Usacomplaints.com » Education & Science » Complaint / Review: The Coaching Institute - Realtors beware of the Coaching Institute program that promises to show you how to make money as a real estate investor. You could lose your license if you follow their program! The Coaching Institute should not promote this program to Realtors. #289493

Complaint / Review
The Coaching Institute
Realtors beware of the Coaching Institute program that promises to show you how to make money as a real estate investor. You could lose your license if you follow their program! The Coaching Institute should not promote this program to Realtors

I am one of many Realtors in California and across the country who have been scammed by The Coaching Institute based in Draper Utah.

THE SALES PITCH
I attended a sales pitch in Agoura Hills, CA in November given by Paula Workman and her son. The spin she put on the program in her sales pitch was much different than the reality of the program as I have come to learn. Obviously the sales pitch is a finely crafted, scripted and memorized presentation designed to provide just enough information to get someone interested in signing up for their Coaching Program.in hindsight I see that her presentation just skimmed the surface of a lot of different things, but didn't really cover what this program is really about.

I felt pressured to make a decision right on the spot because they said that "this was the only time that I could get into the program for that price" and there was "limited space" and they have had "a lot of interest." They told me that $5,000 was nothing compared to the money I'd make by what I learn through thier Program. It sounded reasonable at the time for what they promised it would deliver. Obviously they wanted me to sign up on the spot because they knew if I left and went online and saw how many people have already been swindled by The Coaching Institute - I would have never signed up. If it was fully disclosed then what this program is really about there is no way me or any other Realtor would have ever signed up for this program!

WEBSITE
I was told the day of the sales pitch that I would get a FREE website. I told them at the sales pitch that I didn't need or want another website because I already have an extensive site that I pay for and maintain. I asked if they could discount the program fee because I don't want the site. They said it is "free" so it doesn't matter, I don't have to use it if I don't want to. Well, come to find out that when the website company called me to set up the site and I told them that I didn't want it, he was surprised. He said, "But you already paid for it." I asked him what he meant because I was told it was "free". He said that Coaching Institute pays them $2,500 of the $5,000 tuition for the site. Then I asked him, "If you don't create a site for me, do you get paid" and he said "NO". So where did my $2,500 go? The Institute is in breach of contract and has knowingly misrepresented what I was charged for and has taken money from me that is not rightfully theirs.

COACH
The Coach that was assigned to me was not impressive. After receiving all the materials and reviewing them thoroughly I became concerned over the "investment strategies" the program promotes. I emailed the Coach I was assigned to and told her I was concerned about the types of tactics they suggest using. I didn't feel they were ethical. She never responded to my email. My first conversation with the Coach was my concern about these strategies. She would not address my concerns directly. She said she would have someone call me and no one did. At a half hour on the dot, she ended the call abruptly. My next half hour call with her consisted of her giving me website addresses for HUD, OCWEN and other places to find REO and foreclosed properties. Strategies that didn't involve swindling people out of their equity. That wasn't exactly earth shattering information that I would pay $5,000 for. I already knew this.

It was obvious that the Coach didn't really care about helping me and explaining the program to me. She just spewed out some random information and watched the clock for the half hour to stop. She told me directly that she just does this for fun. I didn't pay $5,000 to give some retiree something to do to kill half an hour a week.

I suspended my coaching sessions because I was not receiving anything of value and since I only had 10 sessions I wanted to learn more about the program at the 2 Day Workshop before proceeding.

2 DAY WORKSHOP
I attended the 2 Day Workshop given by Lynn Stevens in Glendale, CA on December 5. It was after going to the 2-day workshop that I confirmed my suspicions of the Coaching Institute's program. I realized quickly that this was just another one of those "real estate guru" "get rich quick schemes" and I had fallen for it. I knew then that I was scammed and it made me furious.instead of watching an infomercial at 2am, instead I attended a finely crafted, scripted and memorized sales pitch directed to Realtors. I could have gone to Barnes and Noble and bought 2 books that gave me the same information I received from this $5,000 program.

