I saw an ad on TV for SMC which ended, "Where else could you start up a business of your own at a cost of only $25.00?" (Not exact wording, but the $25.00 is correct and "starting your own business" is correct.)
I called and ended up actually buying a "Gold Membership" so as to be able to allow use of credit cards on my Web Site. I explained to the person I talked to that I was looking for something that I could do Online. I am not a sales person.
My husband and I, both 70 and retired, had been ripped off big time by a contractor who was supposed to perform repairs to our home which was damaged by Katrina. He walked away with more than $28,000.00 on a $30,000.00 proposal.
We needed extra income to try to complete repairs and, ultimately, save our home. I explained all of this to the man I talked with on the phone. And, also the fact that my husband had brain surgery and I was pretty much restricted to our home.
In any event, I went through with this. Received a call from a "coach, to whom I again explained that I needed to be able to do something online... I am no sales person and am pretty much restricted to my home.
The person I talked with said this was possible, but went on to other areas of "selling." I got back to the discussion of an internet business, ended up paying $895.00 for an internet site. A person was to call me to set it up.
The individual called and we ended up with a name of Peggy's Boutique. I told him I wanted first time visitors to the site to be able to e-mail me for a discount card so as not to lose business. The site is a referral site only, which does not make sense to me.
I also understood, if I decided to make any changes, I would need to make when he called back on the 19th of January to take me on a "tour" of the site. Well, he never called, and I could never find a site setup.
I received a call from another "coach" and ended up paying $300.00 for new catalogs (the one's they had sent were for 2006 as opposed to 2007). I asked about my Web site and complained that no one had called me, and was given a telephone number to call.
I called the phone number over and over again, but never received an answer or it was busy. I talked to another "coach, " went over the same thing and was told the same thing about taking catalogs to various offices, selling to friends, taking catalogs to church, etc.
I explained my situation again, as I had done from the very beginning, and told this coach, as I had told the other "coaches, " that I needed something I could do from home, on the internet, and this is why I had signed up with SMC.
The "coach" gave me the same telephone number and I started calling again. I called and called and called.
Another "coach" called. I went over the same thing with her, explained all our problems, explained my husband's health to her, and explained once again that I needed to work from home. I am not a salesperson, and could not leave my husband alone.
This "coach" set me the task of distributing some catalogs and getting some orders and she was going to call back in two weeks. She did, but, of course, I had not gotten catalogs out and had no orders. I need something I can do from home!
Then I finally talked with some at the number she gave me on Tech Support for the Web Site and finally did get to the Site. I told this person that the personal information on the site was wrong, and I also told him that I had asked to have "If you are a first time visitor, e-mail me for a $10.00 discount card."
I figured if I had that note there, and someone did accidentally stumble on the site, I could salavage a sale.
When I was talking with this Tech, he advised that I owed about 2 months in fees for hosting for the site. They had evidently taken some money out of my account, but for some reason or other, other charges had not gone through.
I told him I knew nothing about these fees. He said someone should have told me and I told him no one had ever said anything about this to me. Maybe the person who was supposed to have set it up and call me back was to have told me. But, he never called back!
So, calling, thinking that there was a possibility of adding to our income, and seeking a way to help us financially, I actually cost us more than $1300.00, and maybe even more than that, if they are continuing to take money out of my account.
I sent an e-mail advising that I had not authorized any additional deductions from my account, and they should not deduct any further money from my account. I explained again, in that e-mail, our financial situation, and told them not to take money out of my account, and complained about what I felt
was misleading information.
Additionally, no one seemed to care about the fact that I continued to explain that I needed to work only from home. You evidently have to go out and sell with this program, and from the beginning I had explained that I could not do this.
I would love to be able to get my money back, but am currently trying to come up with some way to make some money back, via this web site. I have received an e-mail today that I owe hosting fees and need to take care of these so my site will continue to be valid.
So, I stand to lose the full $895.00 if I don't pay these hosting fees. And, hosting fees, even though the site was not being set up until almost the end of January, and I was never called or taken on a tour of the site until this month, I have been charged fees beginning in January.
I do not think any of this is at all fair. I should not be charged any fees until the site has been shown to me and everything is correct on the site. Well, I have seen the site, this month (June), but everything is not correct on it. And, I would like to change the name, but I don't even know if I can still do that.
Evidently, they take the position, in spite of the fact that they did not do what they said, that the site is set in concrete, with the exception of the personal information I was informed I could change.
I would not recommend this company to anyone.
Peggy
Mobile, Alabama
U.S.A.
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