's address, also copying our credit card companies and the Better Business Bureau in Utah.
So far, we've been able to cancel one of the seminars, only because my boyfriend got a hold of a squeamish sales person in that department, and was able to get a return authorization number from him. The other department, the real estate department, had been nothing but extremely difficult in getting hold of and verifying our cancellation. We've since left 2 messages for the return department, awaiting a return authorization number.
In my experience, it is not even worth going to these so called seminars, and if you do, do NOT purchase their seminars. It's not what they promise, and they're only going to up sell more expensive services to you.
If this company ends up charging our credit cards anyway, they're going to have a real problem!
Comments United States Education
Share with others:
Was the above complaint useful to you?
Comments Sort by: Date | Rating
300 days ago by Anonymous Z 0 Votes
Okay, so I have attended one day at this seminar, and so far I have enjoyed it. Ryan is the main speaker it seems, but does not seem arrogant as some have said. He quotes a lot of references like movies and culture, but still knows his stuff when talking about his own deals. I'm a skeptic, but feel I have gotten just as much out of one day at this seminar as the Get Motivated seminar, or any 'self-help' text.
This is not a charity, I would be surprised not to see other pricetags and seminars from any 2 day seminar. So you're not going to get rich overnight? SO WHAT! One of Ryan's big early comments was that he didn't like to read books and showed a book cover, telling us to read just that specifically the word THINK.
Success is about hard work, knowledge, and the mutual application of such. end of story. If you attend this and pay $3k understand that you're paying that much weigh your risks, either do it or don't and blame no one but yourself.
Oh, and here's a cute statistic Ryan gave us, 80% of people that paid for the seminar didn't even show up for the first day. I can only guess on the percentage of people that complain about something and never did squat to apply the principle.
There is no quick witted, simple way to wealth.
289 days ago by themoneyviews732 0 Votes
I have taken many courses in Real Estate and they were never cheap they will usually run aroung 3000.00 for the seminar and course.
Yes I did learn a lot, but that was like 6 years ago, in todays market real estate has changed, people need to know what they are up against and they should have some kind of training under their belts before doing any deals.
I started the Real Estate Buyers Club because I wanted to give people some up front and free info, you are free to review my info and ask questions, the best thing it remember you can always find out for free. I have even loan out my courses so that our Club can grow and help more people get out there and either buy their first home or rental property.
There are so many aspects of real estate:
Note buying and selling
tax sales
multi family
rehabbing houses
buying your first home
and so much more there is a plce for anyone who wants to make money even if you have no money its simple just never give up!
themoneyviews at yahoo
280 days ago by Mark C. See 0 Votes
I just finished the $49 three day seminar in Denver. I took my 17 year old son, Ryan, with me and was very impressed with the entire event. To be honest I was very skeptical at the start but after seeing James Smith at the Get Motivated event earlier I was willing to give them a hearing.
The information came "hot and heavy" and sometimes Ryan Smith was a little hard to follow but I came away with over 50 pages of notes. I found all the presenters to be credible and caring as were all the one-on-one coaches. "Thanks Jordan for all your help"
I signed up for the Advanced training and I am looking forward to what Ryan and I will learn. This is more for him than me and we will walk this path together.
I have a difficult time understanding some of the negative comments I've read over the past hour or so. This is part of my due dilligence and if I found that this was not something for me I would simply explain my reasons and leave it at that. No name calling, etc. I suffer from chronic cluster headaches that are triggered by flourescent lights and I was in quite a bit of pain during the seminar but I'm not about to complain about the lighting - it is what it is. You get out of something only what you are willing to put into it.
I have to say that the three days invested was time well spent!
Mark C. See
256 days ago by I'd like to see real results! 0 Votes
Does anyone that actually followed through with the personal mentor/coaching training programs have an opinion. There are a lot of complaints from people who haven't really went through with the program(s) full force...does anyone who went through the total experience have an opinion? That is what would give the picture of the true capabilities of the company...not the stuff they use to lure you in (that's what they're supposed to do...Americans are natural skeptics, we always need bait...and they bait very well; it doesn't always mean we get conned though!) So if there's anyone out there that truly paid their $25, 000 fee and ended up with the short end of the stick, let us know.
255 days ago by diligent 0 Votes
As to what "Sunshine is good" posted
I don't believe a word. I trade paper money on Thinkorswim, and I have accessed it at work. It is one of the best platforms for trading. That comment alone leaves me to believe that your post is not credible, and that any research you attempted was poorly done.
212 days ago by Pastor Rich W 0 Votes
Preacher Rich Here...
I just ordered my james smith series and hoping it works for me. I am a pastor full time and times are hard for everybody. when in the public eye every soul and every life is nothing more than a glass house. But the perfect house will never be seen. When you have humans involved you will never find it to be perfect. Only two men I know were perfect. One was translated (enoch) and the other was crucified (Jesus). So if one good thing will come out of this series for our church and my ministry, it will be worth the $50 i just spent. Don't know what the M5 is or any other thing you are talking about, however, i am sure i will find out very soon. Good luck God bless and do good to others as you would have them do to you... Rich W Troy, OH. 937-339-8624 Cell #
131 days ago by Bob Bluhm 0 Votes
MYLOTHORNTON (my friend from 2 comments prior)
I agree with your comment that Jesus forgave a prostitute and forgiveness will make the world go round. WELL SAID!! With that being said, those who stand up to advise others should first look at themselves. Does not EVERY religion preach that as well?
I have spent $3000 with James Smith Company and is it a scam? I do not know.
Yes I met Kari Michaelsen at the $99 seminar and was lured into buying the 3 day workshop.
She turns on her tears real well when she gives the sob story of her parents and how they died leaving her alone. She said that my wife and I reminded her of her parents and she would love to help us and feel good. Later we heard her use the same story for a young girl who also attended telling her how she reminded Kari of herself and how her parents had died...
She REALLY turns on the taps and is unscrupulous about using her 'dead parents' story.
We are happy that we attended the core strategies because we are real estate agents and it is always good to grow and stay current. James Smith had some real good tips. His son Justin who taught our class was very good too. His knowledge and vocabulary are AMAZING.
Friends of ours signed up for platinum and are happy too. They met Kari Michaelsen when she was MC at the M5." Not impressive but very involved" is what they said about her.
Kari Michaelsen and James Smith were to teach a Leadership Mastery class for $9999 in the summer of 2009.and my friend signed up for it. No information was forthcoming from James Smith Company so my friend called to ask about the dates and location etc. and was told that Kari Michaelsen did NOT work for the company anymore. He got a refund!
Further questioning revealed that Kari Michaelsen was fired and her interviews with successful students used as testimonials were taken off the company website. Also her testimonial for how James was her true "GURU" and how she had found "HER TRUE MENTOR" in him on the James Smith Series was removed as well.
At the Hawaii M5 in October 2009 it was common knowledge that James Smith had to fire Kari Michaelsen because his wife demanded it.
Several students since have seen them traveling together over the country...
I found other comments on the Get Motivated Seminar websites and am pasting some here.
Complaintsboard.com Get Motivated
I attended the seminar in LA. I agree that the emcee in her 4 inch heels is garbled and unclear. I found out her name. She is an LA resident. Kari Michaelson working for Get Motivated. Googled her and this is what I found. Wow the Lowes made some choice!!
Google:
1... probably wouldn't have noticed if the scene didn't keep going and going, with plenty of close-ups on Kari Michaelson removing each piece of clothing ... that kept the camera off Michaelson here and there during her strip tease. ... were so damn hot that yes, kids were trading used stickers with each other. ...
www.brandedinthe80s.com/?search=1&search_string=rific - Cached
2...Andy Gibb (March 5, 1958 – March 10, 1988) was an English-born Australian ... ( He was actually engaged to actress Kari Michaelson, a star of the former, ...
tripatlas.com/Andy_Gibb - Cached
3...Kari Michaelsen on the highwire on Circus of the Stars (1983 - video clip - 31MB ) · Where are they now? type article on Kari Michaelson (and Matthew ...
www.sitcomsonline.com/gbreakwhere.html
4..Kari met James Smith in early 2004 when she attended a “Financial Success” ... James Smith I knew I had found someone who really practices what he preaches. ...
www.jamessmithseries.com/index.php?option=com...view..
5.. James Smith should practice what he preaches. Talking of respect for women and family an himself having a married woman Kari Michaelson working in his ...
www.complaintsboard.com/.../james-smith-real-estate-net-marketing-lc- c3195.html?... - Cached
What an emcee! and Colin Powell, Rudy Juliani, Conduleeza Rice are speaking for Get Motivated?
Peter and Tamara Lowe need to do some thinking!
Blogs Artvoice.com
I attended the Get MotivatedSeminar at Phoenix a few weeks ago and was very impressed. Especially by Tamara Lowe who came across as an honest person, a good mother, and a role model for many.
I also bought the 3 day real estate seminar with James Smith Real Estate Company. I will be going to it from April 23-25. They have not given me information on the venue yet!!I have very high hopes from what James Smith promised it would do for me. I sounded very convincing for sure.
I actually boarded the flight with from Phoenix to Los Angeles on March 10 with James Smith and Kari Michaelsen the woman who introduced speakers at the seminar. Since they were real busy with each other my wife would not let me approach James Smith. I really wanted to talk to the man. He seems like a good and genuine guy.
James Smith Was interesting, funny, and very motivating in encouraging me to get out of my comfort zone and make it big. THe 3 day financial seminar will be great. My friends who already attended one say that he came to speak and was comic as well as educative.
Kari Michaelsen seems to be such a pinched, worn out, old looking hag!! She came as a real surprise. She had been unimpressive on stage while screaming out the introductions anyway. Looking at her up close when she was with James Smith was kind of weird. Her strip tease role in Saturday the 14th was the reason the movie was rented over and over and watched at our sleepovers. We got away with it since the movie was a teen horror. What we really watched was her hot undressing and bathing scene.Everybody did! She did quite a number with taking off each item of clothing. Taking off her panties and exposing her bubble covered breasts was the best . She looked real good in the bath towel too.
I was surprised that James Smith has Kari Michaelsen for a mistress. A man of his magnetic personality and good looks could have had his pick. More so with being such a success at real estate and motivation.But she DID do a real number in the 80’s. Ask any boy growing up in those years. Branded in the 80’s is a website to check it out if you missed it (you could NOT have) or were born later .
Of course the motivation is money and nothing else.
Tamara Lowe preaches goodness family and Christian values and has James Smith as an infomercial that rakes in money. She has now hired his mistress Kari Michaelson to emcee . The married woman was working for him for years and was fired when his wife threatened divorce. Get Motivated hired her and now the two can be together again.
One would think that Tamara being a wife and a loving mother would have made a wise judgement. It is obvious that money and keeping those that bring it in happy is the goal.
We pray that Jesus gives shows her the right path and gives her the strength to make the right decision. One that supports her book and what she preaches.
Comment by Megan Maxwel — February 18, 2010 @ 5:13 pm
I GOT WHAT I NEEDED OUT OF THE WORKSHOP I PAID FOR AND AM GLAD I DID NOT PAY OR SIGN UP FOR MORE. That sums it up for me!!
113 days ago by Saxon35 0 Votes
I paid $25, 000.00 for four different seminars and packages from James Smith one year ago and have not made a single dollar off of them. However, I do not hold James Smith completly responsible for that. When I signed up for his $10, 000.00 boot camp I was asked if I was willing to put forth 8-10 hrs a week towards the program. Of course my wife and I said yes. As soon as the program started and my wife realized that she would have to provide a pitch to real estate sellers, she was out. I got busy with my other job and never put forth the effort needed. My mentor was awesome and did everything he was suppossed to do.
American's by nature are lazy and I'm no different. I was lured in by the money to be made and didnt follow through on any program. That's how most of these guys get rich.
James Smith is responsible for one mislead when they present their pitch. In order for the program's to be tax deductible you must already be in the real estate business. These seminars are not deductible as a new business (career) start up costs. The credit spreads seminar is not deductible unless you are a trader, not an investor. Contact your tax person to understand the difference.
I've learned a bunch from my experience with James Smith, both from him and about the seminar world in general. Don't shy away from these opportunities because you think they are a scam, they are not; but don't go blindly into them with your credit card out thinking you'll get rich without putting forward the effort doing something that may take you out of your comfort zone. Hope this helps!!
99 days ago by Gildy 0 Votes
I found the post below about James Smith of James Smith Company and Kari Michaelsen the emcee of Get Motivated.
It is a shame that Tamara Lowe is running a show with these scandals.
There should be a boycott of this seminar by all the respected speakers.
James Smith just sells his classes and is definitely not a speaker.
Kari Michaelsen is only an announcer.
But to have them anywhere on the show is an insult to Colin powel, Rudy Guiliani, Krish dhanam, Sara Palin etc.
Obviously there are no morals at Get Motivated!!
READ THESE POSTS!!
2 days ago by giggly
This is crazy.
James Smith was a speaker at the Luxury Homes seminar in Vancouver on April 23 2010 and Kari Michaelsen flew in with him and stayed with him.
I found the below post on another website.
Debbie C said
March 18, 2010 at 7:17 pm
Fort Lauderdale
My boyfreiend and I attended the seminar in Fort Lauderdale. We found it real cool with Collin Powell ans Tamara Lowe. I really liked Tamara. She was very motivating telling us about her own hard growing up. I found inspiration in that as I am also from a family that went through hard times.
Kari Mikelson stayed at the hotel in Weston that my boyfriend works the late night shift at for 2 nights. She announces at the seminar.But we did not see her at the seminar when we went.
We were so excited!
My boyfriend said that the real speakers would come and stay there too.He said that the names were not on the list for security reasons maybe. I really wanted to talk to Tamara after I heard her that day.
Nobody came and stayed.
Only the tall real estate guy James Smith came both the nights but did not actually check in at the hotel.
Later we found out that the others stayed at the fancy resort hotel a couple of miles away.
I was SO disapointed!!!
The speakers should realy let people meet them and talk to them. Specialy Tamara Lowe.
AND WE ARE SUPPOSED TO PAY JAMES SMITH OUR HARD EARNED MONEY?
True the James Smith Company website and he say that there is honesty and integrity. They also say that he is a happily married man. Check the page that is about James Smith. He has a wife and three sons and is happily married.
NOW do you believe him?
99 days ago by Gildy 0 Votes
Found this post on another website. Very interesting!!
Comment by Anne Waldon — March 29, 2010 @ 4:58 pm
Tamara Lowe- Her Actions Make Her Words in her book “Motivational DNA” and her motivational speeches in Get Motivated Seminars a LIE!!!
Westlake Village, Los Angeles
Our book club and Friends of the Library Organization picks a book that allows for self-improvement and growth, enabling people to live better lives by continuously improving their quality of interaction through the experiences, insight, and advice of authors of repute. While we are not a religious organization, we do uphold the values of the scriptures.
Our club just concluded a reading, analysis, and debates on Governor Palin’s “Going Rogue”. A more unpretentious, honest, forthright, and unbiased recounting of personal experiences, strife, dreams, fears, and emotional struggles we would be hard pit to find. Congratulations, Sarah!
The next pick was to be “Motivational DNA” by Tamara Lowe. Having researched her background, we were certain that her undoubted success and her willingness to give and share set her in a class above most others.To make her book our next reading would most certainly allow for inspiration and positive growth.
Get Motivated Seminar was hosted in Los Angeles recently and many of us attended it enthusiastically.
We came away shocked, bewildered, and angry.
The emcee was Kari Michaelson or Kari Michaelsen(both spellings are used by her).
Since Tamara Lowe has hired Kari Michaelsen, she obviously meets or exceeds the qualifications and standards Tamara use for someone who represents Tamara Lowe herself!! Hiring, as all of us who are in corporations, school districts, or even in caregiving know, is a process that entails scrutiny and careful checks before decisions are made. Therefore, Kari Michaelsen represents Tamara Lowe completely!
This raises a question. Does Tamara Lowe really have worthy principles, high moral standards, follow the Christian teachings she preaches and claims to live by?
FACTS:
Public knowledge and easily verifiable.
1. Kari Michaelsenis most famous for her strip tease act on screen. She shamelessly took off every last undergarment in her career in public eye. In addition, revealing and suggestive pictures of her are on the web.
2.Kari Michaelsen was in a long term relationship with Andy Gibb who was a drug addict and died of overdose while Kari was engaged to him.
3. Kari Michaelsen was a college dropout who was unable to settle in any relationship, job, or field. She finally married David Waldock in her 40’s.
4. Kari Michaelsen’s marraige and the birth of her son Nickolas did not prevent her from having affairs with other men.She has worked for and been the mistress of James Smith the real estate speaker for Get Motivated who owns James Smith Company and James Smith Series.
5. Kari Michaelsen works for James Smith and Get Motivated which allow her to be in close contact with him.
6. James Smith and Kari Michaelsen are both married people with families of their own who are suffering due to their cheating.
7.Kari Michaelsen is playing the unworthy role of being a marraige wrecker.Kari Michaelsen has not been known to have any stability in the past and has also broken James Smith’s marraige of 30 years.
8. Kari Michaelsen’s son Nickolas is a neglected boy who is struggling through crucial growing years without his mother’s care and love. His caregivers and teachers vouch for the trauma he is undergoing.
Tamara Lowe has hired Kari Michaelsendespite ALL of these facts and MORE.WHY?
Because Tamara did not run background checks on Kari Michaelsen?
Because Tamara does not know that she is providing James Smith and Kari Michaelsen with expenses, time, and hotel rooms at every Get Motivated seminar to enjoy each other and wreck their marriages further?
Because James Smith brings in so much money to Get Motivated that Tamara is willing to compromise her morals and keep him happy and satisfied?
Because Tamara’s principles do not include FAMILY even though she boasts about 20 years of marriage and two beautiful sons?
Tamara Lowe:
The Bible reads:
Timothy5:3-8 All who live in pleasure are dead while they live, spiritually dead, dead in trespasses and sins………..If any men or women do not maintain their poor relations, they in effect, deny faith. If they spend upon their lusts and pleasures, what ……..they are worse than infidels. If professors of the gospel give way to any corrupt principle or conduct, they are WORSE than those who do not profess to believe in the doctrines of grace.
Are you a true Christian?You showcase values that you do not uphold.Actions speak louder than words, Tamara.”Motivational DNA” might make good reading, but that is all it will do if the author, Tamara Lowe, cannot live by her own words, both written and printed.
We are NOT recommending this book to the LA County libraries and rejecting it for our book club list
Read more: http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/2009/08/19/get-motivated-and-get-out/comment-page-1/#comment-7737#ixzz0jbOaEqth
104 days ago by florida o-town 0 Votes
First of all, this is a travesty that Get Motivated Seminars lets these snake oil salesman, so called faith-based get rich quick, pitch artists give their infomercials in between the real world renouned highly ethical faith based motivation speakers like Collin Powell, Tony Dungy, Zig Ziggler, etc. They leverage these big names and sneak in the snake oil salesman in between them not on the agenda.
This is the oldest scam in book. Touted God an faith and getting rich, they lure people to these 3-day workshops for a one time only price for Get Motivated attendees of $29.99 instead of the regular price of $10, 000. Yeah right! First wedged in between the real motivational speakers that had some guy touting get rich quick day trading stock investing system and software. You can quit your job work 5 hours a week and make millions of dollars in just a few months. Then they had this James Smith guy, touting God and his get rich quick system in Real Estate, then they had a guy touting a home based internet system that will make you rich working 1 hour a day or less. He showed pictures of his 20, 000 sqft house and pictures of his actual pay checks from the business or thousands of dollars for a few hours work.
Are you kidding me? After all the scam artists that have been busted selling these pipe dreams, how can any possible fall for these scams. If these systems were so great and they made so much money from them, why in the world would James Smith want to share their systems with the rest of the free world. Oh wait. I know, because they love God and their fellow man and they want to share the wealth. If you believe that I have some prime land to sell you in the Lousiana buyoo. Mr. Smith would not be wasting his time peddling workshops and training systems if he had some great secrets system. He would be keeping his system a secret.
