Re: Sure sounds like it.

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Posted by ed on July 21, 2002 at 10:12:11:

In Reply to: Re: Sure sounds like it. posted by William G. Reau on July 20, 2002 at 00:52:58:

Here is how American Investors Group (AIG) is running it and what I have researched. If you look up AIG at the Better Business Bureau website you find that they DBA just under 20 other Company names. The name Linda Gentile shows up several times as manager/executive. For what that is worth.
They came into town running the infamous "info-mercial" promoting the idea of buying real estate no money down, and Discount Paper. So we all flock to the "2hour" meeting (which is dragged into 4hr.) The reality is that the crew is not professional by any means. If they did any of these presentations at a large corporate office they would not be taken seriously. But I am a bumpkin, what can I say, old farm boy, need to see it for myself type.

Anyway, "We will mentor you all the way, buy this first pack of information and starting next week we will teleconference with you weekly for 6 weeks (they added a bonus 7th, later) to answer your questions, and do some more training. We will give you homework to do weekly. You will have to fax in a weekly schedule of what homework you accomplish. At the end of the 6 weeks we will come back to your area and have another 3 day seminar (there own tapes indicated they previously did it in 5-6days)

So we got sent home with the first pack of materials 6 full videos 24-30 hours of Chief Denney program called "quick cash", suprisingly the audio tapes are also 24-30 hours. (Notice both the audio and video is the same taping) You are given 2 manuals. One (275 pages-with one California Association of Realtors contract sample) is the transcript created by a voice recognition program noticeable by severe editing mistakes. Probably edited by a high school graduate (like my sons' "it looks like a word and the teacher doesn't care cause she wants to understand content, she ain't worried about spelin.) The second book is describe your goals, design a biz card, design a professional biz name, 50 pages of simple stuff, how to rah-rah and all the basics, including your legal membership service with LAWSTAR.com. Have yet to get that activated, cant get a straight answer to whether that price is included or I have to pay extra for the "AD" in my manual.

Web conferencing- what a disaster, the first 3 weeks were spent with a website who technically provided ok service, but AIG failed to test it out. They would tell us via e-mail 3 hours before the weekly meeting what website to go to, only once gave us the teleconference phone number to dial in and listen to Chief. 1/3 of attendees had trouble with firewalls, old software, etc. they could not get into the website to see the PowerPoint presentation. Allot of hookup problems because we were given little time to work with the web meeting host to work out kinks. So after the 3rd week we now started getting the PowerPoint downloaded to us, so we can view and click while listening to Chief on the phone. Those who didn’t have PowerPoint were sent the slides in Adobe doc. format.
So far, all Chief talks about is real estate, nothing about notes - despite the fact the info-mercial and his original presentation implied a 50-50 ratio of training.

2 weeks later we get the package I described in earlier chat message, 10 videos and 18 audio. Mostly from Global Resource Network (AIG related company per BBB or visa verse). The only manual (with the audio tapes)is for R.E. and is the only professionally looking item, with lots of sample etc. (225 pages)

The 4 Notes videos (Global Resource Network) were of Don Burnham, and he was entertaining. He claims to be the Prez. Of DBAA and ADFS (American Diversified Funding) Was ok at teaching the basics, which I already understood from an old book I had bought along time ago called “Invest in Debt”. Unfortunately his 2nd tape had two guys named Fred Horwin and Tom Wheatly teaching on Factoring, they were from First Capital Services, Inc in Florida. A Google search shows them in 2002 in deep trouble with SEC, in bankruptcy because of the fines, and their Pres. Is “supposedly” in jail for fraud serving 14 years, on an unrelated case.

I digress, So I go to the 3 day training seminar and meet Jim Sheads and J.T. Bramlett. Jim is a good old boy, entertaining and knowledgeable. (I think he is caught in a bad place - like one of the people mentioned they worked for Globe Resources and got out after 2 years because the high pressure sales the saw bothered them – search PaperGame Forum for Global Resource Network). Unfortunately he pretty much just re-did the same training Don did on the videos. The exception was we were handed photocopies of his Power Point so we could take notes, and were not given the big thick binder of information seen on the video that the people at Don’s training got. So very disappointed for the 5k I paid.
And yes after all was said and done they now were selling for not less than another 5k to 15k combination packages of specialized training focused on Notes, Real Estate, or both. The 15k package included unspecified days (imply 2-4 days) for Chief and Jim to spend walking the streets actually helping (or Showing) how to really find the wholesale bargains. Ones that are not advertised and only threw THEIR contacts can we find for you--- my concern was who’s name goes on the deals they do mine, his or split—so we pay for them to come into town on our dime and then take all the profit or half on all the deals I bring them.?????

Conclusion- yeah you guys were right. I was wrong. I should have done my research on the web before I went to the first seminar. For 1/3rd of the money I spent I could have gotten hooked up with the few guys on the net like this one PaperGame.com, or PapersourceOnline.com, JimmyNapier.com, Fredcoutts.com. (Factoring) Even If I get taken for a ride by any of these then I still would not have lost as much. Well will try and see if it isn’t to late with the credit card company to pull out, but is has been 6-7 weeks since I signed up, can’t claim I didn’t know what I was doing.
Just posting this so others can learn from my mistakes..Ed

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