The Sports Connexion Limited Inc.
Company Address
6555 N. Power Line Road
Suite 403
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309
954-202-0212 Phone
954-202-2075 Fax
President
Edward Fuller Elliott
Our Experiences with
The Sports Connexion Limited Inc.
After taking The Sports Connexion Limited's recommendation to start our Sports Connexion distributorship business in Las Vegas, Nevada, we are publishing this information on the web to let you know how things worked out.in a word, lousy.
We had someone affiliated with The Sports Connexion Limited Inc. Set us up with 30 accounts in February. As of May 31, we had 7 accounts remaining. The consistent message we received from our customers was that the products were too expensive, and or there is too much theft to have them on display.in April we lowered our prices by 25% to try to increase sales and appease our customers who say the products are too expensive. Unfortunately, this has had no effect on sales and this also reduced our profits to $ 1.75 per sale. This is too small of a profit to be worthwhile but we did it to see if sales would increase. They did not.
At this point we are ready to close down our business which is probably irrelevant because we could very easily loose our remaining customers in the next few months.
We feel we were misled on the viability of the business and the probability of success in the Las Vegas market. We sell on average 1 product per week per account. This is nowhere near what we were led to believe minimum sales would be which according to the literature published by The Sports Connexion Limited Inc. Which is 2 sales per day per account.
We were not happy with the initial variety of products we received. The products selected by The Sports Connexion Limited Inc. For us to use in our initial setup was incredibly unbalanced. We received 7 types of sports hats, 3 types of sports shirts, and only 2 types of NASCAR mini cars to. This is what we started with for 30 accounts. Not much selection to initially sell.
We were not happy with the service and the support of The Sports Connexion Limited Inc. We did not receive our orders on a timely basis. It has taken on average over 6 weeks to receive an order and we were told it would take 3 to 4 weeks. The order quantity we receive is wrong part of the time as well. We ordered 72 dodger hats and received 42. We cancelled our order for XFL hats because we still had not received them by the end of the XFL season and still they were shipped to us. We cancelled an order for Dale Earnhardt shirts and we still received them. We only ordered 96 Dale Earnhardt hats and received 156. We have never received the Dale Earnhardt NASCAR mini cars we ordered.
We were not happy with the quality of merchandise we were shipped and expected to sell. The Lakers hats, Bronco hats, and Portland hats look used. We were told these hats were hot but nobody buys them. The new Dale Earnhardt hats and shirts we received look shoddily made.
In July, against our better judgment we allowed The Sports Connexion Limited Inc to talk us into letting them try finding us replacement accounts for the ones that closed.By the end of August they had found us none. So much for letting The Sports Connexion Limited Inc have another chance. Note: at this time we are now down to 3 accounts averaging one sale per week, in a word, pathetic.
On the whole, we were not happy with this business. We do not recommend it to anyone. We discourage anyone from considering The Sports Connexion Limited Inc. As a business opportunity.
If you are seriously considering opening a Sports Connexion Limited Inc. Business, ask them why they wont accept a credit card payment. No matter what they say it is probably because you have recourse in having a credit card payment reversed if you are not satisfied, whereas with cash, you have no recourse to get your money back.
On June 16, I received a letter from The Sports Connexion Limited Inc.in regards to my request for a refund. The letter in brief states that they will not give me a refund and if I have a problem with that then to talk with their attorneys.
Before you try or buy from The Sports Connexion Limited Inc., contact us. Remember: "A fool and his money is soon parted". Don't be a fool.
You may also want to contact the Florida Attorney General's office. Ask for any information they may have about The Sports Connexion Limited Inc and if they know of any complaints against them. Mr. Terry Loughlin, Fort Lauderdale office of the Florida Attorney General. (954) 712-4600.
Our Contact Information
Michael Hershberger
M&J Sports
Nevada
[email protected]
For updated information go to our website:
http://www.sportsconnexionlimited.com
Links to all the others who are familiar with The Sports Connexion Limited Inc.
Http://usacomplaints.com/reports/ripoff4207.htm
http://usacomplaints.com/reports/ripoff4831.htm
http://usacomplaints.com/reports/ripoff4787.htm
http://usacomplaints.com/reports/ripoff4807.htm
http://usacomplaints.com/reports/ripoff5436.htm
http://usacomplaints.com/reports/ripoff5520.htm
CLICK HERE FOR all the others who are victims of The Sports Connexion Limited Inc. Rip-off
Ron Jones
[email protected]
Terry Gallaher
[email protected]
Other Stories
The IL Attorney General Office issued an order forcing the Sports Connexion to stop any advertising of their business within Illinois.in addition they have forwarded this information to T. I am supposed to be receiving something from T. To complete but have not seen it as yet.