Listen folks, there is no get rich system that you are going to learn at any workshop. The only true faith based financial system to get rich that I recommend is this: work hard, spend less, and save more. Live below your means, don't go into consumer debt, pay off your house early, invest in simple low cost equity index funds and don't fall for anything that sounds too good to be true. The only workshop that I recommend is Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover and/or Financial Peace University. It's about $30 for a full day and they will not try to sell u anything more than maybe a $10 book. I do not work for Dave but I have been thru his system and he teaches simple to understand steps to change your financial family tree. He teaches you how to spend less, make more, budget, pay off debt, save for your kids college, save more for retirement, and give more to charity. But it does involve some tough choices, budgeting, cutting back, maybe getting an extra job, saving, etc. He say's "live like nobody else today, so you can live like nobody else tommorrow". Unfortunately, there is no get rich quick system where you can work less, spend more, and get rich quick. Thats what everyone wants. That's why so many people fall for guys like James Smith and even after they attend his scamimars, they justify the 10K they spent on his workshops.
And for those of you who look at these websites and see that maybe 3o% to 50% of the reviews are somewhat positive with actual real people sharing how they attending the seminars and made great money, keep in mind that Mr. Smith is well aware of web sites likes this one that can have a huge effect on this bottom line. I am positive that he has all of his staff, post hear and to other review and complaint sites regularly from their personal computers acting as if they were satified customers. The on-line world is not what it seems in many cases. Just the same as that teenage girl that you've been secretly sex chatting with on0line is instead probably a 350 pound 60 year man.
Tamara and Peter Lowe should be ashamed of themselves for bringing in these scam artists to these Get Motivated Events and praying on unsuspecting people coming to see motivational speakers. The real speakers like Dungy, Collin Powell and others should be more carefull with who they are associating themselves with and putting their names on. It is not long before the FCC and/or some trial lawyers decide that too many little old church ladies have been scammed out of their last $10, 000 after attending seminars from the likes of Mr. Smith, and they decided to sue Mr. Smith, Mr an Mrs. Lowe and Collin Powell and Tony Dungy for being apart of this whole ponzy scheme.
If you are thinking of going to a Get Motivated Seminar, its a good value for the $9 that I paid to see the big name speakers, but DO NOT pay any attention to anyone trying to sell you a dream of getting rich quick and then signing you up for another 3-day seminar for the one-time only low low price of $29.99 regulary $20, 000. Please run as fast as you can the other way. Go buy Dave Ramsey's book for $10 and do what he says. It's not glamorious and its not easy at times and its not a way to work less and get rick quick over night, but it will change your financial life for the better and change your financial family tree.
102 days ago by giggly 0 Votes
This is crazy. James Smith was a speaker at the Luxury Homes seminar in Vancouver on April 23 2010 and Kari Michaelsen flew in with him and stayed with him.
I found the below post on another website.
Debbie C said
March 18, 2010 at 7:17 pm
Fort Lauderdale
My boyfreiend and I attended the seminar in Fort Lauderdale. We found it real cool with Collin Powell ans Tamara Lowe. I really liked Tamara. She was very motivating telling us about her own hard growing up. I found inspiration in that as I am also from a family that went through hard times.
Kari Mikelson stayed at the hotel in Weston that my boyfriend works the late night shift at for 2 nights. She announces at the seminar.But we did not see her at the seminar when we went.
We were so excited!
My boyfriend said that the real speakers would come and stay there too.He said that the names were not on the list for security reasons maybe. I really wanted to talk to Tamara after I heard her that day.
Nobody came and stayed. Only the tall real estate guy James Smith came both the nights but did not actually check in at the hotel.
Later we found out that the others stayed at the fancy resort hotel a couple of miles away.
I was SO disapointed!!!
The speakers should realy let people meet them and talk to them. Specialy Tamara Lowe.
101 days ago by JAMES SMITH BLOWS 0 Votes
IT'S A SCAM! IT'S A SCAM! one more time, IT'S A SCAM! do NOT spend a cent on it. As many people have pointed out, why would they be sharing these "secrets" for so little. "Hmmm...sell a magical financial secret for $3, 000 or utilize it and make millions?" I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm Jewish and financial fraud is in my blood; whether or not I choose to exploit it is entirely up to me. This immediately set off a major bullshit censor in my head, they will take your money and not follow up on you. They don't care. Once they have their money from you, they don't care. You must think to yourself, is this too good to be true? If it was THAT amazing, why doesn't everyone do it?
97 days ago by Eduardo M 0 Votes
May 5 @ 4:58PM
The famous couple is right here WITH ME at Atlanta airport in the Delta terminal. Yes, my friends! James Smith and Kari Michaelsen are right here right NOW.
The Delta staff tell me that they are 'regulars' here and come together every few days and sometimes a couple of times a week.
So THIS is the hub!!
iPhones are the way to go!! They connected me right in!!
96 days ago by EMD 2010 0 Votes
Eduardo M FROM THE POST ABOVE!!!
NOTE: The date on the above post is yesterdays. This post was written on April 17 2010.
There might be confusion about the date as the POSTING date was May 5.
To add to the provided information about James Smith and Kari Michaelsen:
Delta staff told me that they were at the airport Delta terminal traveling together 4 times between March 23 and March 30 2010.
77 days ago by CindyS 0 Votes
James Smith and James Smith Company are nothing but liars. They take people's hard earned money with false promises and LIES.
PROOF of there lies is on their OWN website. Jamessmithcompany.com has testimonials that are LIES. T testimonial should be all TRUTH. They mislead people. Do not give him your money. He lies.
A testimonial on the website is by Kari Waldock saying she and her husband learn from James Smith. She says that her husband and James Smith are like long lost brothers who bonded immediately.
LIES LIES LIES!!
Her name is Kari Michaelsen. Her EX husband is David Waldock who divorced her soon after he married her in 2002 when Kari was almost 42 years old and they had a son Nickolas.
Ask David Waldock or check public records to find out the truth. She is divorced and has said in the testimonial on April 12, 2010 that she is married and her name is Kari Waldock.
ALL LIES!!!
Kari Michaelsen has been in NO legal relationship other than a few years of being married to David and he divorced her too.
Kari Michaelsen worked for James Smith Company
Kari Michaelsen works for Get Motivated Seminars Tampa Florida and
Kari Michaelsen now works for Gregg Amerman ofPure EdgeUtainment
1005 Alderman Drive Suite 203. Alpharetta, GA 3000
Kari Michaelsen is MC of Get Motivated and that shows the Peter and Tamara LOwe couple do not care about morals!!!
Kari Michaelsen will be a speaker for Gregg Amerman and teach WHAT???
How to have lots of broken relationships or never keep one or giving her son Nickolas a broken home or breaking James Smith's marriage of 30+ years and making his family hurt????
Any other lesson from a person who lies without any shame about being married when she is divorced.
BEWARE!! The testimonial video on the Jamessmithcompany.com website will be removed right NOW. This is how they hide and cheat and take people's money!!
75 days ago by aosmond 0 Votes
Cindy,
My name is Aaron Osmond. I am the CEO of the James Smith Company. James is both my business partner and close friend. I am also a friend and professional associate of Kari Michaelson.
I feel it is important for the reputation of our company and for the thousands of students we serve, to share some important facts to end this ridiculous slander of both our company, James Smith, and Kari Michaelson:
Here are the facts I want to share to the public:
1) Almost all of the instructors, mentors, staff, and road crew at our company are former students. To us that is a reflection of our success and our commitment to our students.
2) Kari Michaelson and David Waldock were in-fact students of our classes, training, and mentoring.
3) In May of 2008, I personally invited Kari and David (her husband) to share their testimonials as part of our new success story infomercial that we were filming that year.
4) At that time, Kari and David (as a married couple) provided evidence of their real estate success with documentation as part of that testimonial process.
5) The testimonial video now showing on www.JamesSmithCompany.com is the exact same testimonial that we filmed in 2008.
6) We will NOT remove that testimonial from our website, as it was accurate, true, and verifiable at the time we filmed it and we stand behind it.
7) I later hired Kari as a member of our event staff. She worked at many of our Financial Success events and M5 Conferences in 2008/2009.
8) Because of Kari's skills as a speaker/presenter, she was offered a position at Get Motivated Seminars in 2009 and still works there today (where she has excelled and is respected by the staff at Get Motivated).
9) Our company works closely with Get Motivated Seminars and we know their owners and the staff to be people of integrity and commitment to helping our joint students.
10) James and Loree Smith are still married today. I know and respect them both. They are working through their own challenges and deserve privacy and respect when it comes to their marriage.
11) Kari Michaeson is a colleague, friend, and professional working at many of the same events at James. That is all. Nothing more. There is no story, no drama, no deception.
To any current or potential student of our company that has read these forum posts, I extend the following offer:
If you have any concerns relative to James Smith, our company, our training products, our our business practices, I will personally speak with you. You may contact me directly at the following e-mail address: aaron@jamessmithcompany.com. I will contact you from there and set up an appt to talk. I am confident that we have done and will do the right thing. That is how James works. That is how I work, that is how our company works.
Finally, I ask those that have posted these misleading and hurtful statements to contact me directly. I will happily speak with you about the truth, the facts, and reset your perspective if you will exercise the courage to contact me.
Sincerely,
Aaron Osmond
CEO
The Coaching Company, LLC
800-270-3357
aaron@jamessmithcompany.com
www.jamessmithcompany.com
72 days ago by MarkST 0 Votes
Distressed Friend
I am writing this because I feel that it is very unfair to Kari Michaelsen to be made to look bad. Kari and James Smith have a very special friendship.
Kari and James respect each other and care about each other very much. It is not right to make Kari look bad. She is a sweet spirited woman and is very caring and kind. She loves her son a lot.
She does everything she can to give him a good family life. Kari has not even let her divorce affect his growth.
Kari goes out of her way to fall in with James's plans and follows his itinerary even when it is very difficult to match flights and makes longer journeys all the time just for him. Multiple times she has made last minute changes or plans and never complains to him.
Even when James Smith came for the classes to LA in March Kari was very flexible. She picked him up at the airport on March 6 night and went with him to his hotel. On March 7 she moved in with her bags and took the early flight to El Paso next morning. James joined her there fr the Get Motivated. On March 9 she left El Paso by an early flight but they met in Phoenix and flew back here together and he stayed in his hotel. She came home on March 11 morning and then went back that night to the hotel. James left on March 12.
All of these took a lot of trouble on her part to organize and plan. Kari is always trying her best to make things easy for James since he is always traveling for shows or classes. She neds appreciation and not accusing.
Kari has always put James's family before her own. She stayed on in Jacksonville for the eve and morning of her birthday and left only on November 4 noon when James left to drive to Orlando. She did this because James wanted to spend time with her.
Kari did not complain when James's son Justin went to Denver for the Get Motivated seminar on October 13 in 2009. Justin shared James's room and that meant no privacy for James and Kari as James did not visit her room as usual. Kari had to fly with James to Springfield the next day and she did that so that they could get their time together.
Kari was great when James asked her to stay on in Orlando after the Get Motivated seminar on November 10 2010. She waited till early morning for James to spend time with her because he was with his son Brynson for the evening.
On March 11 this year (2010) James took his son Ryan out for dinner to celebrate Ryan's birthday and Kari had to wait till about midnight before she could go to James's hotel.
Never has Kari complained and she always tries to spend an extra day at the Get Motivated locations to suit James Smith.
Please appreciate her loving and giving nature and stop making her look bad. That is all I as for.
71 days ago by MarkST 0 Votes
Distressed Friend
FOR PREVIOUS POST
There is a mistake in the date that Kari MIchaelsen and James Smith left El Paso It was March 10 NOT March 9. Kari left earlier and then waited for James to join her in Phoenix. They flew to LA together and she went to his hotel because he asked her to. Then she came home next morning on March 11.
Corrected Post below.
MarkS said
May 30, 2010 at 8:42 pm
Distressed Friend
I am writing this because I feel that it is very unfair to Kari Michaelsen to be made to look bad. Kari and James Smith have a very special friendship.
Kari and James respect each other and care about each other very much. It is not right to make Kari look bad. She is a sweet spirited woman and is very caring and kind. She loves her son a lot.
She does everything she can to give him a good family life. Kari has not even let her divorce affect his growth.
Kari goes out of her way to fall in with James’s plans and follows his itinerary even when it is very difficult to match flights and makes longer journeys all the time just for him. Multiple times she has made last minute changes or plans and never complains to him.
Even when James Smith came for the classes to LA in March Kari was very flexible. She picked him up at the airport on March 6 night and went with him to his hotel. On March 7 she moved in with her bags and took the early flight to El Paso next morning. James joined her there fr the Get Motivated. On March 10 she left El Paso by an early flight but they met in Phoenix and flew back here together and they stayed in his hotel. She came home on March 11 morning and then went back that night to the hotel. James left on March 12.
All of these took a lot of trouble on her part to organize and plan. Kari is always trying her best to make things easy for James since he is always traveling for shows or classes. She neds appreciation and not accusing.
Kari has always put James’s family before her own. She stayed on in Jacksonville for the eve and morning of her birthday and left only on November 4 noon when James left to drive to Orlando. She did this because James wanted to spend time with her.
Kari did not complain when James’s son Justin went to Denver for the Get Motivated seminar on October 13 in 2009. Justin shared James’s room and that meant no privacy for James and Kari as James did not visit her room as usual. Kari had to fly with James to Springfield the next day and she did that so that they could get their time together.
Kari was great when James asked her to stay on in Orlando after the Get Motivated seminar on November 10 2010. She waited till early morning for James to spend time with her because he was with his son Brynson for the evening.
On March 11 this year (2010) James took his son Ryan out for dinner to celebrate Ryan’s birthday and Kari had to wait till about midnight before she could go to James’s hotel.
Never has Kari complained and she always tries to spend an extra day at the Get Motivated locations to suit James Smith.
Please appreciate her loving and giving nature and stop making her look bad. That is all I ask for.
70 days ago by New Students 0 Votes
Mr.Aaron Osmond
CEO
James Smith Company
South Sandy, Utah
Dear Sir:
It is with great respect that we request some clarification and assurance with regard to the business intention and student support of James Smith company.
Some of us have attended the Financial Success Summit in Tampa, Florida in the last two weeks. Ryan Smith, a very fine and respect- worthy gentleman, was the main speaker at some of the venues and many of us were able to hear and learn from him.
We were not allowed to form a list of attendees for contact purposes as desired by many of us. So it is impossible to have a common consensus from all, but some of us who are in contact have concerns regarding our position. We have already paid for a real estate class offered June 11-13 in Tampa.
Since the 72 hour cancellation period has passed we are unable to demand a refund but request you to make a special allowance for those Tampa residents who request you to waive this policy with concerns similar to ours.
Upon doing our due diligence and finding out about James Smith Company we read the RIP OFF REPORTs and your company's response in a statement of commitment and promise to all students. That is reassuring.
We have read the statement of the ongoing lawsuit against the company by Robert Pasiola's law firm and request more information on the same as it may pertain to the students of the company.
On Complaints Board we have read that multiple times James Smith Company has promoted an investment opportunity and students have put in their money based on this advice. However, all indications show that they have suffered financially and the loss has not been made up to them. Since the transactions are based on advice from the James Smith Company representatives the students have in fact, been ripped-off and received no reimbursement.
We are seeking publicly stated assurance on this forum of public voice that poor investment advice and any misleading will not occur in the future.
Tampa residents have ben involved in or witness to many cases of fraud and deception in matters of real estate and finance pertaining to Without walls International Church owned and operated by Pastor Paula White and her divorced second husband (in 2008)Pastor Randy White. Without Walls and Pastor Paula White have been subjected to Senate and CNN enquiries for their financial dealings. Without Walls faced foreclosure at the same time that the Whites who own and operate it in entirety made tens of millions of dollars personally. Many innocent people have sad and proven stories to tell and despite exposure of the White's deception have received no compensation.
With all due respect we ask what James Smith Company's business partnership and intent (as far as it affects us students) is with Without Walls International Church 2511 N.Grady Avenue, Tampa, FL 33607. As paying students who are doing their due diligence and are aware of caveat emptor / let the buyer beware, that puts the responsibility on the buyer we are doing what will educate us to make a decision.
We do not want to continue with your company without a clear picture and transparency of the dealings between James Smith Company and Without Walls International Church / Paula White Ministries.
Pastor Paula White's several unscheduled itinerary changes for her private jet in the last several weeks have been made for meetings with Mr. James Smith, President of James Smith Company. Also her taping of her regular shows on Paula White.tv in advance in advance to accommodate a business meeting with Mr.James Smith himself this Memorial Day weekend are indications of business dealings and / or a partnership in business intent between the entities, James Smith Company and Without Walls International Church and / or Paula White Ministries.
In case of a formation of any business partnership between the two above mentioned entities, we, as prospective part of James Smith Company humbly request an option for immediate cancelation and full refund beyond the 72 hour designated period as per policy stated. These payments were made when the complete information had not been revealed.We further request that the same option be made available to all Tampa, FL residents with similar fears.
On the other hand, if we get an assurance from you on this public forum, we will continue with the fine education your company obviously offers to its students.
Thanking you,
Yours Sincerely,
New James Smith Company Students
cc: Get Motivated Complaints Board
Previous | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Next
Now consider this: Living out of a suitcase, traveling from one venue to another, organizing, recruiting, missing deadlines, coping with frustrating last-minute guest cancellations, having to constantly adjust your promos to different locales, watching your blood pressure shoot sky-high when the opening hour is upon you and things aren't nearly set up yet, then steeling yourself to get out there on stage and start whipping up a crowd...etc. ...with barely time to catch your breath before re-packing and running through an airport terminal before they close the gate to your plane out - to start all over again.
Does any of that sound like the kind of life a "savvy investor, " one who possesses the real inside dope on how to make millions, would put himself through to make sure his mortgage and car payments are covered this month? I suspect that if these guys really had any more clue than ANY of the rest of us, they wouldn't be out on the road, beating their brains out, hoping to eke out a living by running hit & miss scams.
But just like the rest of us schmoes, they're still stuck in that same job, the one they've done for years, same routine - just a different town with a different batch of rubes.
187 days ago by OldBill 0 Votes
Thanks, decline! Very aptly put. Even more to the point would be ...don't go unless you want to CONFUSE your religion with opening your wallet to predators. I can envision these hypocrites just as easily quoting from the Talmud Torah in front of a Jewish audience, or the from the Holy Quran in front of an Islamic crowd. Whatever it takes to reel in the suckers.
Ghandi warned us ... “Corruption and hypocrisy ought not to be inevitable products of a free society, as they undoubtedly are today”
176 days ago by optimistic in houston 0 Votes
i can see both sides of the coin here...i wouldnt call this a motivational seminar cause i wasnt motivated to do much of anything. while it was a little over the top with the bad music and fireworks, it offered me the opportunity to hear Gen. Colin Powell and Coach Lou Holtz speak, who in my opinion were the highlights of the whole thing! well except for the crazy guy who could teach u how to buy a house for next to nothing! he was actually entertaining! the seminar was very unorganized and poorly planned, which seemed odd cause i know this is not their first rodeo! while it was much like sitting in front of my tv listening to infomercials, i have to admit, the weath magazine opportunity did sound appealing, so i signed up, knowing that they offer a complete money back guarantee. and yes i have done my research and know that i can attend and decide if this is really something for me and if it is not i dont loose a thing, except for some time, but hey i might learn something in the process. while i do agree the religious slant was a bit much, the one i attended was at a church, i am a christian so it was somthing that i alredy believe, but i feel that it is not something that should be forced down anyones throat. i was a little disapointed that zig ziglar was dragged out when it was painfully obvious that he has passed his prime for speaking. while i enjoyed seeing the clips from the past is was a little sad and uncomfortable to see how he has deteriorated with time. i'm not sure if this is for effect, and i sure hope its not, but he sure was a powerful and passionate speaker in his day and i'm sure he has motivated many a people but it just saddened me to see him try to speak and be as powerful as he once was but not really accomplishing that goal. i hope in the future they just show the clips instead. while it didnt cost me a thing to attend, i doubt i would pay in the future to attend. but i do have one thought, will they in the future invite President Obama to speak?
