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I am another victim of Thrive Learning Institute. Here is my story.
I clicked on link that said "Google Ad works", it took me to one guy's testimonial about the way in which he is been earning "2000 to 3000" dollars per month from home. I hesitated for a long time and clicked the link which asked me to put my name and address in it. And the web site asked my for my credit card number to send their exclusive package. The web site said it would cost me $1.95 which would be used for mailing charges or something. This is it. I did not know that this is the worst thing I could do to myself. Few days later, I got a call from a telemarketing company named "ABS"(Accelerated Business Solutions). I really don’t know how ABS got my information. A person named Phil from ABS told me about the Thrive e-Learning program. He told me about drop shipping, OPM and how good internet marketing is. All the this time I was thinking that ABS was related to Google Ad Works. He sounded so genuine and I did believe what he told me. He even made me write a business plan. He forwarded me talk to his "Program Director" Brandon Clark. Brandon promised me that it would return all money back in 2 months ( or 8 weeks) and it is proven, and in 12 months I would at least make 2 times my initial investment. He told me that it is "Drop Ship" program. He told me that I need to put some initial investment in order to get more money back. He also told me that Thrive will spoon feed me with all the information, and all I need to do is to follow the instructions. He used some high pressure marketing on me, and took $6625 from me on the same day.
I fell into this trap. Then I was assigned to a team called "Team 1A" which had 4 coaches. Somebody named Nate called me on the first day, and introduced me to their student web site www.thriveli.com. And he also told me that there will weekly calls, live chats and I needed to spend 5-10 hours going through their material. He talked as if they are available 24 by 7 to for me.
In less than 2 weeks I realized that the content that they are providing was not at all useful in starting any kind of internet business. Also, I did not get any “world class” coaching from the coaches. These “coaches” gave me useless information about drop-shipping and were not available 24 X 7, not even respond to me when I call them.
Not only that, these people drove me into other companies which took more money out of me. The coaches started pushing me to buy services from another web site called “gogodropship.com” for a listing of drop shippers. ( like a Yellow pages for drop shippers). They made me pay another $97 for nothing.
Another company named “IMAX” started approaching me for a Merchant account. At this point I said, no more and started asking for my money back from Thrive. And I tried real hard to reach the people responsible for paying back. They simply ignored my calls and emails.
At that point I approached my credit card company to start the refund process, and I also complained about these companies (ABS, Thrive and gogodropship.com) in Better Business Bureau (BBB), FBI, Federal trade commission(FTC) and Utah’s Attorney general’s office. I am still working on my case.
So, I suggest all of you reading this post to be very careful about such companies, and never sign up ( Or sign a contract) for these Internet Money Scams.
I also created a blog to help the victims like me. Feel free to use the information I provided there. And also caution others from doing the same mistake.
http://scammedbythrive.blogspot.com
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Same thing happened to me...Unbelievable what these people have done and are still doing.
When did this happen to you? ABS Got shut down by the feds! If this was recent we gotta do something to get these ###...
I'm in the process of trying to get back $6350 that Thrive took from my 81-year-old mother. They refuse to refund the money and called me unethical for not letting them talk to her. I am composing letters to The State Attorney General of Utah and anyone else I can think of. Her credit card company is sending a fraud form to fill out but they don't sound too hopeful.
These ### are out there sucking people in at the wort time in everyones life with the economy and job losses. Anyone getting into this scam was doing so to make a little extra money so they could survive the circumstances. Instead we all got screwed big time. For me it was $10, 000.00 USD which is $13, 000.00 CDA. Holy crap am "I" screwed. If there is a god, the Utah States Attorney will shut these ### down and send everybody a refund
and throw Zack Bradshaw and all his stooges in jail. They are worse than ### for preying on innocent people that are just trying to keep up, not even get ahead of the game.
I must say that you should be very afraid of any internet schemes for making money working from home or other internet schemes. Thanks. C.
I agree that we really can make a difference in helping each other with these postings. I believe in karma and I hope that these companies will get what is coming to them very soon. What goes around comes around. I looked at the website of Concepts Execution and looked at the picture of the family on the home page. My guess is that those people are simply models and not the real people. If they are, then so be it.
www.conceptsexecution.com
I want to recover my money as well and I wish everyone else the best in recovering their losses to these ruthless and heartless companies. I am getting ready to send an email to the co-owner Robert Montgomery/Concepts Execution which I am certain will enrage him since he is an aggressive person and already threatened me on the phone.
From now on, I am going to try and record the conversations and use the emails as another source of documentation. I didn't notice if anyone has mentioned this, but I suspect that they also sold my contact information as I get daily calls from a variety of companies wanting to sell me one thing or another. I have also gotten chain letters in the mail, and other scam offers.
IMAX Bancard finally cancelled my account, but they charged me a cancellation fee. I saw this later in fine print on the contract and at least they only charged a small fee compared to what it said on the contract. Someone from Thrive had told me that I wouldn't be charged for cancelation of the account. Lies, lies, lies.
Ameritax is another concern. I am especially concerned since they have my SSN due to it being a tax service and getting a business name. At this point, I am trying to recover what I can one step at a time.
I had told the co-owner at Concepts Execution during our heated discussion that not only am I going through this my mother is dying of cancer. I really wanted to part ways and make it a win/win situation for both of us. He really didn't care at all. In fact, he said it wasn't his fault that my mother was dying. I didn't say that it was. This guy doesn't know what it is to be a true human being.
One day he will lose a loved one and I can only hope that he will be regretful of what he put me through. I'm not holding my breathe on his "getting it" about life.
We all have choices in life and we will be responsible for those choices even if we don't think so. Everyone loves something or someone, and one day he will be faced with loss and probably in a much more dramatic and painful way than what he has put us through.
I have known people like this that suffer painful deaths and painful situations in life. This is why I try my best to consider my actions based on a great deal of thought. I try not to react emotionally and I think that these companies should be reported. That is the only way to help others and might help us recover our own losses.
Has anyone got their money back or any head way with thrive? They are still running the google kit scam even though ABS got shut down and all their assets were seized! The owners Matt and Dave Rasmussen are ### and i hope they read this and all the other complaints against there so called business Thrive. They dont care about all the peoples lives that they have disturbed and all the problems that they caused within. I too hope they are hurt in someway. one day they will get whats coming to them, i hope at least. We must stop them or at least make it known very well to other not to do business with Thrive!
Thank you all for your sharing. Your painful experiences have saved me from losing more money to Concepts Execution. Believe it or not, now it is 2/2011, they are still out and about scamming people. They even scammed people in Australia! Luckily I told them my credit card limit was low, so they only asked me for USD1940. My mistake was I didn't read your postings before I got into the contract and gave them the money. Once I realized they were scammers, I frantically sent them emails and courier a certified letter asking for cancellation of contract. It was still within the 3-day period. Of course they don't care, because they are thieves! I have sent in a complaint to the Utah Division of Consumer Protection, hopefully they will be able to help. Thanks you again, I would have lost more than money without you!