As the IL Attorney General Office explained to me, it takes time for them to take actions but we have taken the appropriate steps to stop this scam.
T.
*
While I was aggressively setting up my first 30 locations along with an additional 5-10 on my own, I overlooked in my initial shipment 1 dozen Dallas Cowboy hats tagged for Target with a retail price of $9.99. I was in that mental state of denial where I suspected I had been had, but was hoping I could work through it and make it a success.
I did not catch the oversight until I serviced a location where I had placed some of these Cowboy hats. When I charged the retailer $12.99 for a hat that he retailed for $9.99, he was not very happy. I told him all of the products are marked with a retail price of $19.99. He obviously overlooked the clearly marked price and our contract was straight forward. After I
checked my stock, I realized I did have Cowboy hats tagged with 2 price tags: one for Target and one applied by The Sports Scam. Not thinking clearly, I removed the Target tags and discarded. On my return to my retail customer, I apologized for the mix-up. He asked my to remove my display.
What an embarrassment! This was over a year ago.
B.
*
My experience is pretty much like everyone else's. I was told I'd get first run apparel and wasn't. I was told I'd have a professional come and setup my route. The guy may have been a professional but he sure didn't set me up with ANY good outlets. I was told all this would be done in a timely fashion, I don't consider 60-90 days timely.
I received hats from 1996. I received Indiana University shirts that were 2 years old. I received one hat that had a K-Mart price tag on if for $12.99.
I notified the Sports Connexion of these facts and was basically told I was lying about the apparel and that I wasn't working my retail outlets properly or they'd be selling more. Consequently I had to leave my self-employed job as a real estate appraiser of 9 1/2 years, due to cash flow problems, and get a salaried job. And I still may not be able to cover the loan I took out for
my 12 outlets and apparel!
J.
*
Sold out of a successful partnership late 99. My wife wanted to relocate to Houston for a few years to be close to my family while our children are small. Looked at doing a mini-storage development. While I was in town researching locations, I always read the Houston Chronicle. I started reading the classifieds looking for opportunities. I made the mistake of calling The Sports Connexion. They sent me their brochure. I read the material and then put it away for several weeks. Why I called them back, I will never know. However, I entertained Alan Graham for several phone calls. I was also a little nervous about a million dollar commitment on a large mini-storage development. A sideline business with a positive cash flow is certainly enticing. During my several calls with Alan Graham, I asked for actual references already established in the business. He gave me the routine he gives everyone - Our distributors are busy people and prefer to not be bothered. He agreed to fax out a request and get several actual distributors to offer their time for my questions. The next day he provided Delores Gaither, William Howarth and Dan Heroux. I called them and they all agreed they were getting 2-4 sales per day just like The Sports Connexion said. Everyone I have talked to was provided with these individuals or Nick Mezin as references.
I made the commitment in February. Got started in May. Not one of the 37 locations I have set up in worked. Most were failures in a matter of weeks. After I realized I had made a major mistake, I began putting the puzzle together. I also started looking for other distributors. To date we have made contact with at least 15 distributors and 5 or 6 potential prospects. The stories are all identical.
Once I suspected a scam, I began recording all conversations with The Sports Scam. I have detailed recordings with Delores Gaither, William Howarth and Dan Heroux. I have visited William Howarth's home in Alabama. As I suspected, Howarth is not even a distributor for The Sports Scam. He is a vending placement rep. Also, Nick Mezin has placed for several distributors along with serving as a reference for most of the victims.
Without a doubt, this is a conspiracy to commit fraud. When I reported Leslie Kulbelka to Union Bank, she was no longer employed with the bank several weeks later. Then she shows up at Gateway Bank doing the same thing. Any questions.
J.
*
Usually when you join a group you congratulate someone, but obviously that is not the case here. I am glad however, that you were able to hook up with the rest of us, and it is you, and the other newest victims who can really help make a difference right now. There are about 4 or 5 of us who really got this ball rolling back in February, but the more voices now will really
make a difference.
The Tony Stewart story is a good one. I likewise pulled a Jeff Gordon hat out of a bag the same day that I received my initial shipment (10-17-00).
The cap had a K-Mart tag for $12.99. It is called jobbing when a wholesaler buys back inventory from a major retailer, and that is what the Sport Connection has been doing in certain situations. Take a look at the hangers for your T-shirts. I would be surprised if you don't find any Jaclyn Smith hangers as part of your collection. Jaclyn Smith is a K-Mart line also.
Now how do you figure the Sports Scam is getting K-Mart hangers? They are Scam Artists aren't they. I brought both of these issues up to Ted Fullers attention within the first week or receiving my order, and his response was that no way that could happen.in so many words he said I was full of shit!