177 days ago by pearl of the orient 0 Votes
So, who among all of you who wrote these comments still save the old fashioned way: in a savings account, CD or under the mattress. You are probably still stuck in the same job for years. AND have a daily routine which you've done for ages...Then you all don't fit the profile of a SAVVY INVESTOR. The world of making money TODAY is not your arena for living.
And that's all good. Everybody is different, just as YOU are different from your parents, siblings, cousins, friends, and strangers. So, invest they way YOU want to: snail's pace as it is or not. And attend seminars if you want to or forced to based on what you need to fulfill. But don't put comments that have no substance behind it, only emotions. Thank you.
169 days ago by Marylouise 0 Votes
The motivational speakers were exceptional, if only I could hear them! Why pick a venue like Honda Center, which mainly used for is sports? I thought it was my hearing, but my younger kids said they struggled to hear. This is my 4th time at one of these seminars and I never had any trouble hearing in the other venues. The voices were just bouncing off the walls with a horrible echo. This will be my last time attending. What a total waste of time...
151 days ago by Eric MM 0 Votes
I attended the Get MotivatedSeminar at Phoenix a few weeks ago and was very impressed. Especially by Tamara Lowe who came across as an honest person, a good mother, and a role model for many. I also bought the 3 day real estate seminar with James Smith Real Estate Company. I will be going to it from April 23-25. They have not given me information on the venue yet!!I have very high hopes from what James Smith promised it would do for me. I sounded very convincing for sure. I actually boarded the flight with from Phoenix to Los Angeles on March 10 with James Smith and Kari Michaelsen the woman who introduced speakers at the seminar. Since they were real busy with each other my wife would not let me approach James Smith. I really wanted to talk to the man. He seems like a good and genuine guy. James Smith Was interesting, funny, and very motivating in encouraging me to get out of my comfort zone and make it big. THe 3 day financial seminar will be great. My friends who already attended one say that he came to speak and was comic as well as educative. Kari Michaelsen seems to be such a pinched, worn out, old looking hag!! She came as a real surprise. She had been unimpressive on stage while screaming out the introductions anyway. Looking at her up close when she was with James Smith was kind of weird. Her strip tease role in Saturday the 14th was the reason the movie was rented over and over and watched at our sleepovers. We got away with it since the movie was a teen horror. What we really watched was her hot undressing and bathing scene.Everybody did! She did quite a number with taking off each item of clothing. Taking off her panties and exposing her bubble covered breasts was the best . She looked real good in the bath towel too. I was surprised that James Smith has Kari Michaelsen for a mistress. A man of his magnetic personality and good looks could have had his pick. More so with being such a success at real estate and motivation.But she DID do a real number in the 80's. Ask any boy growing up in those years. Branded in the 80's is a website to check it out if you missed it (you could NOT have) or were born later .
Read more: http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/2009/08/19/get-motivated-and-get-out/#ixzz0hzlTeMhI
156 days ago by 76andupset 0 Votes
I attended the seminar in LA. I agree that the emcee in her 4 inch heels is garbled and unclear. I found out her name. She is an LA resident. Kari Michaelson working for Get Motivated. Googled her and this is what I found. Wow the Lowes made some choice!!
Google:
1... probably wouldn't have noticed if the scene didn't keep going and going, with plenty of close-ups on Kari Michaelson removing each piece of clothing ... that kept the camera off Michaelson here and there during her strip tease. ... were so damn hot that yes, kids were trading used stickers with each other. ...
www.brandedinthe80s.com/?search=1&search_string=rific - Cached
2...Andy Gibb (March 5, 1958 – March 10, 1988) was an English-born Australian ... ( He was actually engaged to actress Kari Michaelson, a star of the former, ...
tripatlas.com/Andy_Gibb - Cached
3...Kari Michaelsen on the highwire on Circus of the Stars (1983 - video clip - 31MB ) · Where are they now? type article on Kari Michaelson (and Matthew ...
www.sitcomsonline.com/gbreakwhere.html
4..Kari met James Smith in early 2004 when she attended a “Financial Success” ... James Smith I knew I had found someone who really practices what he preaches. ...
www.jamessmithseries.com/index.php?option=com...view..
5.. James Smith should practice what he preaches. Talking of respect for women and family an himself having a married woman Kari Michaelson working in his ...
www.complaintsboard.com/.../james-smith-real-estate-net-marketing-lc- c3195.html?... - Cached
What an emcee! and Colin Powell, Rudy Juliani, Conduleeza Rice are speaking for Get Motivated?
Peter and Tamara Lowe need to do some thinking!
156 days ago by OldBill 0 Votes
Now add up how much it must cost them to get people like Colin Powell, Robert Schuller, Rudy Giuliani, Laura Bush, Sean Payton, Drew Brees, Lou Holtz, Sarah Palin, and (the shell of) Zig Ziglar - at THOUSANDS of dollars each - to show up there and shill for them... Then ask how they could possibly afford that at $5 per person.
Maybe they do it by saving all of that expensive door prize money, since those ghost winners never seem to be there to claim any of it.
152 days ago by OldBill 0 Votes
Good luck, Unmotivated. That just bought a round of Starbucks for the crew - your 99 bucks are long gone.
Perhaps you could turn their duplicitous gimcrackery back onto themselves: Try reminding them that the Lord God is watching them, and wants them to do right by you...and see how far that gets y0u.
160 days ago by JulieofNewOrleans 0 Votes
Hey, I just signed up for one of these seminars today, in New Orleans. I saw a full page advertisement in the newspaper. It looked very exciting. I'm looking at it now. It says Get Motivated! "The super bowl of success! Then there's 2 inch photos in a line of Colin Powell, Robert Schuller, Zig Ziglar, Rudy Giuliani, and Laura Bush. With Lines under each person saying what they will address: Take charge leadership by Colin Powell, Tough times never last by Schuller, How to stay motivated by Ziglar, The tenacity to persevere by Giuliani, and The keys to stability by Laura Bush.
I really am glad I came online to look into this event. I had no idea that it was a seminar made to sell things. I thought it was truly to motivate business men and women to achieve success.
Along the side it says "You will Learn: Customer Service, business skills, communication, time management, productivity, goal achievement, people skills, Management skills, sales and marketing, negotiation skills, organization, MORE MONEY (????????????), Leadership, Team building.
The last I checked, "MORE MONEY" is not a business skill, but that is just my opinion.
I called 2 hours ago to get my ticket, thinking I would love just to hear Zig Ziglar speak, as I remember he wrote great books on motivation and career. I called and they got my credit card info, which I felt uncomfortable giving over the phone, and had a bad feeling when I was giving it. But I thought, " It's just 5$. Why do I have such a bad feeling right now?"
Then he said, there is the option of going to another center where there will be free workbook and food, if you take that option. But if you go to the live presentation, you will not get the workbook and food (that was my understanding). So I took a minute to decide, because I didn't expect to be faced with that decision. I thought I was going to see them live, only.
So I asked, "Must I make this decision now, or can I wait till later?" and he said I should decide
42 days ago by Dani DiVito 0 Votes
Comments about James Smith Company.
Dallas Get Motivated made me sign up for James Smith Company seminar for 3 days. But this is what I found on line. And many other really nasty comments too. If anyone knows more about the truth or falsehood of these people please let us know.
Thank You Kari Michaelsen for EXPOSING yourself well and truly for ALL to see.
You have done the whole world a favor by taking precious time from your "trip" with James Smith to Arizona to write 3 posts is amazing.
Pretending to be David Waldock? I hope he knows that you used HIS name as ALIAS!!
ALL the writing you have done simply exposed you COMPLETELY. Thanks!!
David Waldock DIVORCED you in early 2009. You are a single woman! California divorce records are public information anyone can get for $15. You are not very intelligent, are you? School drop out?
Next, David Waldock HIMSELF told Aaron Osmond, CEO of James Smith Company this truth about having divorced you in a phone conversation in April, 2010 when Aaron Osmond called him to ask for some help and advice. David Waldock did NOT want to help / work / partner with James Smith Company and is NOT your husband.
About flight records and evidence?
Remember January 1, 2010 when you waited at Honolulu airport for James Smith to fly in from Lanai? He had checked out of Four Seasons Manele Bay where he had been with Ryan and Jamie Smith and was waiting to board the 7:10pm flight to Honolulu for your "vacation" with him? James sent you texts telling you how excited he was about the fun time both of you would have from Jan. 1 to Jan. 3, 2010.
Here are a couple of the texts from James M. Smith's phone to yours.
01/01/2010, 6:32pm (Hawai time)
:0...^...
01/01/2010, 6:43pm (Hawai time)
MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE...LOVE YOU ANGEL WOMAN
Want one from April 22, 2010 @ 10:57pm ?
(the day before you were in Vancouver WITH him)
I LOVE YOU AND I MISS YOUR SMILE
If you need more just ask. It will be easy to make them public. Might jog your memory too. Also flight details should be easy to put up here if you don't remember.
Try explaining THESE texts to your son Nicky or Nickolas Waldock after you buy him the next McDonald's Happy Meals that you supply him with to keep him happy.
Kari Michaelsen, stop pretending to be a married forgiving woman of God. You have been exposed! Justice and truth ALWAYS win.
has
And by the way, dragging David Waldock's name in will not help. He already divorced you. Even if he WANTED to help for old times sake, the SUBPOENA finds ALL evidence including cell phone conversations, travel records and computer IP addresses!!!
But again, THANKS for exposing yourself completely
Here is another one
.Miche Chabonaire
You are a loyal friend of James Smith of James Smith Company. He is lucky to have you.
Michel you are wasting your time here.
The TRUTH is ALREADY OUT. Kari Michaelsen PROVED what a LIAR and what a DIHONEST woman she is HERSELF on THIS website.
Did you read the post by "David Waldock" (actually Kari M. ) saying that he is 'spending quality time with Kari and their son' and that she is someone he 'loves'?
Did you read Kari M.'s posts saying that she and DAVID are upset and wish James and Loree well?
Did you KNOW that David Waldock officially DIVORCED Kari Michaelsen in 2009? (Divorce records are public property available at the Department of Public Health, Freedom of Information Act 1966 and are available online.
David Waldock makes NO secret of the divorce. He even told Aaron Osmond this FACT in April 2009 in a phone conversation.He is an honest man. Kari M. PRETENDS to be a married woman!
Kari is a divorced single woman who is loose and wrecks marriages like James Smith's.
Being divorced is not a crime but PRETENDING to be married and lying about it IS.
All the RUBBISH she has written in the long posts trying to give a picture of a happy family in California is just garbage from a woman who has been exposed.
Actually Kari Michaelsen EXPOSED herself BETTER than ANYONE could by all the writing as a happily married woman. No other proof could be MORE clear and strong.
ALSO, Michel. If you WERE in Arizona with James Smith for business it does NOT matter. Even if you were in his ROOM it does not matter. Because:
First, James Smith visits Kari Michaelsen's room every morning and night at the Get Motivated locations. All the speakers and staff are in the SAME hotel. That Does not stop James and Kari.
Second, James Smith stayed in New Orleans for 3 days during the Get Motivated Show, April 11-14, 2010. Of course Kari stayed ALSO. James had Andrew IN HIS ROOM staying the nights. But James STILL visited Kari and spent the evenings and mornings with her till both checked out on April 14. Having Andrew in the room changed NOTHING. So having you there means nothing.
Third, In El Paso James had to spend March 28 with Justin Smith as it was a day with no FS seminar. James had Kari fly into El Paso in the morning of March 29 around 11am. She came to his hotel room. That is why James was late reaching the FS to speak that day. He reached at about 3pm and Justin and Donna kept calling him to see why he was late. James went back to his hotel and Kari after speaking and both of them flew to Atlanta the next day.
Having his own son and sister right there in a nearby hotel changed nothing.
James Smith and Kari Michaelsen are SO dishonest and cunning and are like vipers that simple and honest people cannot understand HOW their minds can be so devious. THAT is what they use as their trick. It is SO messed up that it seems hard to believe.
Fact is, Can You Understand That The Truth Has Been Exposed By Kari Herself? Do you believe government records? Do you need ANYTHING more?
Truth wil find you, James Smith and Kari Michaelsen, it already HAS. And justice will win.
24 days ago by Rick Perry 0 Votes
WE did NOT sign up for the Atlanta Financial Summit offered by James Smith Company. And bless the Lord! The comments on this speaker of Get Motivated and president of James Smith Company the man himself are shocking and sick.
Many many other details are also available on line when you do a search. There should be a warning for innocent believers who want to get money in this bad economy and sign up for classes and waste more money instead.
James Smith is definitely known for having a affair with a married woman who works and travels with him And he has another mistress who is very like James Smith's own dad. People of the church.
James is always taking advantage of innocent people and has many lawsuits against him. He says he is married and his CEO Aron Osmond says he is working on his marriage but he is really having at least two affairs and is with women EVERY night in his or their room.
He hired a private plane to Take him and his mistress Kari Michalsen from LA to Talahasee on January 24, 2010, then he began to fly in another NEW mistress's private plane. Yes. Even on November 4, 2010 he flew with her from Arizona to Florida. So who is lying and who are people believing and giving their money to? There needs to be a lot of explaining and transparent facts given.
Pasting one of the comments I found below. Please make INFORMED decisions. All of us should. Do not be like cattle and be led blindly.
Good luck and hopefully it will be good learning for those people who do still sign up.
47 days ago by Trashman407 -1 Votes
James will be James, he has been sleeping around for years, Kari did not wreck his marrige, she is about # 200+ on his mistress list. Ask him about the cute escort from Phoenix or the 5-day instructor he had an affair with, that is the one that killed his marrige. James has women in most cities who come onto him, he picks the one he wants, the rest is history. If Kari or Paula think they are the one, Ha Ha ladies you are being played. I know he has incredible charm, makes you think he is all about you but the truth is he is only about himself in all things, love and business.
19 days ago by Bob Bowen 0 Votes
All these comments are clearly saying that there is a LOT of dishonesty and sickness in James Smith Company and in JAMES SMITH.
38 days ago by JMarcellaJ
3) You have mentioned the names of James Smith's sons, his wife, Kari's son, her husband (before his own posting in her defense), and that James is the godfather to their son. How close are you to James to know these personal details of his life that not just everyone would know?
4) You have stated Kari is divorced, Paula is divorced and twice mentioned that James Smiths' wife "will not consider reconciliation". Therefore, it is a safe assumption that he is...at the very least...separated. While Paula White seems an unlikely candidate for a girlfriend for James, doesn't that fall into the category of his business? How do you know all this pertinent information about his wife?
THIS MAN IS FACEBOOK FRIEND OF JAMES M SMITH, PAULA WHITE AND KARI MICHAELSEN>>>> so HE probably know WHO JAMES SMITH IS WITH AND WHEN!!!
51 days ago by Ken Hartley +3 Votes
If everyone will read the previous post by "Candy JS"... (LOL... that's a REALLY clever name, btw)... You'll see the blogger sniper's (who is also "bozo" and all the rest) REAL name. The blogger actually just posted their real name in this previous post (to throw you off) but most people (contrary to what the blogger believes) are SMART ENOUGH to see through it. Again, read the post. Their real name is there.
They are nothing more than a jealous, bitter person. Kari was NOT in Arizona. She was in Los Angeles. I KNOW she was. I talked to her. I know Kari. Also, Kari didn't do that post. DAVID DID. I know. You care so little about truth. Reread Kari’s post. She NEVER said she was married in that post. You know Kari and David are a divorced couple working diligently to co-parent their child. (not that any of this is your business) You only care about people thinking you are right. You are a classic narcissist and insist on imposing your own perfectionistic tendencies on everyone else that you, yourself, are not willing to keep. It's absolutely astounding that you would accuse Kari of posting under a different name when you KNOW that's what YOU'RE doing.
15 days ago by JMarcellaJ 0 Votes
Here we go again. I am only posting on this ridiculous subject because I was quoted in part. I want to point out all of the posts (both good and bad) about Mr. Smith's personal life had been removed from this and other websites several weeks ago. One website had a comment pertaining to a defamation of character lawsuit and under protest had removed all of the postings about Mr. Smith. In the comment, the "webmaster" or whatever you call the person who runs a website, had stated each and every negative post had come from the same IP address. I would be willing to bet "Rick Perry" and "Dani DeVito" posted from the same place. (It's safe to assume that "Rick Perry" isn't the governor of Texas nor is "Dani DeVito" the short actor married to Rhea Perlman.)
As I read back through all of the "cut and paste" done prior to Bob Bowen's post, I found it interesting that only the negative comments were posted and none of the positive ones made the cut. Apparently this blogger just can't let it go. I wonder why that is? In my one and only post, I stated I had absolutely no connection to James Smith, Kari Michaelsen or the "new mistress". I questioned the validity of all the dates and times of meetings, rendevous, texts, missed meetings, flights, etc. I also asked (as shown above) the blogger to state their real identity if he/she wanted to be taken seriously. I wrote my post without any underlying emotion or agenda because there was none. I made many points (two of which are quoted verbatim) and oddly enough...there was NEVER a response to my post. NOTHING. It sat there ignored for many days until everything was taken down from the website. It's obvious there was no proof. Now...it's all back up again.
So...I pose the same questions. Who are you? You began each of the posts as though you had attended a Get Motivated Seminar and was doing research, but you ended it with details (flight times, dates, etc.). How would you know that? Why do you care? James Smith seems to be a very smart man, but he wouldn't be the first guy to fall for a nipped, sucked, tucked, lifted, implanted bottle blonde. The most famous real estate tycoon in America is brilliant in business, but is known for his weird hair, trading one pretty wife for another one who is younger and has his own TV show. You can question his personal decisions, but when it comes to real estate, he knows his stuff. The same is probably true with Mr. Smith. The mistress who is "people of the church" like his father is most likely a phony, but she'll have to answer to God for that. Even hypocritical preachers (who have no theology training) can lead people to God. Why do you worry about such trivial matters that have absolutely no impact on you?
When you write character attacks on a person whose ability to continue in their vocation depends upon their personal reputation of honesty, you should state who you really are. Anyone can tell you have a vested interest in destroying James Smith. Why? If you want credibility, back up your claims with actual proof and sign your name.
12 days ago by zmk 0 Votes
James Smith Company / Get Motivates Seminars Scam News
Utah woman going to prison for scamming dozens, including widow ...
Oct 28, 2010 ... Professed real estate expert Jolee M. Tibbitts told Joyce ... about half from Utah — lost a total of $1.2 million in Tibbitts' scam, ...
www.deseretnews.com/.../Utah-woman-going-to-prison-for-scamming- dozens-including-widow-Iraq-solider.html - Cached
Robinson v. Tibbitts et al :: Justia Dockets & Filings
Dec 29, 2009 ... Tibbitts et al - Justia Federal Dockets and Filings. ... Torts to Land, - Tort Product Liability, - All Other Real Property ... Torts - Property, - Other Fraud, - Truth in Lending ... Under Equal Access to Justice, - Constitutionality of State Statutes ... Defendants: Jolee Tibbitts and JMT Concepts ...
dockets.justia.com/docket/utah/utdce/2:2009cv01149/73394/ - Cached
GOING GLOBAL - EAST MEETS WEST - ARTICLES OF INTEREST: Utah woman ...
Oct 28, 2010 ... Professed real estate expert Jolee M. Tibbitts told Joyce ... Tibbitts, of Herriman, earlier pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in ...
articlesofinterest-kelley.blogspot.com/.../utah-woman-going-to-prison-for- scamming.html - Cached
Utah woman going to prison for scamming dozens, including widow ...
Professed real estate expert Jolee M. Tibbitts told Joyce Robinson she owned. ... Finance, fraud and foreclosure. 2 days ago. In the book, 'Too Big to Fail' ...
topics.npr.org/article/03LybbF98Y3KX - Cached
Utah woman going to prison for scamming dozens, including widow ...
