Typed in "janiece v. Smith" on your site and what a surprise! I'm far from being the only one scammed!
Just wanted to alert your readers to a website I found quite by accident pertaining to Janiece and Monty Smith. Time is of the essence. Go to this site and then contact Better Business Bureau of Kern County. The Smiths have until the end of January to refund our money! Read this!
Bakersfield internet company forced to refund customers
Earlier this year, the Kern County District Attorney's office filed a complaint for unfair business practices against the owners of an Internet company, selling eBay home study courses. We've been following this case ever since and uncovered how the District Attorney's office cracks down on the elusive Internet.
Since January the Bakersfield Better Business Bureau has been receiving complaints against Janice and Monty Smith regarding their companies including Express Profits On line, The Trading Company and Cybercode Worldwide for various reasons including non-delivery of products, non-refunds and failure to provide consultation services. The Better Business Bureau then tried several times to contact the owners, to give them an opportunity to tell their side of the story... But the smith's stayed silent. The BBB says it's not uncommon for a company to receive complaints, but it's bad business to ignore them. BBB representative Connie Alarcon says "When the company declines to provide us with a response that's when we go ahead and report it as unsatisfactory."
After the complaints soared into the hundreds the BBB alerted the district attorney's office who filed a complaint against them. We found Janice Smith, who didn't want to comment on the complaint but told us hadn't been involved in the business for years. We also tried to contact Monty Smith, twice, at his home but never made contact.
The civil division of the Kern County District Attorney investigates unfair business practices. Deputy District Attorney John Mitchell says their division seeks to protect the consumer and make sure troubled businesses take responsibility for their actions. Mitchell says "We are not trying to get the business to write a check to the county we want to solve the problem." Months after the original complaint was filed a judge has now ruled in the consumer's favor. The Smiths must now pay restitution to the clients who asked for refunds, as well as remove advertising for sites which they no longer provide products. It's a ruling Mitchell says is more than fair and accomplishes their goal, making sure the unfair practices stop.
The Smiths have until January 31st of 2008 to refund their customers. If they fail to pay restitution there will be a five hundred dollar penalty per customer to be paid to the county.
The companies Express Profits Online, The Trading Company and Cybercode Worldwide claimed to provide a home study course and phone consultations to help start an e-bay business.
If you or anyone you know has had a negative experience with this company, the Bakersfield Better Business Bureau says they have added protection for consumers. Any customer who has not yet filed a complaint against Express Profits Online or any of it's other companies can still file their complaints. As part of the judgment, the company is required to submit all new consumer complaints to the BBB until the year 2010.
George
Sacramento, California
U.S.A.
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