None the less this is how our great hate - hate relationship got started. I should have just demanded a full refund on that date back in October I guess.
I need to take a quick minute to apologize to the group for my lack of involvement these past 2 months. I know my input has been minimal, and I have not communicated with all of you as much as I would have liked too. I plan on getting my notebook caught up tomorrow, and some of the paperwork filings caught up next week. I did take on a new position with a company, and it has been pretty demanding, in addition to getting my Real Estate
License. I hope everyone understands. I have been just trying to get on with my life.
I am pleased with the progress, and the direction that the case is going, and I am hoping to assist in getting this bus over the final hill to the steps of Attorney Generals Office in Florida. Great job to all of you who have been contributing!
I just read something recently involving O.J. Simpson, in regards to why he lives in the State of Florida. They say the State is the most lenient in respect to obtaining financial credit. It is obviously one of the best States to live in respect to climate. The State is also known to have better
protection for the dishonest people, crooks, etc. Then there is anywhere else in our Country. I can understand now why O.J. Has picked this for his new home, and why Ed, AKA Ted keeps establishing new businesses in the Sunshine State. Ed/Ted knows that the worst thing to happen to him is that he gets his hands slapped. Well, lets prove him wrong by all us getting the necessary filings complete, and making the necessary phone calls to the various Agencies to get him behind bars. Justice won't be served until that happens!
J.
*
To those of you who have been victims of the Sports Connexion this won't come as a shock. To those of you who are prospects and haven't heard from many of us take heed!
I recently pulled a Tony Stewart hat out of the bag and guess what I found on it? A price tag from K-Mart for $12.99!!! First run apparel, huh!
Thought you all might want to know. Obviously I kept the hat intact. If any of you have any ideas or know how this could help our cause please let me know.
J.
*
March 19
Received an email from B (Houston) tipping me off to the scam and requesting information about when I started.
I sent B a reply and cc'd it to J.
March 20
Received a reply email from B. B suggested I contact the FTC, the Florida Attorney General's office, and the Illinois Attorney General's office. He plans to get the FBI Economics Crime Squad on their tail.
Also received an email from F (Houston). He has been working with B to shut these guys down.
March 21
Contacted the Florida Attorney General's office and left a voice mail message for Jodi Collins. Jodi is out of the office until March 22nd but is the attorney assigned to the case. A form complaint is listed on their website.
Contacted R (Indianapolis) per his request regarding the scam. Ron suggested I contact the Florida Attorney General's office, the Illinois Attorney General's office, and the FTC. He has filed a fraud complaint with the Ft. Lauderdale police department.
After driving to Ft. Lauderdale to meet with Alan Graham and Ted Fuller, R originally purchased 30 accounts. The merchandise they showed him was all brand name products such as Starter, etc. He paid Mike Fewer $2,000 but Mike never showed up in Indy. He has recently contacted Delores Gaither recently and asked her to send him copies of her reorders, list of her accounts complete with contact names, tax returns, or whatever she could send him to substantiate the business. She refused and finally hung up on him. He has repeatedly tried to contact Nick Mezlin and left numerous voice mail messages, but Nick has not returned his calls.
According to R, T invested $50K and once he discovered the scam, he just left the stands and merchandise in the retail stores. He did not want to face the storeowners.
Contacted the Illinois Attorney General's office and received information regarding how to file a formal complaint.
Left a message for F to call me.
Talked to J regarding the situation.
Discovered the Sports Connexion advertisement is currently running in the St. Louis Post Dispatch and is published on the www.stltoday.com website.
March 22
Talked to B.
Contacted the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Classified Advertising department @ 314-340-8000. I talked with one of the customer service representatives. She informed me that I would need to file a formal written complaint to Kathy Perks (I believe her title is Customer Service Manager Classified Advertising). Kathy's email address is [email protected]. I sent her an email message late this evening.
Had a voice mail message from Ted Fuller on my 618-234-7350 number.
March 23
Contacted the Florida Attorney General's office and talked to Robert Buchner. Robert informed me that the case listed on their website (# L01-3-1272) dealt with the Sports Connexion listing of the State of Florida Department of Corporate Consumer Services as one of the Corporate References. The Economic Crimes Division investigated and ordered them to stop using this reference. Robert is going to mail me an affidavit to file a formal complaint against the Sports Connexion. The Economic Crimes Division does not normally handle or investigate consumer complaints. However, if they receive a number of complaints regarding the same company, then they consider making a formal investigation. At this point, it is probably best for us to continue to communicate through Angel Diaz @ 850-410-3756.