Oct 27, 2010 ... Professed real estate expert Jolee M. Tibbitts told Joyce Robinson ... CA - OCTOBER 11: Socialite Kathy Hilton and real estate broker Rick ...
mma.msg.com/article/03LybbF98Y3KX?q=Hawaii - Cached2009-11-16
by CNJ -1 Votes Utah
The fraud committed by NRI - James Smith, Jolee Tibbitts, Roger Williams, Aaron Asmond has personally effected me. I paid 20K to learn how to lose 200k cash. I am a single mom with 8th grade education. The properties were presented as GREAT investments and leveraged my home and bought each one out of trust and presentation. The Personal Coach processed all 11 of the Utah loans through his comapany. Broke confused and struggling...Jolee Tibitts offered to sell me a no-brainer home to flip from her sister to save me from the horrible situation, ("Stop the bleeding" they call it), only to find out, the house was not worth what I paid, but that NRI personal coach got it appraised and funded somehow. I reached out again to James Smith, Roger, Jolee who all stated I had bought horrible homes. Only to be offered another seminar. The embarrassment and the humiation of trusting the many years of expertise represented is my payment for investing in " guarentee satisfaction", "learning the ropes from the 20yrs experienced investment experts and coaches",
California
"I attended the M-5 in Salt Lake City; this was immediately after attending the three day.
We found ourselves exhausted at the end of 5 days, as I think most people are following an M-5; however we were totally committed to Real Estate investing. We were so touched by the “passion” that we saw in many of the presenters. The emotion and tears shared and shed by attendees and presenters was incredible. One of the most passionate presenters was a woman by the name of Jolee Tibbitts."
RE Success Group James Smith | RIP OFF REPORT: 249594
May 21, 2007 ... James Smith and the James Smith Real Estate Coaching Company strongly ... Use our complaint form to report a scam. Site problems? ... the pressured purchase involving Jolee Tibbitts, a then presenter for NRI). James' ...
www.ripoffreport.com/.../national-real-estate-investors-mxba2.htm - Cached -
James Smith Real Estate / Net Marketing, LC Complaints - Celebrity ...
We backed out of several deals and were told by Jolee Tibbitts one of their ...
www.ww.complaintsboard.com/.../james-smith-real-estate-net-marketing-lc- c3195.html
Jolee Tibbitts Sentenced to 4 years in Federal Prison.
WORKED MENIAL JOBS TILL JAMES SMITH HIRED HER:
"“Theft is one thing. Lying is another. You did them both, ” said Judge Dee Benson, of the U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City. “And you did it for an awfully long time.”
Tibbitts’ attorney, Daphne Oberg, said Tibbitts worked menial jobs until she was suddenly promoted to a real-estate training and motivational speaking job that quintupled her income. Later, when hard times hit, Oberg said Tibbitts’ life spun out of control.
“She kind of became involved in this fast-moving life, trying to keep up this public image, ” Oberg said. “But it wasn’t an image based in reality.”
During Wednesday’s sentencing, a handful of victims spoke of the medical problems, failed marriages and shortened retirements they said came as a result of their investments. "
Comment from
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50552405-76/tibbitts-court-estate-million.html.csp
James Smith NRI, Darel Snyder PSI group
Posted: 2007-01-23 by Hovsep A [send email]
Took their advice and lost $65,000!
Complaint Rating: 80 % with 56 votes
I was one of James Smith's students. Two years ago I went to a seminar in Burbank CA with my brother in-law and we decided to purchase the entry real estate package which was $5,000. At the real estate entry course we were offered a special deal for the entire real estate package (M5, foreclosure workshop, commercial workshop, mentor program and analysis software) which was additional $17,000 dollars for both of us. We were also offered an opportunity at M5 workshop, a profitable property which in return will have high return. So $22,000 which we spent will be covered. We bought the entire package. We took all the workshops except commercial workshop. We meet with other investors and the concept was good. We also talked with successful investors. Over all it was okay, we met interesting people. James has the right concept I thought.
At M5 workshop we were afford to purchase Edge luxury condo in Scottsdale AZ. We couldn't miss the opportunity. The condo that I purchased at that time the value was $350,000. The properties were discovered by PSI Group (http://www.psigrouponline.com/), which is run by Darel and Brycen Snyder. I personally spoke with Darel few times and he told me the Edge property is a sweet deal. I did some research and it looked like a good deal at that time. Plus given their expertise in real estate who am I to argue.
I signed an agreement with the builder that I can't sell the property for 18 months. Every month I did do diligence to make sure the value is going up. That specific zip code was always appreciating. I knew there were condos being built but I had no idea that it will impact the value of my condo. Plus I called the builder office few times to make sure my condo was appreciating, the answer to my question was always yes it's appreciating. 18 months is over now I'm trying to sell the condo and guess what my condo value down to $320,000. My total loss including negative cash flow is $65,000 dollars. I tried to contact PSI Group, they were going to get back to me in few days, and it’s been 3 weeks now. I paid $11,000 dollars to get an advice from real estate expert and this is what I get. It's very disappointing. That’s my story.
[Complaint comments] Comments [Complaint country] United States [Complaint category] Real Estate
Share with others: Digg it! Del.ici.ous Yahoo My Web Share on Twitter Facebook My Web
Was the above complaint useful to you?
Comments
Sort by: Date | Rating
12 days ago by zmk 0 Votes
James Smith Company / Get Motivates Seminars Scam News
Utah woman going to prison for scamming dozens, including widow ...
Oct 28, 2010 ... Professed real estate expert Jolee M. Tibbitts told Joyce ... about half from Utah — lost a total of $1.2 million in Tibbitts' scam, ...
www.deseretnews.com/.../Utah-woman-going-to-prison-for-scamming- dozens-including-widow-Iraq-solider.html - Cached
Robinson v. Tibbitts et al :: Justia Dockets & Filings
Dec 29, 2009 ... Tibbitts et al - Justia Federal Dockets and Filings. ... Torts to Land, - Tort Product Liability, - All Other Real Property ... Torts - Property, - Other Fraud, - Truth in Lending ... Under Equal Access to Justice, - Constitutionality of State Statutes ... Defendants: Jolee Tibbitts and JMT Concepts ...
dockets.justia.com/docket/utah/utdce/2:2009cv01149/73394/ - Cached
GOING GLOBAL - EAST MEETS WEST - ARTICLES OF INTEREST: Utah woman ...
Oct 28, 2010 ... Professed real estate expert Jolee M. Tibbitts told Joyce ... Tibbitts, of Herriman, earlier pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in ...
articlesofinterest-kelley.blogspot.com/.../utah-woman-going-to-prison-for- scamming.html - Cached
Utah woman going to prison for scamming dozens, including widow ...
Professed real estate expert Jolee M. Tibbitts told Joyce Robinson she owned. ... Finance, fraud and foreclosure. 2 days ago. In the book, 'Too Big to Fail' ...
topics.npr.org/article/03LybbF98Y3KX - Cached
Utah woman going to prison for scamming dozens, including widow ...
Oct 27, 2010 ... Professed real estate expert Jolee M. Tibbitts told Joyce Robinson ... CA - OCTOBER 11: Socialite Kathy Hilton and real estate broker Rick ...
mma.msg.com/article/03LybbF98Y3KX?q=Hawaii - Cached2009-11-16
by CNJ -1 Votes Utah
The fraud committed by NRI - James Smith, Jolee Tibbitts, Roger Williams, Aaron Asmond has personally effected me. I paid 20K to learn how to lose 200k cash. I am a single mom with 8th grade education. The properties were presented as GREAT investments and leveraged my home and bought each one out of trust and presentation. The Personal Coach processed all 11 of the Utah loans through his comapany. Broke confused and struggling...Jolee Tibitts offered to sell me a no-brainer home to flip from her sister to save me from the horrible situation, ("Stop the bleeding" they call it), only to find out, the house was not worth what I paid, but that NRI personal coach got it appraised and funded somehow. I reached out again to James Smith, Roger, Jolee who all stated I had bought horrible homes. Only to be offered another seminar. The embarrassment and the humiation of trusting the many years of expertise represented is my payment for investing in " guarentee satisfaction", "learning the ropes from the 20yrs experienced investment experts and coaches",
California
"I attended the M-5 in Salt Lake City; this was immediately after attending the three day.
We found ourselves exhausted at the end of 5 days, as I think most people are following an M-5; however we were totally committed to Real Estate investing. We were so touched by the “passion” that we saw in many of the presenters. The emotion and tears shared and shed by attendees and presenters was incredible. One of the most passionate presenters was a woman by the name of Jolee Tibbitts."
RE Success Group James Smith | RIP OFF REPORT: 249594
May 21, 2007 ... James Smith and the James Smith Real Estate Coaching Company strongly ... Use our complaint form to report a scam. Site problems? ... the pressured purchase involving Jolee Tibbitts, a then presenter for NRI). James' ...
www.ripoffreport.com/.../national-real-estate-investors-mxba2.htm - Cached -
James Smith Real Estate / Net Marketing, LC Complaints - Celebrity ...
We backed out of several deals and were told by Jolee Tibbitts one of their ...
www.ww.complaintsboard.com/.../james-smith-real-estate-net-marketing-lc- c3195.html
Jolee Tibbitts Sentenced to 4 years in Federal Prison.
WORKED MENIAL JOBS TILL JAMES SMITH HIRED HER:
"“Theft is one thing. Lying is another. You did them both, ” said Judge Dee Benson, of the U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City. “And you did it for an awfully long time.”
Tibbitts’ attorney, Daphne Oberg, said Tibbitts worked menial jobs until she was suddenly promoted to a real-estate training and motivational speaking job that quintupled her income. Later, when hard times hit, Oberg said Tibbitts’ life spun out of control.
“She kind of became involved in this fast-moving life, trying to keep up this public image, ” Oberg said. “But it wasn’t an image based in reality.”
During Wednesday’s sentencing, a handful of victims spoke of the medical problems, failed marriages and shortened retirements they said came as a result of their investments. "
Comment from
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50552405-76/tibbitts-court-estate-million.html.csp
rinsfo 2 weeks ago
"Tibbitts’ attorney, Daphne Oberg, said Tibbitts worked menial jobs until she was suddenly promoted to a real-estate training and motivational speaking job that quintupled her income."...
Promoted by James Smith and his org that's still very active in UT. Run, don't walk to the nearest exit when you come across these grifters."
11 days ago by RGW1 0 Votes
James Smith Company's instructor/ motivational speaker / main M5 presenter Jolee Tibbitts is sentenced to prison for investment scams and stealing innocent students money. 4 years in Federal prison.
Utah woman sentenced in $1.2 million real estate scheme
BY AARON FALK
The Salt Lake Tribune
Published Oct 27, 2010 05:13PM
Updated Nov 1, 2010 03:45PM
Tibbitts’ attorney, Daphne Oberg, said Tibbitts worked menial jobs until she was suddenly promoted to a real-estate training and motivational speaking job that quintupled her income. Later, when hard times hit, Oberg said Tibbitts’ life spun out of control.
“Theft is one thing. Lying is another. You did them both, ” said Judge Dee Benson, of the U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City. “And you did it for an awfully long time.”
We were also offered an opportunity at M5 workshop, a profitable property ... The fraud committed by NRI - James Smith, Jolee Tibbitts, ...
www.complaintsboard.com/.../james-smith-nri-darel-snyder-psi-group-
Dec 7, 2007 ... Jolee Tibbitts, JMT Concepts Jolee Tibbitts-Took money for an investment ... My husband and I attended an NRI M5 in August 2006 in Salt Lake City, UT. ... of a class action civil suit against Jolee, NRI, and James Smith. ...
Mar 25, 2009 ... The fraud committed by NRI – James Smith, Jolee Tibbitts, Roger Williams, Aaron Asmond has personally effected me. I paid 20K to learn how ...xenophilius.wordpress.com/.../phelps-speaking-live-arco-arena/
Jolee Tibbitts worked and traveled WITH JAMES SMITH COMPANY till 2008. Scammed many people. MANY COMPLAINTS involving Jolee Tibbitts and James Smith on Complaints Board. Investors and people considering business with these people and the company BEWARE. The court has ordered that Jolee Tibbitts pay BACK the victims at the rate of $250 a month. And the total is $1.2million!! So WHAT are the chances of getting your money back even if a lawsuit goes in your favor?
A lot of lying and cunning is involved in this company. James Smith SEEMS very honest and sincere. But is what he SAYS really what he DOES? HAVE YOU SEEN HIM DO AND FOLLOW THROUGH AND THE RESULTS? ASK people before you make decisions. WHAT IS THE TRUTH? ARE THEY ALL HONEST OR DO THEY PLAY WITH EMOTIONS AND TRUST? People file lawsuits against this man and his company. Why? Ask them. Do NOT rely on the Customer Advisory Board that has some women calling James Smith MY MENTOR and MY GURU. Even their contact information is NOT there. WHY? Because of SPECIAL FRIENDSHIP? Can you TRUST people like that in what they say about James Smith. If he is SO HONEST then why ALL the other truths that are PROVED. Some examples below.
James Smith's mistress Kari Michaelsen ALSO worked menial job in road shows for James Smith Company in 2008-20009 till she suddenly became an emcee of M5 and began to teach a Leadership Mastery class with James Smith!!! Till James Smith's wife demanded she be fired. But then James Smith got her a job with Get Motivated Seminars so they could travel together regularly and LOTS of OTHER times too. AND THEY DO!!
FACT: Even now James Smith is a MARRIED MAN and is WORKING ON HIS MARRIAGE (according to him AND his CEO Aaron Osmond, see below for statement by Aaron Osmond) but has at least two mistresses. Let him PROVE otherwise.Almost EVERY NIGHT HE IS WITH ONE or BOTH.
Dallas Get motivated BOTH Kari Michaelsen AND the the new one. Indianapolis GM Kari 3 nights. Washington DC Financial Success the New one 3 nights. Atlanta GM Kari 3 nights. 3rd November was Kari's 49th birthday. Eve of birthday and breakfast with Kari and then to the New one that same night for 4 nights. Then Kari.. then new one..then Kari.. etc. etc.
Kari is the old regular one who abandons her little son Nickolas ALL the time ( his godfather and "UNCLE" is James Smith) to fly to James Smith when the NEW BEAUTIFUL RICH FAMOUS one cannot be available since she is in high demand and very busy being successful. She is like a super model. See her amazing photos on facebook. And then see Kari Michaelsen's more than a decade old and VERY HEAVILY paint brush touched up picture. Looks like a painting not a photo. And also her latest old and PAST IT photos from Get Motivated. Getting married at 42, having a son, getting divorced, having affairs, and waiting in hotel rooms for James Smith to come when he wants is something she does ALL the time and has not helped those looks at all.
But Kari Michaelsen does a bikini circus act on a high rope(youtube.com) real well. Also a strip tease (Saturday the 14th). James Smith should know those well from his PRIVATE shows with her. All the company needs to do is put a high rope and give her a bikini. All the 7 minute breaks will be fun for free. She'll do the splits up high in the skimpy 'nothing' like she does in the circus act, or the strip tease.Maybe Get Motivated should have her throw in those acts too. All in the $4.99 / ticket price.
At least the new mistress has HUGE following, BEAUTY, and is SO rich she can give James Smith the best life and luxury he can dream of. And she will not have to perform like a circus monkey either. She moves HUGE crowds by actually TALKING not just screaming names in a high pitched nasal voice with the Ladieeeees and Gentlemeeeeen that sounds like Fran Fine from the Nanny which is ALL Kari Michaelsen can do.No wait. She can also have NO morals, lie, be cunning and cheat. Also forget her son Nickolas at home all the time to be with James Smith.
Alibis and classes / M5 / Group mentoring / Seminars are cover ups for EVERY day with women who are NOT the WIFE James Smith is WORKING on his marriage with. Holiday season is here and that means LOTS of time. But what about alibis? Who will lie this time?
James Smith, Kari Michaelsen, Aaron Osmond, Ken Hartley, Kevin Reynolds. These people lie and should be held accountable. Example of lies by James Smith, Company CEO Aaron Osmond and student / friend /supporter Ken Hartley, instructor and partner Kevin Reynolds.
Read the CONTRADICTING statements THEY have made themselves. They SAY IT ALL. Can you believe these people?
Cheats! Dishonesty all around!They LIE LIE LIE!
PROOF:
James Smith goes on TRIPS with his mistresses and then has his INNOCENT son or employees lie and say he was with THEM instead:
1) A trip with a mistress Kari Michaelsen in Hawaii, Honolulu from January 1, 2010 8PM to January 3, 2010 11AM ( Kari left for LAX), James left for Orlando at 6PM and the cover story was being with a son and daughter-in-law in Lanai.
2) A trip with ANOTHER mistress to St.Croix
Get Motivated Seminars Complaints - Online scam
June 2010 ... Other Qivana members who were IN St.Thomas and can vouch for the fact... James Smith being with **** **** in St.Croix, Virgin Islands ...
www.complaintsboard.com/.../get-motivated-seminars-c156138
Kevin Reynolds ( the foreclosure and Real Estate 3 day class instructor) first wrote that James Smith was with HIM on 6/17and later wrote that James was with him on St.Thomas for a Qivana event from 6/13 to 6/18 TO COVER UP FOR A TRIP WITH A MISTRESS.
FALSE. James Smith went to St.Thomas only on 6/17 and left on 6/18 for Utah M5 in Salt Lake City.The REST of the time he was on a TRIP with his mistress in St.Croix.
For TRUTH and confirmation of the above information contact:
Derek Hall, CEO Qivana
@ (801)-610-4600
HOW THEY LIE ABOUT KARI MICHAELSEN NOT being divorced and actually one of James Smith's mistresses
Get Motivated Seminars Comments - Online scam
... Did you KNOW that David Waldock officially DIVORCED Kari Michaelsen in 2009? ...
www.complaintsboard.com/.../get-motivated-seminars-c156138.html?sort...
May 26, 2010 at 12:43 pm
Again, you’re making accusations as facts and you have none. Kari and David were not divorced in 2002. I know. I was at an event with them TOGETHER in 2009. I know them. They’re married. You’re wrong. Get your facts straight.
May 28, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Cindy,
My name is Aaron Osmond. I am the CEO of the James Smith Company. James is both my business partner and close friend. I am also a friend and professional associate of Kari Michaelson.
3) In May of 2008, I personally invited Kari and David (her husband) to share their testimonials as part of our new success story infomercial that we were filming that year.
4) At that time, Kari and David (as a married couple) provided evidence of their real estate success with documentation as part of that testimonial process.
5) The testimonial video now showing on http://www.jamessmithcompany.com/ is the exact same testimonial that we filmed in 2008.
10) James and Loree Smith are still married today. I know and respect them both. They are working through their own challenges and deserve privacy and respect when it comes to their marriage.
11) Kari Michaeson is a colleague, friend, and professional working at many of the same events at James. That is all. Nothing more. There is no story, no drama, no deception.
FALSE. IT IS NOT. THERE ARE 2 INFOMERCIALS / testimonials WITH KARI. ONE HAS Kari Michaelsen ( looking like a hippie) and her EX HUSBAND DAVID WALDOCK ALSO. THAT is the earlier one from 2008. The NEW one says Kari Waldock but was filmed AFTER she got divorced. She is wearing the brown sparkly business suit she bought to emcee the June 2009 M5 in Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. The infomercial is taped AFTER that M5 and uploaded on April 12, 2010. ALSO the CEO Aaron Osmond was told by the ex husband David Waldock himself on the phone. But he (Aaron Osmond) did NOT give that information.
James Smith Real Estate / Net Marketing, LC Complaints - Celebrity
... Kari Michaelsen OR Kari Michaelson OR Kari Waldock and James ... If you WERE in Arizona with James Smith for business it does NOT matter. ...
www.ww.complaintsboard.com/.../james-smith-real-estate-net-marketing-lc-c3195.html?...
CandyJS June 24, 2010
Thank You Kari Michaelsen for EXPOSING yourself well and truly for ALL to see.
David Waldock DIVORCED you in early 2009. You are a single woman! California divorce records are public information anyone can get for $15. You are not very intelligent, are you? School drop out? Next, David Waldock HIMSELF told Aaron Osmond, CEO of James Smith Company this truth about having divorced you in a phone conversation in April, 2010 when Aaron Osmond called him to ask for some help and advice. David Waldock did NOT want to help / work / partner with James Smith Company and is NOT your husband.
