I am a 49 year old devorcee, on a very small amount of disability trying to pay the bills every month. Startup Essentials contacted me in the spring of 2007 with what sounded like an offer of a lifetime. They were going to train me and set me up in a web business of my choosing. They told me that they would counsel me on whatever business I chose, provide the storefront, the shopping cart necessities, any number of drop shippers and the top spot on three of the major search engines for three years.
I had only learned how to operate a computer basically about six months prior to the call. I was told this wasn't a problem, as long as I knew how to copy and paste. I could setup the business with their assistance. I have been paying them $179 a month, which is almost a quarter of my income.
They told me that with their state of the art manuals, software, and their assistance, my webstore would be up and running within a week. I told them I could not afford the amount and they suggested using EBay to raise the money until the business was paying for itself. I told them I really could not afford this and their comment was "everybody has things sitting around the house and garage collecting dust" that could easily be sold on EBay to pay them.
After I agreed to try their system, I was contacted by A1 Leasing, also known as Bond Corp. The man on the line read me the lease agreement stating they were going to send me a laptop. I told them I didn't need a computer, and was told that it was part of the package and at the end of three years I would have to purchase the computer. I again told them I did not want their laptop, I had already purchased a good laptop, but they insisted that the laptop was part of the deal, it would be loaded with all the Startup Essentials information.
I was also told that at the end of three years I would have to purchase the laptop at 15% of its value. When I objected, the gentleman told me that a used computer would not be worth much or anything in three years, and they would probably pay me.
'We have worked hard going through the program, and have been refused a certificate of completion. This is when I started to investigate Startup
Essentials and their sister companies. I will be contacted the attorney and the District Attorney, and all other state and federal organizations to report them and shut them down. I urge everyone else to do the same.
0 comments