At Lynn's workshop, once again, the surface was just skimmed, but no tangible information was given. At the Sales Pitch we were made to believe that the 2 Day Workshop was an intensive training session that we would gain valuable information from that will help us to become savvy real estate investors. This was NOT at all what happened at this 2 Day Workshop. Lynn only glazed over various topics. At the end of the 2nd day he discussed schemes just like the late night gurus. The only "investing" information presented the entire 2 days was an overview of how to swindle people out of their equity. There was nothing concrete or informative presented. It was a huge waste of time and a big realization that I had been scammed.

CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS POSITION
After attending the 2 day workshop and learning what this program was really about, I spoke to the general legal counsel for California Association of Realtors. I explained to him what was discussed at the Workshop and what was outlined in the educational materials I received. He strongly advised against becoming involved with these types of real estate schemes that the Instutute was promoting. Specifically the types of schemes where I, as Realtor licensed in the State of California, knowingly offer someone far less than fair market value for their home for my own personal gain. He said that I am looking for a lawsuit if I structure deals for my personal gain where I know they could do better if I represented them as a Realtor where my fiduciary duty is to look out for their best interest.in fact, I heard that there is currently litigation in California for this very reason.

Unfortunately, I didn't realize it when I signed up for this - because it was never disclosed - that what The Coaching Institute would really be teaching me is how to swindle people out of the equity in their homes. Not only would I not do business in this manner on principals of ethics, but as a Realtor in the State of California, I could lose my license and be sued!!! Why would the Coaching Institute promote these types of schemes to Realtors knowing that we can not conduct business in this way? This was a classic bait and switch scheme and is highly unethical.

This is what infuriates me the most. The Coaching Institute should not be promoting such a program to Realtors that could jeopardize our license and our livelihood.

SCHEMES
Even Lynn Stevens himself at the Workshop used the word "schemes". When I heard that word come out of his mouth I cringed. Definition of a scheme: a secret and cunning plan, especially one designed to cause damage or harm.

In fact, at the two day Workshop, in front of everyone, I expressed my concern for these schemes. I specifically asked Lynn if it would be unethical to knowingly obtain someone's property for less that what I knew it was really worth as a Realtor.in front of everyone, he basically said that maybe I should consider not being a "Realtor" and focus on being an "investor"! He indirectly admitted that this would be unethical for a Realtor.

The way this program was sold to me at Paula's sales pitch is that it was a way to supplement my income as a Realtor by ALSO being an investor.

This is NOT a program that should be marketed to Realtors. As a Realtor, I find the "schemes" outlined in the Coaching Institute's programs to be highly unethical. Then to have it confirmed by the California Association of Realtors Attorney I knew I was scammed!

GROUP MEETINGS
I attended our first group meeting so I could gauge what other people's thoughts were on this program. The first group meeting of the participants who had enrolled in the program was like the blind leading the blind. At Paula's sales pitch she emphasized the group aspect of this program. Although the Institute had promised guidance and direction for the group, none was given. We had no direction, no purpose, no knowledge and no experience. No one there had any experience in investing that's why we thought we signed up for this "Coaching" program. Most of the participants there had not been contacted by a Coach. No one understood what the purpose of the program was and what the purpose of a group was. Everyone was disgusted with the 2 Day Workshop and felt it was just a two day event of smoke blowing and puffery. No one got any tangible information from those two days that they could use to constructively move forward as an "investor".

After the first meeting I decided that this group was yet another waste of time. To me it felt like a room full of suckers that got scammed by The Coaching Institute just like I did.

NO RESPONSE TO MY CONCERNS
In February I sent a letter outlining this specific information via Certified Mail to the Coaching Institute attention Craig Hendricks President. I demanded an immediate full refund! They have never responded.

This program is a fraud. The Coaching Institute did not deliver what it promised and has breached the contract. The Coaching Institute knowingly sold a program to Realtors that seriously violates the National Code of Ethics that all Realtors must abide by. The Coaching Institute has misrepresented the nature of this program. What was sold in the sales pitch is not at all what this program is about. This is a classic bait and switch. This whole program is fraught with misrepresentation, poor dealings, trickery, and is just plain unethical.


Offender: The Coaching Institute

Country: USA   State: Utah   City: Draper
Address: 11734 South Election Road, Suite 295
Phone: 8882687003

Category: Education & Science

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