Now here are some facts: I am also a student of James Smith. I spent a lot of money investing in his educational system. I received instruction from James, his sons, and many other teachers with the James Smith Company.
Last of all, I am a pastor. That is what I do full time. I’m putting my integrity on the line by doing this post. I have nothing to gain by posting this reply other than the truth being known. The person doing these posts is lying. I’m telling you the truth. Those are the facts. Now decide for yourself.
Ken Hartley
James Smith Real Estate / Net Marketing, LC Complaints - Celebrity ...
... AND JAMES SMITH AND KARI MICHAELSEN ARE IN ARIZONA RIGHT NOW. YES, for June 23rd and June 24th, 2010 ... 45 days ago by Michel Charbonnier, +2 Votes ...
www.ww.complaintsboard.com/.../james-smith-real-estate-net-marketing-lc-c3195
Ken Hartley
www.ww.complaintsboard.com/.../james-smith-real-estate-net-marketing-lc-c3195.htm
June 25, 2010
They are nothing more than a jealous, bitter person. Kari was NOT in Arizona. She was in Los Angeles. I KNOW she was. I talked to her. I know Kari. Also, Kari didn't do that post. DAVID DID. I know. You care so little about truth. Reread Kari’s post. She NEVER said she was married in that post. You know Kari and David are a divorced couple working diligently to co-parent their child. (not that any of this is your business) You only care about people thinking you are right. You are a classic narcissist and insist on imposing your own perfectionistic tendencies on everyone else that you, yourself, are not willing to keep. It's absolutely astounding that you would accuse Kari of posting under a different name when you KNOW that's what YOU'RE doing.
Do we need more proof when we have the company's supporter and a 'pastor' giving two OPPOSITE facts???.. Kari Michaelsen Not Divorced ( May 26, 2010) and Kari is divorced and co parenting (June 25, 2010).
And the divorce was finalized and recorded in 2009 in California.
A divorce is a legal public proceeding. If these people LIE SO MUCH about something that is a public proven FACT just to cover a lie about a divorce and affairs, then what about their honesty in financial and personal matters that are based ONLY on FAITH?? Beware and be careful. Do not lose money and sleep for a lifetime.Read about Jolee Tibbitts victims to get a picture of what might be many other trusting people. Know what you are doing. CAVEAT EMPTOR. Let the buyer beware!
2 days ago by CathyST 0 Votes
James Smith is thankful for 2/3?? women who jump to his call. New mistress ( beautiful young RICH accommodating) for almost the WHOLE week of Thanksgiving! She has a private plane and flies as the bird flies. LOTS of times at night AFTER being in the HOUSE of the Lord or BEFORE being there. MORE chances of fun! Kari Michaelsen is a LITTLE bound by Nicki. JUST for appearances, of course. The CPA????
Arizona and group mentoring? Kari is USED to being there for James. But Orlando M5 had the new one NEAR James Smith's house EVERY night from Oct. 10 to the day he flew to Dallas and then BOTH were there to oblige.
So will Kari be left out in the cold? New one is just SO ready.
Both James and SHE are in Florida...
Kari, be ready to jump in when New mistress is a LITTLE too busy to oblige.
Liars ?? What? James Smith? But he cries and cares for people!
1 days ago by Raf351 0 Votes
And here we go again...the phantom poster, who wants the readers to think he/she knows all kinds of personal details of James Smith's life! Readers are so sick of your postings! You are obviously a very sick, vindictive, sad, miserable individual, who was either ignored, snubbed, or dumped! Well guess what - life doesn't always go the way we would like! So get over it, move on, and get a life of your own & get off the Internet!
45 mins ago by RaymondCS 0 Votes
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
The James Smith Real Estate Organization Lawsuit, Robert Paisola Reports
http://seminarwatchlawsuit.blogspot.com/2009/11/james-smith-real-estate-organization.html
To our friends and clients around the world:
Many of you have contacted our offices asking about the current lawsuit that has been filed by people who state that they are "Victims" of The James Smith Real Estate Organization. As members of the national media, we are compelled to provide you with the raw information that is available on this site and many others. In the interest of justice we present the original filing that was filed in the Third Judicial District Court in Salt Lake City, Utah.
We are going to provide you with the legal filing data, however, we are not going to comment on the current legal proceedings because of a confidentiality agreement that we have with this company. Please understand that we know and have known many of the defendants in this lawsuit, and as a media organization, it is our obligation to simply provide you, the American Public, with the facts of the current case.
James Smith Company's instructor/ motivational speaker / main M5 presenter Jolee Tibbitts is sentenced to prison for investment scams and stealing innocent students money. 4 years in Federal prison.
Utah woman sentenced in $1.2 million real estate scheme
BY AARON FALK
The Salt Lake Tribune
Published Oct 27, 2010 05:13PM
Updated Nov 1, 2010 03:45PM
Tibbitts’ attorney, Daphne Oberg, said Tibbitts worked menial jobs until she was suddenly promoted to a real-estate training and motivational speaking job that quintupled her income. Later, when hard times hit, Oberg said Tibbitts’ life spun out of control.
“Theft is one thing. Lying is another. You did them both, ” said Judge Dee Benson, of the U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City. “And you did it for an awfully long time.”
We were also offered an opportunity at M5 workshop, a profitable property ... The fraud committed by NRI - James Smith, Jolee Tibbitts, ...
www.complaintsboard.com/.../james-smith-nri-darel-snyder-psi-group-
Dec 7, 2007 ... Jolee Tibbitts, JMT Concepts Jolee Tibbitts-Took money for an investment ... My husband and I attended an NRI M5 in August 2006 in Salt Lake City, UT. ... of a class action civil suit against Jolee, NRI, and James Smith. ...
Mar 25, 2009 ... The fraud committed by NRI – James Smith, Jolee Tibbitts, Roger Williams, Aaron Asmond has personally effected me. I paid 20K to learn how ...xenophilius.wordpress.com/.../phelps-speaking-live-arco-arena/
Jolee Tibbitts worked and traveled WITH JAMES SMITH COMPANY till 2008. Scammed many people. MANY COMPLAINTS involving Jolee Tibbitts and James Smith on Complaints Board. Investors and people considering business with these people and the company BEWARE. The court has ordered that Jolee Tibbitts pay BACK the victims at the rate of $250 a month. And the total is $1.2million!! So WHAT are the chances of getting your money back even if a lawsuit goes in your favor?
A lot of lying and cunning is involved in this company. James Smith SEEMS very honest and sincere. But is what he SAYS really what he DOES? HAVE YOU SEEN HIM DO AND FOLLOW THROUGH AND THE RESULTS? ASK people before you make decisions. WHAT IS THE TRUTH? ARE THEY ALL HONEST OR DO THEY PLAY WITH EMOTIONS AND TRUST? People file lawsuits against this man and his company. Why? Ask them. Do NOT rely on the Customer Advisory Board that has some women calling James Smith MY MENTOR and MY GURU. Even their contact information is NOT there. WHY? Because of SPECIAL FRIENDSHIP? Can you TRUST people like that in what they say about James Smith. If he is SO HONEST then why ALL the other truths that are PROVED. Some examples below.
James Smith's mistress Kari Michaelsen ALSO worked menial job in road shows for James Smith Company in 2008-20009 till she suddenly became an emcee of M5 and began to teach a Leadership Mastery class with James Smith!!! Till James Smith's wife demanded she be fired. But then James Smith got her a job with Get Motivated Seminars so they could travel together regularly and LOTS of OTHER times too. AND THEY DO!!
FACT: Even now James Smith is a MARRIED MAN and is WORKING ON HIS MARRIAGE (according to him AND his CEO Aaron Osmond, see below for statement by Aaron Osmond) but has at least two mistresses. Let him PROVE otherwise.Almost EVERY NIGHT HE IS WITH ONE or BOTH.
Dallas Get motivated BOTH Kari Michaelsen AND the the new one. Indianapolis GM Kari 3 nights. Washington DC Financial Success the New one 3 nights. Atlanta GM Kari 3 nights. 3rd November was Kari's 49th birthday. Eve of birthday and breakfast with Kari and then to the New one that same night for 4 nights. Then Kari.. then new one..then Kari.. etc. etc.
Kari is the old regular one who abandons her little son Nickolas ALL the time ( his godfather and "UNCLE" is James Smith) to fly to James Smith when the NEW BEAUTIFUL RICH FAMOUS one cannot be available since she is in high demand and very busy being successful. She is like a super model. See her amazing photos on facebook. And then see Kari Michaelsen's more than a decade old and VERY HEAVILY paint brush touched up picture. Looks like a painting not a photo. And also her latest old and PAST IT photos from Get Motivated. Getting married at 42, having a son, getting divorced, having affairs, and waiting in hotel rooms for James Smith to come when he wants is something she does ALL the time and has not helped those looks at all.
But Kari Michaelsen does a bikini circus act on a high rope(youtube.com) real well. Also a strip tease (Saturday the 14th). James Smith should know those well from his PRIVATE shows with her. All the company needs to do is put a high rope and give her a bikini. All the 7 minute breaks will be fun for free. She'll do the splits up high in the skimpy 'nothing' like she does in the circus act, or the strip tease.Maybe Get Motivated should have her throw in those acts too. All in the $4.99 / ticket price.
At least the new mistress has HUGE following, BEAUTY, and is SO rich she can give James Smith the best life and luxury he can dream of. And she will not have to perform like a circus monkey either. She moves HUGE crowds by actually TALKING not just screaming names in a high pitched nasal voice with the Ladieeeees and Gentlemeeeeen that sounds like Fran Fine from the Nanny which is ALL Kari Michaelsen can do.No wait. She can also have NO morals, lie, be cunning and cheat. Also forget her son Nickolas at home all the time to be with James Smith.
Alibis and classes / M5 / Group mentoring / Seminars are cover ups for EVERY day with women who are NOT the WIFE James Smith is WORKING on his marriage with. Holiday season is here and that means LOTS of time. But what about alibis? Who will lie this time?
James Smith, Kari Michaelsen, Aaron Osmond, Ken Hartley, Kevin Reynolds. These people lie and should be held accountable. Example of lies by James Smith, Company CEO Aaron Osmond and student / friend /supporter Ken Hartley, instructor and partner Kevin Reynolds.
Read the CONTRADICTING statements THEY have made themselves. They SAY IT ALL. Can you believe these people?
Cheats! Dishonesty all around!They LIE LIE LIE!
PROOF:
James Smith goes on TRIPS with his mistresses and then has his INNOCENT son or employees lie and say he was with THEM instead:
1) A trip with a mistress Kari Michaelsen in Hawaii, Honolulu from January 1, 2010 8PM to January 3, 2010 11AM ( Kari left for LAX), James left for Orlando at 6PM and the cover story was being with a son and daughter-in-law in Lanai.
2) A trip with ANOTHER mistress to St.Croix
Get Motivated Seminars Complaints - Online scam
June 2010 ... Other Qivana members who were IN St.Thomas and can vouch for the fact... James Smith being with **** **** in St.Croix, Virgin Islands ...
www.complaintsboard.com/.../get-motivated-seminars-c156138
Kevin Reynolds ( the foreclosure and Real Estate 3 day class instructor) first wrote that James Smith was with HIM on 6/17and later wrote that James was with him on St.Thomas for a Qivana event from 6/13 to 6/18 TO COVER UP FOR A TRIP WITH A MISTRESS.
FALSE. James Smith went to St.Thomas only on 6/17 and left on 6/18 for Utah M5 in Salt Lake City.The REST of the time he was on a TRIP with his mistress in St.Croix.
For TRUTH and confirmation of the above information contact:
Derek Hall, CEO Qivana
@ (801)-610-4600
HOW THEY LIE ABOUT KARI MICHAELSEN NOT being divorced and actually one of James Smith's mistresses
Get Motivated Seminars Comments - Online scam
... Did you KNOW that David Waldock officially DIVORCED Kari Michaelsen in 2009? ...
www.complaintsboard.com/.../get-motivated-seminars-c156138.html?sort...
May 26, 2010 at 12:43 pm
Again, you’re making accusations as facts and you have none. Kari and David were not divorced in 2002. I know. I was at an event with them TOGETHER in 2009. I know them. They’re married. You’re wrong. Get your facts straight.
May 28, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Cindy,
My name is Aaron Osmond. I am the CEO of the James Smith Company. James is both my business partner and close friend. I am also a friend and professional associate of Kari Michaelson.
3) In May of 2008, I personally invited Kari and David (her husband) to share their testimonials as part of our new success story infomercial that we were filming that year.
4) At that time, Kari and David (as a married couple) provided evidence of their real estate success with documentation as part of that testimonial process.
5) The testimonial video now showing on http://www.jamessmithcompany.com/ is the exact same testimonial that we filmed in 2008.
10) James and Loree Smith are still married today. I know and respect them both. They are working through their own challenges and deserve privacy and respect when it comes to their marriage.
11) Kari Michaeson is a colleague, friend, and professional working at many of the same events at James. That is all. Nothing more. There is no story, no drama, no deception.
FALSE. IT IS NOT. THERE ARE 2 INFOMERCIALS / testimonials WITH KARI. ONE HAS Kari Michaelsen ( looking like a hippie) and her EX HUSBAND DAVID WALDOCK ALSO. THAT is the earlier one from 2008. The NEW one says Kari Waldock but was filmed AFTER she got divorced. She is wearing the brown sparkly business suit she bought to emcee the June 2009 M5 in Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. The infomercial is taped AFTER that M5 and uploaded on April 12, 2010. ALSO the CEO Aaron Osmond was told by the ex husband David Waldock himself on the phone. But he (Aaron Osmond) did NOT give that information.
James Smith Real Estate / Net Marketing, LC Complaints - Celebrity
... Kari Michaelsen OR Kari Michaelson OR Kari Waldock and James ... If you WERE in Arizona with James Smith for business it does NOT matter. ...
www.ww.complaintsboard.com/.../james-smith-real-estate-net-marketing-lc-c3195.html?...
CandyJS June 24, 2010
Thank You Kari Michaelsen for EXPOSING yourself well and truly for ALL to see.
David Waldock DIVORCED you in early 2009. You are a single woman! California divorce records are public information anyone can get for $15. You are not very intelligent, are you? School drop out? Next, David Waldock HIMSELF told Aaron Osmond, CEO of James Smith Company this truth about having divorced you in a phone conversation in April, 2010 when Aaron Osmond called him to ask for some help and advice. David Waldock did NOT want to help / work / partner with James Smith Company and is NOT your husband.
Now here are some facts: I am also a student of James Smith. I spent a lot of money investing in his educational system. I received instruction from James, his sons, and many other teachers with the James Smith Company.
Last of all, I am a pastor. That is what I do full time. I’m putting my integrity on the line by doing this post. I have nothing to gain by posting this reply other than the truth being known. The person doing these posts is lying. I’m telling you the truth. Those are the facts. Now decide for yourself.
Ken Hartley
James Smith Real Estate / Net Marketing, LC Complaints - Celebrity ...
... AND JAMES SMITH AND KARI MICHAELSEN ARE IN ARIZONA RIGHT NOW. YES, for June 23rd and June 24th, 2010 ... 45 days ago by Michel Charbonnier, +2 Votes ...
www.ww.complaintsboard.com/.../james-smith-real-estate-net-marketing-lc-c3195
Ken Hartley
www.ww.complaintsboard.com/.../james-smith-real-estate-net-marketing-lc-c3195.htm
June 25, 2010
They are nothing more than a jealous, bitter person. Kari was NOT in Arizona. She was in Los Angeles. I KNOW she was. I talked to her. I know Kari. Also, Kari didn't do that post. DAVID DID. I know. You care so little about truth. Reread Kari’s post. She NEVER said she was married in that post. You know Kari and David are a divorced couple working diligently to co-parent their child. (not that any of this is your business) You only care about people thinking you are right. You are a classic narcissist and insist on imposing your own perfectionistic tendencies on everyone else that you, yourself, are not willing to keep. It's absolutely astounding that you would accuse Kari of posting under a different name when you KNOW that's what YOU'RE doing.
Do we need more proof when we have the company's supporter and a 'pastor' giving two OPPOSITE facts???.. Kari Michaelsen Not Divorced ( May 26, 2010) and Kari is divorced and co parenting (June 25, 2010).
And the divorce was finalized and recorded in 2009 in California.
A divorce is a legal public proceeding. If these people LIE SO MUCH about something that is a public proven FACT just to cover a lie about a divorce and affairs, then what about their honesty in financial and personal matters that are based ONLY on FAITH?? Beware and be careful. Do not lose money and sleep for a lifetime.Read about Jolee Tibbitts victims to get a picture of what might be many other trusting people. Know what you are doing. CAVEAT EMPTOR. Let the buyer beware!
Get Motivated speakers want to inspire you and take your money
The Lowes enlist celebrities—like Brett Favre—at a hefty price
By Nick Pinto
published: May 19, 2010
You know what they say about a fool and his money...
You know what they say about a fool and his money...
When the Get Motivated Seminar takes over the Target Center on May 26, it will bring with it a star-studded lineup of politicians and sports giants. For weeks, full-page advertisements in the Star Tribune have heralded the arrival of the national tour and its celebrity speakers: Sarah Palin, Colin Powell, Rudy Giuliani, Steve Forbes, Brett Favre, and Twins manager Ron Gardenhire.
But the famous names are really there to lure the desperate and the unsuspecting into a hothouse of sales pitches for overpriced and questionable products, critics say. Get Motivated survives by fleecing fools, and the money Favre, Gardenhire, and the Strib are taking from the seminar comes out of the pockets of suckers.
For the better part of a decade, Get Motivated seminars have offered their unique mixture of self-help pablum and celebrity razzle-dazzle. The organization's public face and executive vice president, Tamara Lowe, is most famous for her best-selling Get Motivated! book and YouTube clips of the Christian rap she delivers at the seminars. Her husband, Peter, ran a similar seminar series for years, but let his wife take the foreground after his venture collapsed amid complaints of fraud, leaving investors out millions of dollars.
The Lowes' new venture bills itself as an inexpensive day of inspiration and self-improvement, but it doesn't take a Timothy Geithner to see that the numbers don't add up.
As with any event, the promoters have to rent the stadium and foot the costs of production. The celebrities on the marquee command huge speaking fees—a financial disclosure by Giuliani reveals he earns $100,000 per event. Add in the other speakers, some who are also likely earning six figures per appearance, and the tab adds up fast.
Favre, whose speaking fees start at $50,000, couldn't be reached for comment on his involvement with Get Motivated. Neither could Gardenhire, but Twins spokesman Dustin Morse says the coach's participation is no big deal.
"Gardy doesn't have anything to say about this," Morse says. "They approached him to do a Q&A. He does speaking engagements all the time. This one's no different. I don't think he knows that much about them, honestly."
Beginning in April, Get Motivated has been running full-page ads several times a week in the front section of the Star Tribune. The paper's advertising department won't discuss the terms of the ad buy, but say a single full-page ad typically sells for more than $21,000.
At its maximum capacity, the Target Center can seat 20,500 people. At $5 a head, ticket revenue barely covers the speaking fee for just one of the top-dollar celebrity speakers. So how does the company make up the difference?
Though you wouldn't know it from the newspaper advertisements or the website, the celebrity speakers aren't the only ones who will take the stage. After the star power has whipped the crowd into a motivational frenzy, slick hucksters follow up with seemingly spectacular, one-of-a-kind offers.
Steven Garner, a 36-year-old real estate professional from Arizona, attended a Get Motivated seminar in Phoenix, and was appalled when a salesman started pitching an incredible new strategy to pay off your mortgage in half the time.
"To a lot of people there, it might have sounded too good to be true," Garner says. "I'm in real estate: I knew it was too good to be true."
Another Get Motivated speaker is Phil Town, "America's #1 investing trainer," who pitches a stock-trading computer program called Investools. At the seminars, Town invites audience members up on stage to show them just how easy it is to make money with Investools. If the arrow on screen shows red, they're supposed to sell. If green, they buy. It's just that easy, Town says, before mentioning that while the software usually sells for thousands of dollars, today you can buy it for as little as $99.
