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Misleading Advertising of Ineffective Seminar System
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Company claims a marketing system that provides qualified leads. Their system lacks any flexibility and support, and therefore failed to deliver.
123College (the "Company) is more interested in getting advisors to invest than to see you succeed. They claim that signing up for their seminar marketing system (the System) will result in qualified prospects for their services and yours. However, only after you invest and get trained, do you become aware of the real issues you will experience.
First, they throw a cookie-cutter System they insist works everywhere and all the time. However, the reality is that it may work in some areas of the country but not in others. You find that localization issues relative to consumer demographics that, if not taken into account, can make the System ineffective. It requires slight modification to accommodate such differences in order for the System to work. However, the Company is rigid and refuses to make any changes. I was repeatedly told the System has worked for many years and, in not so many words, to basically be quiet and just follow the System.
Second, there's an undisclosed sizeable added investment required for seminar advertising. This in and of itself is not bad if there is a ROI. However, you find while not addressing local issues, the System ROI is abysmal. They state that it's not their responsible for your abilities to convert prospects to clients. However, when the System doesn't generate prospects, it's not your fault rather a failure in the System. For example, the last seminar produced not only zero attendees but zero replies to the ad.
Third, in an effort to build your business you find yourself promoting 123 College above your own and become free advertising and a PR service for them. I placed the Company on my business card and always promoted the Company foremost and before my own. Again you wouldn't mind if an ROI is there but it isn't.
Fourth, except for a certain individual, customer support is atrocious. You quickly find out that the Company is more focused on the consumer as their customer and not you. Notwithstanding the size of my investment, they failed to value me as a 123 College advisor let alone a customer. I felt that I deserved at least the same level of respect if not more since I was their pathway to reaching the consumer. Unfortunately, I experienced very poor support and my issues or concerns were pretty much ignored. Of course, none of these issues are revealed upfront. So the whole selling process is deceptive.
Even after conversations with the owner, every time the result was the same. While promising to fix the problem and make it right, all he did was hand me over to a different employee. Where, I received the same treatment - i.e. lack of respect as their customer. While initially providing partial credit toward seminar advertisement costs, it didn't change the outcome. My last seminar and advertisement, which resulted in zero signups, was the final straw so I gave up on the System.
I found it odd and disconcerting that not a single person - even the owner - ever took the time to find out why I stopped using the System and promoting the Company. Ignoring me in one of the largest markets for their service, I concluded that it's all about churn. It became apparent that after investing, it doesn't matter if you ever produce or even walk away. They will just look for someone else to take your place and if that person doesn't work, they will just get another sucker to take their place.
This validated my feelings about the disregard and disrespect for me as their customer and that it was more about my investment than actually providing a quality service and supporting me. I even replied to one of their periodically spam solicitation emails (from the owner) I still get wanting me get me to invest in their System. I submitted my complaint and guess what happened? Not only did I never receive a reply to my complaint, I keep getting these spam emails. No surprise since this lack of support and respect is indicative of how they treat you once you sign up and pay your investment.
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Business's response - by RobertLon 12/9/2016
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I have searched our system for a James M. in your area and am unable to find anyone with that name. We are sorry you have not had a successful experience with our program. However, some of your complaints and accusations are just not true. We have many affiliates all over the country that have a very high ROI. We work hard to customize venues for each area according to demographics. We utilize schools, libraries, community centers and don't believe the system is rigid at all. At the end of the day it is up to you to convert prospects to clients. We in turn have helped thousands of clients with the complexities of college planning and helping their children get into the best colleges and universities. Without our affiliates we would have no families to work with. We value each and every one. Our scheduling and support departments are there to assist in any way possible. As you said, we paid half of the cost of advertisement, which we were not obligated to do. We want each and every advisor to be successful and strive to make that happen. No matter what we do, at the end of the day you need to be able to close the deal and are responsible for your own successes.
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