When Ted Canto, a 40-year-old Phoenix salesman, fell for the pitch, the price was steeper. "It was $500 or $600 dollars, which was a lot of money for me at the time, because I wasn't really bringing anything in," Canto says. "But they were preying on my desire to make a change in my life, and I fell for it. I was hoping that it would get me out of the hole."
The next day at work, Canto mentioned his new purchase to some professional traders who worked in his office building. They laughed at him.
"They said the software I'd bought wasn't that good," he says.
When buyers realize that successful stock trading actually requires some expertise, Town is ready to sell that to them, too. Investools offers two-day workshops on how to make the most of the software for $2,000.
Last December, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a complaint against Investools, alleging that members of its seminar sales force had lied to their audiences for years. The SEC's suit was settled when Investools paid a fine and promised to adhere to the rules.
The Target Center and the Star Tribune say it's not their business what happens at Get Motivated seminars. Both organizations say they have guidelines on accepting clients, and Get Motivated evidently qualifies.
For her part, Get Motivated's Tamara Lowe denies the seminar series is a racket.
"We're about inspiring our audience," she says. "This isn't some giant infomercial."
Lowe says it's true that her company loses money on the seminars and makes it back by "introducing people to other parts of our business." But she denies that Phil Town and the other unlisted "skills speakers" are selling products.
"What the skills speakers do is make our audience aware of opportunities for their continuing education and improvement," she says. "And everything offered at the Get Motivated seminars is backed by a 100 percent money-back guarantee." Right..
Name: Real Estate Investor Support, LLC
Phone: (866) 496-8006
Address: 14039 South Minuteman Dr
Draper, UT 84020
Website: www.jamessmithcompany.com
Original Business Start Date: November 2005
Principal: Mr. James Smith, President
Customer Contact: Mr. Dan Heaton, Resolution Manager - (866) 496-8006
Entity: Limited Liability Company
Incorporated: November 2005, NV
Type of Business: Training Program Companies, Educational Consultants, Financial Consultants, Investment Seminars
BBB Accreditation: Real Estate Investor Support, LLC is not a BBB Accredited business.
Additional DBA Names: James Smith Organization
James Smith Company
JamesSmithCompany.com
Business Management
Additional company management personnel include:
Ms. Loree Smith - Owner
Mr. Aaron Osmond - CEO
James Smith and Aaron Osmond are also listed as principals of the Coaching Company LLC. A separate BBB report is available for the Coaching Company LLC.
Take a century-old magazine noted for its inspirational business success stories. Add a well-known motivational-speaking business. Mix with a nationally popular tennis tournament.
To organizers and investors, it sounded like a recipe for a multimedia business bonanza. Instead, it made for a financial disaster, leaving scores of creditors with unpaid bills topping $5 million and radically altering the fortunes of the three organizations:
Success magazine, the financial bible for small-business entrepreneurs that began publishing in the 1890s, no longer exists.
Success Events International, the firm that Florida entrepreneur Peter Lowe used to stage speeches by former presidents George Bush, Bill Clinton and other political and business figures, is out of business.
And the Champions Tour, which featured matches by senior tennis greats such as John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors, is out a national sponsor and smaller in size as it prepares for Florida matches scheduled this week.
"It's a very unfortunate saga of some very good companies," says Peter Frugone, a New York investor who says he got burned by the crash. And, he adds, "This story doesn't lack for characters."
And like the parties in a bad marriage, the central characters disavow blame for what one called "a train wreck that's the size of Chernobyl."
Lowe, the self-styled "America's Success Strategist," during the '90s, emerged as a star on the self-help entrepreneurial circuit, a rival of motivational guru Tony Robbins. He headlined events at which thousands of wannabe successes paid up to $200 to hear big-name speakers, product sales pitches and religious exhortations.
Another figure is Stanley Van Etten, a North Carolina businessman. He's best known as a former financial broker against whom the Securities and Exchange Commission won a federal court judgment on charges he ran a pyramid scheme. Van Etten accepted the settlement of that case without admitting or denying wrongdoing.
Getting started
The byzantine saga began in late 1999 in New York bankruptcy court, where Success magazine had crashed after more than a century of publication. Van Etten, working through a new firm called The Success Companies, says he organized a group of investors who paid $4.75 million for the magazine at an asset sale.
He moved the publication to his base in Raleigh, N.C., and prepared to relaunch it for readers made eager for business success stories by the go-go '90s. Victoria Conte, head of a media-consulting business that had previously worked with the magazine, hired on as publisher.
Van Etten hoped to cross-brand the resurrected Success with new online and broadcast subsidiaries, and with a live events component: Tampa-based Peter Lowe International. Named for its founder, the firm drew tens of thousands to hear such speakers as George and Barbara Bush and motivational guru Zig Ziglar.
"There were tremendous cross-promotional opportunities," says Van Etten. "The customers who were buying event tickets were the same demographic we wanted" for Success.
Lowe, whose operation until then had been a non-profit, agreed to join The Success Companies in August 2000. He headed a new subsidiary called Success Events International. He called it "a match made in heaven" when the deal was announced.
At about the same time, Van Etten added a third element to the cross-branding mix. Since 1993, the senior men's tennis tour had drawn crowds still eager to see McEnroe, Bjorn Borg and others past Grand Slam prime. But the tour lacked a national sponsor that would provide guaranteed income.
Why not link Success magazine and Success Events to the tournament, and cross-promote all three to subscribers, arena-goers and tennis fans? Henry Brehm, an initial organizer of the tour, says The Success Companies approved a three-year, seven-figure deal for the magazine to serve as national sponsor of the matches.
All the pieces fit into place by the end of 2000. The combined ventures produced roughly $2.3 million in profit during the first quarter of 2001, Van Etten says.
Cancellations
But the company, in need of at least several million dollars of new venture capital to grow, faced a suddenly tanking economy. Moreover, says Van Etten, personality, financial and management problems were emerging.
In an April 2001 Success story, Lowe wrote that "in my business, organization is everything." But his new company seemed disorganized at best. Vendors weren't paid. Contracts with top speakers were canceled — though their names still were used to sell seats.
Last September, "Peter Lowe's Success 2001" sold thousands of tickets for speeches by Clinton, TV show host Montel Williams, Mrs. Fields Cookies founder Debbi Fields and others in Chicago's United Center. But the star attractions were no-shows. And the event was shifted to the smaller Odeum Sports & Expo Center with little advance warning.
The result? Angry ticket buyers and a major traffic jam.
"They had canceled all the speakers, but they didn't tell anybody," says Jim Keppler, whose Virginia-based speaking agency is seeking arbitration over more than $1 million in alleged contract breaches by Success Events. "That's when it became clear to me that there was unprofessional, if not fraudulent, conduct."
Jack Bohlken is typical of the disillusioned. He says he paid $165 for tickets to a Lowe-organized event in Atlanta that was canceled last year. He says he's also owed $35 for motivational tapes he never received. When he sought a refund, he says, he was told he could only get credit for yet-to-be-scheduled seminars.
"The way this is being handled, with no communication with people like myself, is just the opposite of the values they espoused," says Bohlken.
The Better Business Bureau of West Florida has logged dozens of complaints against Lowe's old and new companies from customers seeking refunds for arena events and motivational tapes they say weren't worth the cost.
Van Etten, meanwhile, had problems of his own.
Last May, the SEC sought a contempt order against him for delaying payment of $25,000 owed in a settlement involving International Heritage Inc., a separate North Carolina business. SEC investigators said the now-bankrupt firm was a pyramid scam that raised more than $150 million from investors through misleading promotional materials.
And retired Georgia businessman Charles Curcio sought arbitration last October in a bid to recover $650,000 he had invested with venture capital funds organized by Van Etten. Curcio contended he didn't know some of his money would be invested in Success magazine. An arbitrator for the National Association of Securities Dealers recently rejected the claims.
Van Etten says his SEC battles and Curcio's claims had nothing to do with his next strategic business move. Last summer, he bowed out of The Success Companies. "I was very frustrated with the personalities," and "the venture capital markets were drying up," he says.
Confusion grows
His legal departure only increased the turmoil. Since mid-2001, the company has had a tangled web of ownership.
The first was The Nobility Group, a Nashville company headed by Ryan Wuerch. According to Van Etten and Conte, he shut down Success magazine, fired the publishing staff and disavowed the sponsorship deal with the Champions Tour.
Preparing for this week's scheduled Champions Tour stop in Naples, Fla., tour official Brehm says the cancellation has meant layoffs and economic strain.
For his part, Wuerch says he had been misled into buying a company heavily burdened with hidden debts.
Wuerch's successor was Frugone, who runs New York-based Empire Capital. Frugone says he envisioned plowing venture capital in to revitalize The Success Companies.
But Lowe, with creditor claims mounting, unexpectedly resigned in December. Around the same time, Van Etten's former attorney, Brent Wood, gained control of some assets. Frugone withdrew from the purchase agreement. Wood, who said he was owed more than $200,000 in legal fees, subsequently won control of some assets.
Who bears legal responsibility for the mounting debts left by the collapse of the magazine, speaking business and tennis sponsorship?
According to Lowe, he became merely an employee when he sold his firm to The Success Companies. Van Etten and the parent firm made all the decisions, he says.
"I wish I had enough money to pay all the people The Success Companies should have paid. But I can't do that," says Lowe, who has launched a new motivational speaking firm called Life Win. "That's something The Success Companies is going to have to answer to."
Van Etten calls that response "absolutely not accurate." He says Lowe served as CEO of the speaking events subsidiary and held day-to-day control, an assertion echoed by many former company employees and vendors.
"I wasn't responsible for the crash," says Van Etten. "That's like saying Boeing is responsible for the jet that flew into the World Trade Center," he says.
Wood, who owns some of what's left of The Success Companies, declines to comment on the record.
Several of those involved predict the tangled dispute and mounting debts will return to the place the story began: bankruptcy court.
"We want to know where is the money, who's got assets, what happened to the company," says Mark Kelly, lawyer for a Tampa printer trying to collect $141,134 in unpaid bills. "Everyone's running for cover like cockroaches when the light goes on."
I am a student of James Smith and I have found it to be the most
legit, open company I've seen in real-estate investing. I have been to a
3-day residential core training and also the M5 (a 5 day intensive
covering several aspects of real-estate including commercial). The
wonderful thing about James Smith is that he does not advertise or try
to sell books--in other words, he has not "sold" off his name like other
programs I could mention. James will talk personally to ANYONE who
comes out, and his son Ryan has been awesome at answering my questions.
These people are not concerned whether you have paid them tons of money
or not. There are programs and mentoring you can sign up for, but it
is not pushed upon you and you can ask tons of questions at any event
without being ignored because you haven't paid for more programs, etc.
The people who teach for James are NOT snake-oil salesmen and they ARE
students themselves. What really convinced me to stay in touch with
them is that one of their speakers Robert Johnston is NOT good at public
speaking or presentation making! I say this not to insult him-he is a
student who is a genius at creative financing, but I have seen so many
trained salespeople at other companies' events. Don't be afraid to look
into James Smith's company, it's unique to the genre of programs!
One more thing-- Mr. Investor-- I had heard of several gurus
myself as well and never heard of James. I'd like to re-emphasize that
it is simply because James keeps his company his business without
selling off his name or products in a commercial way--he loves investing
and teaching, so he's not going to write books or get in newspapers to
make profit. And I'm not paid in any way by them to give positive
reviews...its simply been my personal experience hands down.
Yes i know James and his kids. Ryan bough us dinner in Vegas on
night so i owe him one! We are in his program right now and so far its
pretty good! Aaron the CEO helped us out alot actually too!
i not some person he pays to come on boards and say this crap either.
I can say i went through Robert Kiyosaki's coaching and, well, it was
ok but it just felt like the lady would beat around the bush and
literally read off notes. I got enough help to ge my first place so i
cant complain.
Right now im in james coaching program and i can say for SURE they
KILL Roberts program. The info is great and even when you get very
creative with ideas they have answers. Their first 3 days seminar thats
like $50 KILLS trump and kiyosaki and you really see how crappy their
programs are compared to james. I mean 50 bucks? TOTALLY worth it if you
are new i would reommend you call his company and see if there is one
where you live that cost $50.
James even gave me his personal email, Ryan (his son) and even his
wife Jamie respond to my emails and questions as well. Very helpful and
if you dont have the money, ask them if they can help you out and if you
REALLY dont have the money to spend but you have room on credit cards,
sometimes they will even tell people no because they dont want them to
be in some horrible situation .
I dont know, thats what i feel and i think its great. You cant help
but have a good time because he is so unpolitically correct and i dont
even know if i spelled that right
I totally agree with Vanessa and Dwight. The Smith family is
awesome. They are down to earth people who want to help people be
successful. I have been a student of theirs for several years. I can
call Ryan on his cell and he actually returns the call, not a
representative like most of the gurus out there.
yea i feel bad sometimes because i was sending Ryan ALOT of
emails with questions LOL. I stopped cause it was prolly driving him
nuts. I wish they were here more often cause i could sit there all day
and listen.
Dwight, are you in the mentor coaching program where you get a
personal mentor assigned to you? They contacted me after I went to their
$50 seminar. I thought it was very good. I just want to know if this
investment is worth it and they will do what they say they will do
before I give them $9990.00! They say dependin gon how much time you put
in each week you should be able to make 6 figures your first year. Can
you confirm or deny this? I just want to talk to a few people that have
worked with these mentors and get their feed back before I make the
final decision. After alI I am just doing MY Due Diligence, they have to
appreciate that right!
Thanks for any feed back on the course.
I hear a lot about how great the Smith's are, but I haven't been
able to find anyone who is making money. I went to a seminar, and am
considering purhcasing the mentoring program, but I want to be more
comfortable with the investment. Has anyone found succes with the
program?
I have had 2 lengthy conversations with a Smith recruiter. One
in July and another in November. They ask for all the money you have to
put you in their mentoring program. I can not empty my pockets to pay
for more education. The last conversation I had with the Smith
recruiter, prompted me to explore tax liens on my own. I bought 3 books
for under $100. THAT, I can afford. :cool:
I attended the 3-day financial success seminar in San Diego last
week, and I was completely blown away. I have 13 pages of notes, and
have already made 4 offers on investment properties using the knowledge I
gained. I think it is in everyone's best interest to be as educated as
possible. I am sorry that some people have had a bad experience. For
myself, I will be taking every opportunity to work with this company
again.
Here is the best review I've read on the James Smith Company:
http://www.shanehunter.org/james-smith-financial-success-review/
i've heard of him but if i were you to save your money i'd read
the wholesaling forum on here,almost any question their is for
wholesaling is already answered on here and if you can post questions
that you have. Theres also people on here that will mentor you as well
thats very much credible,and if you insist on a coaching program i know
of several people that will mentor you at cheap cost,theres one i would
put the website on here but its not allowed..just look at the
advertising on here
I went to the 3 day free seminar. Fell for the assertion they
could turn my 15K into, "a fortune". I signed up for the cash flow
seminar=$3995. For whatever reason, a few days later I was, then
"selected" to be in their special program to be mentored, one on one,
for the low price of 7K, which would be for real estate training. One,
this so called program is really nothing more than a couple of days to
make sure the mark actually can pay the 7K required. I've talked to a
few people, who are actually some of the hired guns the James Smith
Company employs, and they were unaware of this program. One Kerry Lucas
did at first pretend he was going to figure this out for me, but in
reality only wanted to sell his program, which he asserted, "was much
cheaper than I had paid". I'm looking for as many individuals as I can
to start a class action lawsuit against this company. I have much more
information, and a longer list of complaints, than I want to type right
now. If you have found this post and are wondering about JSC, I can tell
you some things. Please contact me at [EMAIL REMOVED] soonest. Stay
away from the James Smith Company, do not buy into the very high priced
program they offer, as there are no refunds, and a man named Nate Day is
seemingly for me at least the only one I can work things out with. If
you want to be successful, the tools are out there, you don't need to go
to this company for anything. If you want training in real estate save
your 10K or whatever, and find a real estate club (they are every
where). My coach had me do this exact thing, go to a real estate club,
that was his first pearl of advice. The people at the real estate club
told me I should have saved my money. Do not be like me, please look
elsewhere for training.
Edited: 06/25/2011 at 09:21AM
by Moderator
: email in signature, please
I am sad to read about Bryan Forsythe's experience with JSC. Let
me tell you about my own experience. In 1997, I went to an event in
which James Smith spoke in Miami, FL. I was very impressed and
purchased the Tax Liens product for $2,000. Some months after that,
they convinced me to purchase a whole program for $20,000 (yes, a LOT of
money) and I did. Due to my moving to another state, my full-time job
(which I love), and numerous family problems, I did not do anything with
it until 2009. Since then, they have been delivering everything that
they promised, and the best coaching imaginable. They DO make sure that
you make money... and their strategies work. There is absolutely no
way I would have been able to learn all this on the internet. JSC has
totally changed my life forever. Also, when I went to the 5M conference
(totally included in what I had paid to them), I was able to interact
with James Smith and confirm that he is an honest and down to earth
person who truly wants to help people. At that conference, I also met
many people who have been very successful at implementing what they have
learned from JSC. My experience with this company has been very
positive.
I am currently working with the JSC and have a personal mentor
that I work with. They have not once gone back on their word and have
delivered above and beyond what their agreement was. I too have
personally met different ones of his students who are making big money
following his program. They take time to work with any and all the
questions you have. I would go with the JSC again if I would have the
choice to go back and start over again.
I too signed up for James Smiths programs back in 2007 with the 3
day Real Estate course, followed with the 20k follow on that included
M-5, which we attended in Vegas in 2008, the Foreclosures and Commercial
boot camps and a paper course. By the time I attended the paper
course, I was already a default note buyer and was beyond the level and
scope of the course. I enjoyed all the events and all the instructors.
They are a nice bunch of guys and everyone is very polite.
My question would be how many of you actually used the information to
launch a real estate career and are successful, in that you are not
working for anyone else, but fully independent and supporting yourself
on the knowledge you gained?
And beyond the knowledge, did you build a network of friend and business acquaintences?
I can say yes to the networking. Although I took a different
direction, if I had not have spent the money, I wouldn't be in the note
business today.
I just wanted to add some information to this forum. James Smith
Company was sold in 2010 to a corporation called Wealth Rock. From
that point forward James was not in any control of the company and was
only allowed limited involvement with students by the new company who
tried to make it seem as if nothing had changed. From 2010 forward,
James was simply an occasional speaker for the new company. Get
Motivated Seminars was purchased in 2012 by the same man, Joe Johnson,
who owned Wealth Rock. If you search Get Motivated lawsuit in Florida,
you can read all about it.
As soon as James found out about the high pressure sales calls and
other complaints by students he cut all ties with Wealth Rock.
I, too was a student who was signed up via a high pressure sales call
in 2011, after the sale of the company, told I was selected from a few
special people. After doing a lot of research, I found out the
information above.
While James and his family did own the company, they treated their
students with nothing but respect and generosity. Things didn't change
until the company changed hands. Please search this online, you will
find it to be true!
This company is one HUGE scam that preys on good people by lying to them and doing so in the name of God.
My wife went to the Get Motivated event in Miami a few months back
because she was excited about the speakers. She saw James Smith and Phil
Town speak bought both of their programs. Initially I was mad at how
much money she spent at the conference but I decided to support her and
went to hear what these "experts" had to say.
When we attended the first event, instead of seeing Phil Town, we
listened to Ryan Smith. He stated that he was the son of James Smith,
one of the two speakers that my "sold" my wife at the Get Motivated
event. Ryan Smith essentially spent most of the first day bragging about
how great he is, how much money he has, how charitable he is and how
stupid other people are. He is extremely arrogant and abrasive. He
claimed that he was a professional baseball player. The only problem for
him is that he never made a professional roster because I am a
religious baseball fanatic. I know every team and practically every
player. He never played major league ball, or AAA or even AA for that
matter. Why someone would claim to be a professional athlete when they
verifiably were not is pretty brazen. Ryan also claimed that Donal Trump
asked him to teach his kids how to invest in real estate. Although I
cannot dispute this fact because I do not know Donald Trump, I did
research and find that Donald Trumps kids went to University of
Pennsylvania, the same school that Donal went to and Ivanka graduated
with a specialty in real estate. Trump also donated millions to that
school. Why would Donal Trump pay Ryan Smith, who was (and still is) a
kid, to train his children when he is one of the wealthiest real estate
investors in the world and sent them to a preeminent school that he
obviously believes in because he supports it financially.
On day 2, the tone of the seminar drastically changed. We were invited
to meet with "coaches" in the back of the room who would help us figure
out a game plan to start investing. As it turns out the coaches wanted
to know how much money I had and they asked me if I had credit cards,
cash and other assets. I did not know any of these people and yet they
were asking me for my personal financial information. This should be a
red flag... run.
Toward the end of the day, it became very clear to me why they asked if I
had credit cards or cash: they were selling training courses for almost
$30, 000. Ryan became very aggressive and spouted off that if we wanted
to be prosperous and basically good people, then we would "invest" in
ourselves. I don't see how spending tens of thousands of dollars on a
program that I have to "buy now" positions me for success in life. If
the company that Ryan and all of the other seminar monkeys work for is
so reputable and will be around for the long haul, then why do I have to
buy now. Why such pressure? We did not return for day 3, even though I
was told by one of the "coaches" (read: high pressure salesmen) Nikko
that God would be in the room on Sunday and therefore I didn't need to
go to church.
I was so upset from the event that I didn't want to go to the next
seminar. My wife was very embarrassed as well. Despite the first event,
my wife wanted to hear James Smith speak and she said that he was much
different from his son Ryan. I decided to go with her to the next event.
To my dismay and her horror, the next event which was supposed to
feature James Smith actually featured Ryan Smith and his wife Jamie and
all of his goons. They told the same stories, tried to tell the same
jokes and basically repeated what we paid for just a few days earlier.
To sum it up, we left and demanded a refund. Wealth Rock was terrible to
deal with because they sounded shocked that we weren't happy with the
event and pretended like we were the only customers who wanted their
money back. I knew that we were the only ones wanting refunds because at
the second event, we sat with 3 other couples that we met at the first
event. We all decided to leave at lunch on the first day and we all
asked for our money back. I spoke with several other people at the event
who had similar complaints.
Three months have passed and they still haven't refunded my money. I
called Wealth Rock last week to see when my refund was coming. The phone
rep couldn't answer my questions and I asked for the manager. I was
told that I couldn't speak with anyone else because Wealth Rock's staff
was on "furlough". I had to look up the word and it means a "temporary
unpaid leave of absence". Wealth Rock has apparently let their staff go
on an unpaid leave for some reason.
Watch out for Wealth Rock, Phil Town, James Smith, Ryan Smith and the
rest of these clowns. They will tell you anything and make up lies just
to get a sale.
I
didn't see where the man said he expected or wanted to become a
millionaire over night that is an assumption your making without the
grounds in which you need to make that assumption on!! I also don't
recall him saying they were scammers, another assumption made on your
part, but I agree with adampou, why would he say he was a professional
ball player when that can so easily be checked out and furthermore to
have the gull to say Donald Trump wanted him to teach his children, come
on after that I'd want my money back to!!!
Perhaps
fortunately I could not afford the tuition. So now 1 month later, I get
a phone call by a guy telling me that for $500 - $1000 I could buy some
practical help actually doing paper trading, imitating Phil Smith's
trades, and they would walk me through the whole system so that I got it
and could do it on my own.
Then one day later I got a phone call from another person who finally
after lots of sales-gibber-jab, told me that only $10, 000 would buy me a
year's handholding and help. What happened to the $500, the $1000. IN
sales, this is lowballing to keep you interested.
Encouraging people to put $10, 000 on a credit card for a course that
does NOT guarantee any results is not a good plan in my estimation.
Lowballing
Just agreeing with others about how Wealthrock
makes it seem easy but leave out expenses which must be incurred,
mentions low prices and then raises them when they switch sales people.
Very disappointed with their advising to put their expensive tuition on
a credit card...
Lied to
This company is one HUGE scam that preys on good people by lying to them and doing so in the name of God.
My wife went to the Get Motivated event in Miami a few months back
because she was excited about the speakers. She saw James Smith and Phil
Town speak bought both of th...
Lied to
Wealth Rock is in the business of making millions by selling programs they claim will make YOU millions within 5 years.
Is this possible? Yes, to a select few who are willing (and able) to
spend $$$$$ (thousands) on and never ending lists of classes, workshops
and training....
Seminar Ripoff Wealthrock,
along witht heir whole crew and the many amazing mentors have been
nothing but a lifesaver for my family and I. Remember, in the end, you
were the one who made the decission to purchase that package. We were
not pressured at all, and even went home to think about it for a day.
My best advice to you is, go to the classes, and take action...
Seminar Ripoff
and Jamie Smith of (Wealthrock).
As a single mother with 3 kids what they were saying was interesting
to me. I make 26k a year so I was a Prospect. I signed up for the 99
dollar 3 day course.
Ryan Smith Jamies son was teaching the class. He told us he Taught
Donald Trumps Kids how to be Rich stories of how he was worth hundreds
of millions of dollars but was broke? did not own any thing in his name
all through the companys names...
This company is one HUGE scam that preys on good people by lying to them and doing so in the name of God.
My wife went to the Get Motivated event in Miami a few months back
because she was excited about the speakers. She saw James Smith and Phil
Town speak bought both of their programs. Initially I was mad at how
much money she spent at the conference but I decided to support her and
went to hear what these "experts" had to say.
When we attended the first event, instead of seeing Phil Town, we
listened to Ryan Smith. He stated that he was the son of James Smith,
one of the two speakers that my "sold" my wife at the Get Motivated
event. Ryan Smith essentially spent most of the first day bragging about
how great he is, how much money he has, how charitable he is and how
stupid other people are. He is extremely arrogant and abrasive. He
claimed that he was a professional baseball player. The only problem for
him is that he never made a professional roster because I am a
religious baseball fanatic. I know every team and practically every
player. He never played major league ball, or AAA or even AA for that
matter. Why someone would claim to be a professional athlete when they
verifiably were not is pretty brazen. Ryan also claimed that Donal Trump
asked him to teach his kids how to invest in real estate. Although I
cannot dispute this fact because I do not know Donald Trump, I did
research and find that Donald Trumps kids went to University of
Pennsylvania, the same school that Donal went to and Ivanka graduated
with a specialty in real estate. Trump also donated millions to that
school. Why would Donal Trump pay Ryan Smith, who was (and still is) a
kid, to train his children when he is one of the wealthiest real estate
investors in the world and sent them to a preeminent school that he
obviously believes in because he supports it financially.
On day 2, the tone of the seminar drastically changed. We were invited
to meet with "coaches" in the back of the room who would help us figure
out a game plan to start investing. As it turns out the coaches wanted
to know how much money I had and they asked me if I had credit cards,
cash and other assets. I did not know any of these people and yet they
were asking me for my personal financial information. This should be a
red flag... run.
Toward the end of the day, it became very clear to me why they asked if I
had credit cards or cash: they were selling training courses for almost
$30, 000. Ryan became very aggressive and spouted off that if we wanted
to be prosperous and basically good people, then we would "invest" in
ourselves. I don't see how spending tens of thousands of dollars on a
program that I have to "buy now" positions me for success in life. If
the company that Ryan and all of the other seminar monkeys work for is
so reputable and will be around for the long haul, then why do I have to
buy now. Why such pressure? We did not return for day 3, even though I
was told by one of the "coaches" (read: high pressure salesmen) Nikko
that God would be in the room on Sunday and therefore I didn't need to
go to church.
I was so upset from the event that I didn't want to go to the next
seminar. My wife was very embarrassed as well. Despite the first event,
my wife wanted to hear James Smith speak and she said that he was much
different from his son Ryan. I decided to go with her to the next event.
To my dismay and her horror, the next event which was supposed to
feature James Smith actually featured Ryan Smith and his wife Jamie and
all of his goons. They told the same stories, tried to tell the same
jokes and basically repeated what we paid for just a few days earlier.
To sum it up, we left and demanded a refund. Wealth Rock was terrible to
deal with because they sounded shocked that we weren't happy with the
event and pretended like we were the only customers who wanted their
money back. I knew that we were the only ones wanting refunds because at
the second event, we sat with 3 other couples that we met at the first
event. We all decided to leave at lunch on the first day and we all
asked for our money back. I spoke with several other people at the event
who had similar complaints.
Three months have passed and they still haven't refunded my money. I
called Wealth Rock last week to see when my refund was coming. The phone
rep couldn't answer my questions and I asked for the manager. I was
told that I couldn't speak with anyone else because Wealth Rock's staff
was on "furlough". I had to look up the word and it means a "temporary
unpaid leave of absence". Wealth Rock has apparently let their staff go
on an unpaid leave for some reason.
Watch out for Wealth Rock, Phil Town, James Smith, Ryan Smith and the
rest of these clowns. They will tell you anything and make up lies just
to get a sale.
I
didn't see where the man said he expected or wanted to become a
millionaire over night that is an assumption your making without the
grounds in which you need to make that assumption on!! I also don't
recall him saying they were scammers, another assumption made on your
part, but I agree with adampou, why would he say he was a professional
ball player when that can so easily be checked out and furthermore to
have the gull to say Donald Trump wanted him to teach his children, come
on after that I'd want my money back to!!!
Perhaps
fortunately I could not afford the tuition. So now 1 month later, I get
a phone call by a guy telling me that for $500 - $1000 I could buy some
practical help actually doing paper trading, imitating Phil Smith's
trades, and they would walk me through the whole system so that I got it
and could do it on my own.
Then one day later I got a phone call from another person who finally
after lots of sales-gibber-jab, told me that only $10, 000 would buy me a
year's handholding and help. What happened to the $500, the $1000. IN
sales, this is lowballing to keep you interested.
Encouraging people to put $10, 000 on a credit card for a course that
does NOT guarantee any results is not a good plan in my estimation.
Did you get scammed by this company or any of the James Smith or Peter Lowe Organizations? If so watch this and let us know!
-
This Company is a money sucking machine. Little did I know that when I found out today that the company is closed down. I'm so so sad. Invested so much...come to know that all the unlimited bootcamp that is no longer going to be available? I was even given this certification that I was going to be able to make the money all back within a year. I understand that hard work needs to be done on my part. However, its the education that I was seeking more than anything??? I didn't feel that I got want I paid for PERIOD. I will file a consumer complaint. Money is money no matter what amount that was taken from people. It's sad that these companies come down to this!!!! High pressured calls...selectively chosen my cramp! PEOPLE DON't BELIEVE IN ANYTHING THEY SAY!
-
I, like a lot of people, am finding it harder and harder to get by in this economy. That is why this type of scam works so well; when I went to a Financial success summit I was more than eager to buy the snake oil they were selling. Guess it just proves the old saying that a sucker is born every minute, guess that includes me.
I just wanted to post somewhere to let the buyer beware and hopefull keep someone else from making the biggest mistake of their financial lives and giving this group of con men you hard earned money. They are selling a dream and giving nothing - some old worn out information that has been around for 30 years and not only that - a lot of it can not even be done anymore because of new banking laws - but they are still putting out the information in the simanar as if it can.
Don't be drugg in by their scam of making tons of money and then giving to charties, it is like a diet pill that works for one person and not for the other 300 people who try it
-
Below you will find an email I sent to the CEO requesting my money back; So here is the deal, I am a kidney dialysis patient on a waiting list (hoping & praying) for a transplant. This condition makes it impossible for me to work. At the seminar hosted by Ryan Smith I was not mesmerized by the promise of five million dollars in five years. What caught my attention was the ability that was promised to build a residual income very quickly and replace some of the earnings lost due to my illness. A program that no matter if the stock market goes up, down or sideways, we would make money. Better yet Mr Sykorsky promised us access to his live trades so according to Ryan Smith all we need to do is duplicate them. And by signing up for the elite program we would have access to training and guidance for three full years, also this program would begin to pay for itself almost immediately. This made the elite program very attractive and the fact that Wealthrock was seeking accreditation as a university helped to legitimize the program. So you can understand the frustration of everyone in attendance at the seminar when they were informed that Mr. Sykorsky was no longer associated with wealthrock. Furthermore the books sent to us were of no value and would not be used since the people hired to teach the seminar (options animals) do not use books or any other materials, but we would be entitled to access their web page for a period of three months and levels 1,2 and 3. The trades we were promised are level eight and would not be taught. People were furious with this bait and switch and so on the second day they abruptly altered their schedule to include this trade but insisted that this is a far advanced trade not taught by them until level eight and should not even be considered by inexperienced traders. Now keep in mind we only have access to levels 1-3, so how do we get to level eight? Furthermore the opportunity to view live trades is illegal and they had no idea why such a promise was ever made. On top of that they recommended NOT making trades with money. They recommend setting up virtual accounts and practicing for a minimum of six months, preferably longer. Thus the complete and utter turmoil that created the need for a conference call from you giving your email address and phone number and promising to do "what ever it takes to make it right for everyone". At this point the only thing that will make it right is for you to refund my money, unless your aim was to mislead and deceive everyone in attendance. Julian Apodaca
This is venture capitalism gone riot! Wealthrock leaders talk about God and about earning money to support charities, but all they are really interested in is taking advantage of people who are having a hard time financially. They want their students to borrow money and go out making "deals" with poor people who are losing their homes and businesses. Once you realize their true agenda, it is too late to get your money back. They will charge you $5000.00 for each set of materials they send you. Last year, they changed instructors in midstream. I was unable to access their webinars for months. Nobody put me on the list for the new stock market trading online classes; evidently I was just "forgotten." And, by the way, the Osmond family of Utah are deeply involved in this company. When they talk about doing good and serving god, they are talking about Mormonism. Just like Mitt Romney with his Bain vulture capitalists, they are out to get the last ounce of blood out of people who are drowning. Their "student satisfaction" program is a laugh. The guy just tells you you can't get any of your money back, but he will sell you more of their training programs. James Smith should be ashamed of himself. And by the way, he gave us his personal email address during the Get Motivated Seminar in case we needed assistance. Of course the emails come back as undeliverable.
I wanted to clear up some serious misconceptions here. I am a fellow Wealth Rock student, and I agree that they are scam artists and have actually committed fraud against many of their students. The customer service is terrible, they have baited and switched vendors so many times it is not even funny! They have canceled most of their classes, and they haven't even come close to delivering what they have promised. This is fact. I'm happy to help anyone who is pursuing action against them, I am truly sorry for what you've been through, I've been through the same things with them and more personally.
The one misconception I want to correct is regarding James Smith personally. James sold the company more than a year ago and has had nothing to do with the day to day management of the company since that day. He continued on as a speaker out of a true desire to help the students whom he cares for deeply! Wealth Rock turned off the email address James gave personally to students, James did not abandon you! James Smith is the real deal, not an act! He would never hurt anyone, and has done nothing but continue to support the students who have brought their complaints to him. Unfortunately Wealth Rock has severely limited his contact with the students.
James is not the bad guy here, keep your focus on the real opportunists who took your money with no regard for you personally, they are the executives of Wealth Rock. They will promise you the moon to get your complaint to go away, but they will not deliver!
I just beg that you stay focused on the correct people in your battle. If you would like help or info, feel free to contact me.
Forgot to mention that we were called and told we were applying to be part of a "select few" to join their Platinum Membership, of course we were approved after they determined we had enough to pay the $55k membership fee! Since then they haven't held half of the classes we were promised and don't have a single one of the original vendors we signed up to learn from. We were also promised a certain person as our solo mentor, then later found out he never did solo mentorships.
I too signed up for the elite package and because of extraordinary financial situations as a result of a family emergency, I need a refund on some of the courses. They are completely uncooperative and refusing to give me a refund at all. I can stop payment on my credit card and dispute. Has anyone actually received a refund from them or pursued this legally, realizing it cannot be done?
Wealth Rock is a joke of a company! They talk about being financially free! Well I'm here to tell you the People that run this company don't even know how to do that right. My family has a small printing business. We up until about three months ago were Wealth Rocks printing supplier( the people who printed all the material you payed thousands to buy). Well the reason we don't print for this company anymore is because the don't pay their bills! They owe almost 200,000 and now they just claimed bankruptcy! I'm not sure where all the money you all spent went but it didn't go to pay their vendors.
I just wanted to take time to post that I agree with LoriSD. James Smith sold his company way before this mess. He is just as hurt by this as we are and he does not deserve to have his name trampled. Please make sure you know who you are striking out against before you post something on the internet. Thanks.
-
I went to the 3 day free seminar. Fell for the assertion they could turn my 15K into, "a fortune". I signed up for the cash flow seminar=$3995. For whatever reason, a few days later I was, then "selected" to be in their special program to be mentored, one on one, for the low price of 7K, which would be for real estate training. One, this so called program is really nothing more than a couple of days to make sure the mark actually can pay the 7K required. I've talked to a few people, who are actually some of the hired guns the James Smith Company employs, and they were unaware of this program. One Kerry Lucas did at first pretend he was going to figure this out for me, but in reality only wanted to sell his program, which he asserted, "was much cheaper than I had paid". I'm looking for as many individuals as I can to start a class action lawsuit against this company. I have much more information, and a longer list of complaints, than I want to type right now. If you have found this post and are wondering about JSC, I can tell you some things. Please contact me at mcglyph@gmail.com soonest. Stay away from the James Smith Company, do not buy into the very high priced program they offer, as there are no refunds, and a man named Nate Day is seemingly for me at least the only one I can work things out with. If you want to be successful, the tools are out there, you don't need to go to this company for anything. If you want training in real estate save your 10K or whatever, and find a real estate club (they are every where). My coach had me do this exact thing, go to a real estate club, that was his first pearl of advice. The people at the real estate club told me I should have saved my money. Do not be like me, please look elsewhere for training.
-
Re: James Smith
I was not selected for mentoring, but I'm sure it was clear to them that I couldn't have afforded it. It makes sense that their selection criteria would be "Are you good for it?" Everyone wants to feel special, to be part of an exclusive group, so they're going to present the selection in that way. Maybe it's because I worked in sales for a couple of years out of college, but I'm pretty understanding about things like that. Presenting your case in such a way that it gets your audience's attention and makes them feel good is not the same as being dishonest.
That said, some people definitely are dishonest, and they give all salespeople a bad name. I want to believe that people like that would not be welcome at James Smith's company. I'm really not in a position to say. I can say that all my interactions with the company and its representatives were overwhelmingly positive. I'm sure there is no company in the world with zero complaints posted about it. When I search for James Smith without specifically looking for complaints or scams, I still find more positive comments than negative, which is impressive considering that people are more likely to share a negative experience than a positive one (think of the last 5 conversations you had). In a forum like this, of course you would expect to find more negative comments, which is why I made it a point to share my positive point of view here.
Believe what you like about me. Not everyone will have a positive experience with a given company, and not everyone will have a negative experience. I believe that your concerns are valid, I hope that they are resolved asap, and most of all I hope that yours is a rare case.
Respectfully,
Laura
-
I have to add my experience with James Smith. I too was entertained at the James Smith seminar when I attended April 8, 9 and 10 in Portland, OR. I was impressed with the Tax Lien program so paid $3,999 (discounted rate for seminar!) in order to get the one on one training and software that was promised. A month goes ** and I had not heard a word from anyone at James Smith. I finally called and was told that there were so many people who signed up for the various programs offered, they were behind in getting contact information downloaded. Ok, I gave them the benefit of the doubt. Another 3 weeks go ** and I get a phone call about a webinar on tax liens that was 2 days away and was I interested. I'm a working girl and part of my job is organizing webinars. Webinars are scheduled weeks in advance! Once the webinar is over, attendees are notified within two days and given a link plus password to view the webinar as many times as they wish! I was not able to attend James Smith's webinar because it was scheduled during my work hours. I thought no problem, I would get a link and view when I could. I never received any kind of communique' giving me this option after the webinar was over! What I've learned about tax liens I've been able to get off the itnernet and trips to the library. On August 10th, I had a conference call with a Ryan Trimble of Wealthrock (formerly James Smith Companies). For additional funds and fees, I could continue my 'learning' experience. He wanted to know if my husband and I had a good credit rating which we do. He then wanted to know what the credit limits were on our cards. I told him about one (limit only not card number). He then suggested as an 'option' to use (borrow) the credit limit in order to purchase tax liens and the proceeds from the liens would make the payments on the credit card. This really disturbed me to say the least. A significant amount would be used to purchase a lien and fees would also be deducted using our credit card limit! Dollar amounts were not specially mentioned but after reading the comments above, I can only imagine what Ryan had in mind! Ryan also wanted me to fill out a questionnaire that would give him a better picture of our financial situation. I asked him to call back when my husband was present. This was done the evening of August 15th. During the course of the conversation, Ryan behaved in a very unprofessional manor when he discovers we were not immediately jumping into his program and that we wanted answers to further questions. The poor guy probably had many conversations similar to ours and was getting frustrated because he wasn't meeting his quota so he took it out on us. Our intentions are to still invest in tax liens but it won't be through James Smith's organization ** any stretch of the imagination! I am in the process of contacting Jame Smith's organization for a refund. I may or may not get one but I do want others to beware! Do go to the seminars as they are entertaining but leave your money at home! Be diligent and investigate other learning tools! Don't get caught up in the soft sales techniques that promise a better life. . . they come with hefty fees. You can do better elsewhere!
Best regards,
Diane
-
Re: James Smith
I'm sorry to say I'm one of the many who don't follow through. I started with a lot of enthusiasm, then got sidetracked with helping my husband in his business and have not come back to real estate yet. I will let you know if/when I use what I know and get results. I still believe it works for those who have the time, optimism, and persistence to see it through. I definitely want to be one of those people.
=
Re: James Smith
I attended a couple seminars back in 2005 at an Orlando hotel. It was the same bait and switch scam. Yes I call it a scam. A legal scam. You hear a very well trained motivational speaker talk about how he has bought so many homes he can not count them all. I had already been buying foreclosures for 8 years, so I checked up on the information about himself that he provided at the seminar. I could only find less than 10 or 12 confirmed properties that he had purchased. Yes, I drove to the properties that he owned and sure enough it was the same as the pictures he provided on the big screen.
Classic Real Estate seminar bait and switch. He motivates you to buy the $4000 program and of course everyone gets the call to be offered the premium package for $20,000 PLUS. I talked to Ryan back then at the end of the seminar. He told me about the further opportunities that would be available to their students, The high priced programs. That seminar was a couple of days. I went to the first one and did my research later that night. I went back the next day to hear more on the subjects for that day. It is just a long info-mercial with the final moment of HURRY!!! Buy today, We only have 20 packages left. What they teach about at the seminars is so elementary its pathetic. I could do better than that with no preparation. It was insulting to my intelligence that James was speaking on Foreclosures and tax Deeds while getting $4,000 a pop. I clearly had more experience and knowledge regarding the subject material. I don't remember Ryan speaking during the event. He was quite young. He has been trained to be a speaker like his father. Do your own research on them. I am a research pro and I did mine, the picture did not look at all like what they painted. James is in Seminole County FL. and Ryan is in Orange county FL.
There is a lot of money in doing what James and Ryan Smith do verses messing around with buying property. Its less work and a whole lot more respect. 20 people X $4,000 ($80K). 20 people X $20,000. = $400,000. Total Purse $480,000 for a weekend. Not to shabby. No fixing a dumpy home, no tenants just a big snow shovel to scoop in the cash. THAT IS JUST 20 PEOPLE FOLKS. There are a heck of a lot more suckers than that. Not to insult those of that are reading and have been hooked. We all have been hooked by some one in our lives. Just don't go and swallow the hook line and sinker. Please email me. I will talk to you. I have bought, pre-foreclosures, at auctions, bank owned, from individuals etc.. etc....
-
I have written in to owner / president / MIA head honcho Joe Johnson regarding the state of WealthRock and they way it is treating it's students who have paid a LOT of money to be left in the dark, and without fullfillment of promises and contractual obligations.
Let this be a public notice to WealthRock and it's board of advisors - please have Joe - or someone of equal / comparable stature in t
he company respond to me by this Friday.
Otherwise, I have no choice but to use my 'special set of skills' to make this WHOLE thing go VERY public.
And just so you guys know... I know more truth regarding the state of this company than you would like me to. So please - no more lies like I received on the phone.
PS: This is NOT directed at the Smiths' or any of the mentors of this company. This is strictly for the officers of the company. The Smiths' and mentors of this company are being shoved under the bus just as much as the students. And I'm not one to take that lightly.
-Shane Hunter
shane@shanehunter.org
-
State Records Committee Appeal Decision 2011-10
BEFORE THE STATE RECORDS COMMITTEE OF THE STATE OF UTAH
ERIC PETERSON, Petitioner, vs.
UTAH ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE, Respondent.
DECISION AND ORDER
Case No. 11-10
By this appeal, Petitioner, Eric Peterson, a reporter for the Salt Lake City Weekly, seeks access to e-mail and text messages from Respondent, the Utah Attorney General’s Office.
FACTS
On March 6, 2011, Mr. Peterson filed a Government Records Access and Management Act (“GRAMA”) request with the Utah Attorney General’s Office (“AG’s Office”) for the following: (1) All e-mail correspondence between Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and Utah Representative John Dougall from 2010-present; (2) All e-mails between Mr. Shurtleff and Rocco Devilliers, or that mention “Rocco Devilliers,” from 2010 - present; (3) Text messages sent between Mr. Shurtleff and Tim Lawson from 2010- present; (4) All e-mail correspondence between Mr. Shurtleff and Rob Stahura from 2008- present; (5) Text messages between Mr. Shurtleff and Jeremy Johnson from 2010 – present; (6) E-mails between Mr. Shurtleff and Marc Jenson or any emails mentioning “Marc Jenson” from 2009 – present; (7) E-mails between Mr. Shurtleff and Jeremy Johnson, or e-mails mentioning Jeremy Johnson from Mr. Shurtleff’s account, from 2010 – present; and (8) Any e-mails mentioning “Brian Kitts” sent to or from Deputy Attorney General John Swallow between 2008 – present.
In a letter dated March 21, 2011, Paul Murphy, Director of Communications and Policy with the AG’s Office, partially granted and partially denied Mr. Peterson’s records request. Mr. Murphy stated that some records did not exist, some records were not records under GRAMA, and others were protected records pursuant to Utah Code Ann. § 63G-2-305(9) and -305(17). Mr. Peterson appealed this decision and in a letter dated April 6, 2011, Chief Deputy Attorney General Kirk Torgensen affirmed the decision to deny Mr. Peterson’s request to certain records.
Mr. Peterson appealed this decision to the State Records Committee (“Committee”). The Committee, having reviewed written arguments of the parties and having heard oral argument and testimony at hearings held on May 12, 2011 and June 9, 2011, now issues the following Decision and Order.
STATEMENT OF REASONS FOR DECISION
1. The Government Records Access and Management Act (“GRAMA”) specifies that “all records are public unless otherwise expressly provided by statute.” Utah Code Ann. § 63G-2-201(2). Records that are not public are designated as either “private,” “protected,” or “controlled.” See, Utah Code Ann. §§ 63G-2-302, -303, -304 and -305.
2. Records prepared by or on behalf of a governmental entity that are records disclosing an attorney’s work product, including the mental impressions or legal theories of an attorney or other representative of a governmental entity concerning litigation, are considered protected records if properly classified by governmental entity. Utah Code Ann. § 63G-2-305(17). Under Utah law, opinion work product, which includes mental impressions, conclusions, opinions or legal theories of an attorney or party, is afforded higher protection than fact work product. S. Utah Wilderness Alliance v. Automated Geographic Reference Ctr., 2008 UT 88, 200 P.3d 643, ¶ 28, following Gold Standard Inc., v. Am. Barrick Res. Corp., 805 P.2d 164, 168 (Utah 1990).
3. Personal files of a state legislator, including personal correspondence to or from a member of the Legislature are considered protected records if properly classified. Utah Code Ann. § 63G-2-305(19)(a)(i).
4. Under GRAMA, the definition of a “record” does not include:
(i) a personal note or personal communication prepared or received by an employee or officer of a governmental entity in the employee's or officer's private capacity;
(ii) a temporary draft or similar material prepared for the originator's personal use or prepared by the originator for the personal use of an individual for whom the originator is working. [Utah Code Ann. § 63G-2-103(22)(b)]
BATES STAMPED
DOCUMENT IDENTIFICATION
CLASSIFICATION OF DOCUMENT AS DETERMINED BY THE COMMITTEE
002-062
Various Emails
Protected, Utah Code Ann. §63G-2-305(19)(a)(i)
063
Text messages
Non- Record, Utah Code Ann. §63G-2-103(22)(b)
064
Text messages
Public
066-071
Various emails
Attorney Work Product, Utah Code Ann. §63G-2-305(17)
073-077
Various emails
Drafts, Utah Code Ann. §63G-2-103(22)(b)(ii)
078-081
Various Emails
Attorney Work Product, Utah Code Ann. §63G-2-305(17)
083-the end
Various Emails
Public, and properly classified as a record, Utah Code Ann. §63G-2-103(22)(b)(i), NOTE:Committee finds that record Bates Stamped 086 contains private information that should be redacted.
5. Based upon the preponderance of the evidence, the arguments of the parties, and a review of the documents submitted by the AG’s Office in camera, the Committee finds the documents contain public and protected records, and that the protected records include: (1) Records disclosing an attorney’s work product, including mental impressions or legal theories of an attorney or other representative of a governmental entity concerning litigation pursuant to Utah Code. Ann. § 63G-305(17); (2) Drafts pursuant to Utah Code Ann. § 63G-2-305(22); and (3) Personal Files pursuant to Utah Code Ann. § 63G-2-305(19)(a)(i).
ORDER
THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED THAT: the appeal of Eric Peterson is: (1) DENIED in part pertaining to documents identified as protected records, non-records, and attorney work product in the table above; and (2) the appeal of Eric Peterson is GRANTED in part pertaining to documents identified as public records in the above table. The Utah Attorney General’s Office is hereby ordered to provide said public records to Mr. Peterson within ten (10) days.
RIGHT TO APPEAL
Either party may appeal this Decision and Order to the District Court. The petition for review must be filed no later than thirty (30) days after the date of this order. The petition for judicial review must be a complaint. The complaint and the appeals process are governed by the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure and Utah Code Ann. § 63G-2-404. The court is required to make its decision de novo. In order to protect its rights on appeal, a party may wish to seek advice from an attorney.
PENALTY NOTICE
Pursuant to Utah Code Ann. § 63G-2-403(14)(d), the government entity herein shall comply with the order of the Committee and, if records are ordered to be produced, file: (1) a notice of compliance with the records committee upon production of the records; or (2) a notice of intent to appeal. If the government entity fails to file a notice of compliance or a notice of intent to appeal, the Committee may do either or both of the following: (1) impose a civil penalty of up to $500 for each day of continuing noncompliance; or (2) send written notice of the entity's noncompliance to the Governor for executive branch entities, to the Legislative Management Committee for legislative branch entities, and to the Judicial Council for judicial branch agencies’ entities.
Entered this 20th day of June, 2011.
BY THE STATE RECORDS COMMITTEE
____________________________________
BETSY ROSS, Chairperson
State Records Committee
=
Hello My name is Michael and like the rest of the poor souls i was one who fell for the bull of John Beck and there sales pitch. The sale rep. was a person in the Henderson Nevada location and she called me on labor day evening to make her sales pitch so after about two hours listening me and my wife reluctanly decided to try the program and like every one else they recorded us saying we except the program and that there are no refunds.
But approx. 30 minites after we hung up it hit me that if we try and do this and so call Incorporate in to a business we would both lose our retirement income and health benefits, this changed my mind real fast and I tried to call back and speak with Pam but no responce, but left 4 messages making sure they knew I was canceling. The next day I called there customer service department in Utah and told them I am canceling and I am going to fax them a cancelation letter, I also sent them an express mail with a return signature request, on the advice of the credit card company so show a hard copy record that I canceled.
The next day I received a call from a different person other then Pam, his name was Robert and while speaking with him I asked the all important question what is that companys cancellation policey and he said that I have 3 days to cancel.
I just a little information to everyone that according to Utah law were i was reading about since there corporate office is there, there is a right to rescission law 13-26-5. and part of the laws say that if the solicitor repuired to be registered under this chapter fails to orally advise a purchaser of the right to cancel under this section at the time of any solicitation the purchaser's right to cancel shall be extended to 90 days. and sub-section c says that if the solicitor required to be registerd under this chapter fails to orally advise the purchaser of his trun name, telephone number, and complete street address at teh time of the solicitation, the purchaser may cancel the sale at any time. So Robert confirmed I could cancel.
Now during all of this I was speaking with the credit card company telling them what was going on and it seemed that they were trying to be helpfull and told me that they really could not do anything until my charge had come out of the temp status and get posted to my account.
I also filed a complaint with the FTC, California Attorney General, the Nevada Attorney General, and was going to file one with Utah but when I check to see what the status was on my charge I notice that the charge has just fallen off the account, so until I speak with the credit card company to make sure what happen to it, it just might be another VICTORY AGAINST JOHN BECK'S BULL. I will update later to let you know if the charge is gone.
P.S. If you decide to cancel make sure you do it with in the 3 day right to cancel and make sure you leave a paper trail to prove you did it because faxes get lost or never seen in time.
Take care all and good luck.
Michael Sylmar, California U.S.A.
-
Trump University, The Apprentice, Real Estate, Donald Trump, Wealth, Entrepreneur, Ideas, Tony Robbins, Kiyosaki, AP Trump, AP Trump story, AP and Trump, Apprentice I, Donald J. Trump, Donald Trump U., Donald Trump University, Donald Trump buildings, Donald Trump school, Donald Trump university, Donald Trump.com, DonaldTrump.com, DonaldTrump.com, Entrepreneur coaches, Entrepreneur coaching, Entrepreneur conferences , Entrepreneur groups, Financial coaching, How to build wealth, Learning annex, Learning annex Chicago, Learning annex Dallas, Learning annex L.A., Learning annex Los Angeles, Learning annex New York, Learning annex NY, Learning annex NYC, Learning annex san Francisco, Learningannex.com, Learning annex wealth expo, NYC learning annex, One minute millionaire , Ridings and Trump, Said Trump, Said Trump, Says Trump, Says Trump, Small business conferences, Small business expo , The apprentice and Trump , Trump, Trump AP, Trump Blog, Trump Institute, Trump Mortgage, Trump Scotland Hotel, Trump U, Trump U., Trump and Scotland, Trump and apprentice , Trump and real estate, Trump bio, Trump coaches, Trump coaching, Trump enters mortgage arena, Trump institute, Trump institute, Trump Institute, Trump offer, Trump plans to build, Trump said, Trump says, Trump school, Trump u, Trump.com, Trumpinstitute.com, annex learning center, annex real estate wealth expo, annex wealth expo, apprentice fan sites, become a billionaire, bill gates billionaire, billionaire, books on wealth, by Robert Kiyosaki, cash flow , Donald Trump, Donald Trump buildings, Donald Trump learning annex,DonaldTrump.Trumpuniversity.com, earn money while you, get money, get rich quick, golf and Trump, Trump and golf, good way to make money, how 2 make money, how can i earn money, how can i get rich, how can i make money fast, how do i get rich, how to be a millionaire, how to become a billionaire, how to become a millionaire, how to earn money, how to get rich, how to make fast money, how to make loads of money, how to make money, i want to be a millionaire, inside Trump tower, Kiyosaki cash flow, Kiyosaki rich dad poor dad, l.a. learning annex, leaning annex, learn annex, learning annex Chicago real estate, learning annex classes, learning annex com, learning annex coupon code, learning annex coupons, learning annex courses, learning annex expo, learning annex in Chicago, learning annex in NYC, learning annex Minneapolis, learning annex New York city , learning annex real, learning annex real estate, learning annex real estate expo, learning annex real estate wealth, learning annex Rosemont, learning annex sf, learning annex wealth, learning annex wealth expo, life coaching personal power, make a million, make fast easy money, make million dollars, make money buying, make money easy, make money in business, make money in real estate, make money in small business, make money on the side, make money without a job, making extra money, making money by selling, millionaire mind, millionaire secrets, mind of a millionaire, money, money making ideas, money saving tips , money tips, multiple streams of income, offer Trump, online business classes, online class schedule, online mba programs, online universities in, phoenix online classes, plans for retirement, real estate billionaire, real estate expo, real estate wealth expo, real estate wealth expo Chicago, real estate wealth expo, rich ad poor dad, rich dad, rich dad book, rich dad cash flow, rich dad cash flow, rich dad coaching, rich dad poor dad, rich dad poor dad audio book, rich dad poor dad board, rich dad poor dad by, rich dad poor dad cash flow, rich dad poor dad com, rich dad poor dad for teens, rich dad poor dad online, rich dad poor dad seminar, Robert Allen, Robert Kiyosaki, Robert Kiyosaki books, Robert Kiyosaki rich dad poor, Robert Kiyosaki rich dad poor dad, Robert Kiyosaki seminar, the apprentice learning annex, the Apprentice and Trump, the learning annex, the learning annex and, the learning annex Chicago, the learning annex com, the learning annex Donald Trump, the learning annex New York, the learning annex ny, the learning annex NYC, the learning annex real, the learning annex real estate, the learning annex real estate expo, the learning annex real estate wealth expo, the learning annex san Diego, the learning annex san Francisco, the learning annex Toronto, think like a billionaire, tips for making money, tips on how to save money, Tony Robbins coaches, Tony Robbins coaching, Tony Robbins wealth mastery seminar, Trump and the apprentice , Trump institute, Trump learning annex, Trump sponsor, Trump sponsors, Trump tower, Trump way to wealth, Trump wealth, Trump's blog , Trump's newsletter, Trumpinstitute, universities offering online, universities with online, university online classes, want to get rich, way to make money, wealth advice, wealth and class, wealth blogs, wealth builders, wealth building seminar, wealth class, wealth classes, wealth club , wealth clubs, wealth creation class, wealth creation expo , wealth creation webinar, wealth experts, wealth expo, wealth expo Chicago Ahhh... Right...
James Smith was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. Both of his parents were successful school teachers. They taught him the value of hard work, the value of service, and the power of teaching others to be successful. James developed his initial interest in real estate as a youth while helping to build church buildings in his home town.
James refined his people, negotiating, and business skills at an early age. At just 18 years of age, James bought and sold his first house resulting in a large profit. It was a pivotal moment in his life as he grasped the power and potential of real estate as a wealth building tool.
James attended Bethany Nazarene College currently Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma and graduated with a Bachelor degree in Business Administration. He worked hard as roofer to put himself through college and completed his degree in just three years. This was a significant accomplishment, considering that James graduated dead last in High School class due to challenges with Dyslexia (which at the time was not well understood or diagnosed).
James has now been an active investor and entrepreneur for over 4-decades. His businesses have grossed more than $100 million just since 2005 and he has created jobs for hundreds of family throughout the United States. He understands the difficulties and complexities that face small business owners and he has prevailed in spite of these challenges. James is nationally known as an experienced, knowledgeable, and accomplished real estate investor with significant holdings in all types of real estate projects. James continues to actively invest in all types of real estate from single-family residences, to large multi-family apartment projects, to commercial developments, to low-income subdivision projects. His other passions are affordable housing projects and “green building” through partnerships with environmentally sensitive builders and building material providers.
James has also proven himself as a powerfully influential speaker, trainer, and mentor in the real estate industry. He has literally presented the potential of real estate to millions of people and personally trained thousands of students at events all over the world. James has spoken on stage with every living United States President and has shared the stage with such speakers as Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Rudy Guiliani, Tony Robbins, Zig Ziglar, Tom Hopkins, John Walsh, Rick Belluzzo, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, William Danko, George Foreman, Steve Young, The Duchess of York, Jane Seymour and many… many more.
James is actively involved in furthering the investing efforts of indigenous tribes throughout North America and other charitable projects around the world.
Posts
5th of May, 2012 by 
Date
7th of May, 2012 by 