Returned call to Ted Fuller. He was miffed as to why I had not contacted them if there were problems. He claims that when I talked with them after Mike left, I said I was satisfied with the potential contacts he had left. Basically he tried to make me feel responsible for all the poor sales and lack of success I had experienced. He claimed I should have contacted them or Mike Frewer, if I was not happy with the efforts of Mike. His point was that I should have been communicating with them more frequently so they could help me be a successful distributor. He refused to provide me any contact information of "successful distributors" or any of these distributors accounts. Here are some interesting quotes from Ted:
We (The Sports Connexion) do NOT purchase job lots of merchandise all of our merchandise is grade 1 quality
I am not a co-owner of this business
when I asked as to why they had sent me all the NASCAR mini-cars of which I have sold less than a dozen, he said I find that interesting because you can't even get delivery of the mini-cars today
He seemed very aware of the fact that we have been trading information and working together to file complaints, etc. He made the comment if that little group persists, we plan to file suit in Florida and their states for interruption of business. They are all going to be receiving letters soon from our attorney. They better be prepared to spend a lot money defending themselves.
He made the following offer:
He would like for me to fax them a list of zip codes where I would like to have my accounts established along with a list of retail categories that I would prefer to concentrate. They in turn would evaluate the areas and categories and possibly suggest changes they feel are appropriate. Then if I will commit to them to make a real effort grow the business, they would send Justin (another retail account specialist) to visit and help make 4 to 6 appointments per day at potential accounts within these zip codes.in turn, I have to also provide them a schedule of my availability and commit to being available to go with Justin.
Ted will see if they can provide me with some free merchandise to get these accounts established in exchange for my commitment.
He is supposed to call me back on March 27.
Other tidbits from the conversation:
Mike did what J asked him to do and that was concentrate on getting corporate accounts. J currently has 9 accounts.
M's father works in the Texas Attorney General's Office.
Took a call from R. Mike Frewer was his Retail Account Specialist too. T lives about 5 miles from R.
March 24
Filed complaint with FTC via web site.
March 25
Spoke with M regarding my experiences with the Sports Connexion.
March 28
Message @ 10:59 am from the Sports Connexion requesting I fax a copy of my inventory to them.
March 29
Faxed inventory to Sports Connexion.
April 2
Left message for Ted Fuller regarding inventory that I had faxed. He was supposed to contact me after receiving the fax.
Left message for Angel Diaz (850-410-3756) to contact me regarding the Sports Connexion.
Ted left me a voice mail message stating "We are trying to work out the mechanics of how best to approach this and so on. We'll have something definite for you no later than Thursday. We'll get back to you."
April 3
I talked to Angel Diaz (from Florida Attorney General's office) today. This is the person that F and/or B have been in contact with. Angel is located in the Division of Consumer Services which is Florida's clearinghouse for consumer information, protection and complaints. They function as the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's agent in Florida regarding product recalls, inspections and investigations. Angel informed me that his boss (Bob James) is trying to expedite the complaints that have already been filed against the Sports Connexion to the Economic Crimes Division of the Attorney General's office located in Fort Lauderdale.
He suggested that I file a complaint with their office if I had not already done so. The complaint can be filed online using their website. Go to www.800helpfla.com and file a complaint.
April 5
Ted left me a voice mail message they were trying to contact me. Please call them back as soon as possible.
April 6
Talked to Ted Fuller. He proposed for me to provide them with zip codes of where I would like my accounts located. Using a software program they have, they will locate and contact businesses within these areas. They will explain the program, profit margin, and explain the merchandise. They will then setup appointments for me to contact the retailer.in addition, they will send to me at "no cost" additional Cardinal hats, NASCAR shirts, WWF hats, and WWF shirts.
After much discussion, I requested for them to send their proposal to me in writing. Ted said he would fax it to me early next week.
April 11
Sent a fax addresses to Ted/Ed Fuller/Elliot stating that I had not yet received the written proposal regarding their plan to help reduce my unsold inventory. Requested they send it to me via fax or email ASAP. I also sent copy of the "Connections" daily motivator article.
April 12
Ted left a message on my business number stating they were preparing the proposal and then received a letter from the Illinois Attorney General regarding my complaint. He is "confused as to how I want to proceed with my distributorship". Asked me to call them back ASAP. They will be closed tomorrow because of Good Friday.
April 13
Contacted two of their new references. The National Business Opportunity Bureau and requested to file a complaint against The Sports Connexion. Also, contacted John Chaperone, President of Gateway American Bank (their new bank reference) where Leslie Kulbulka is now working. I gave him all the details about how Leslie give Sports Connexion high marks when people called her. I also explained the phony references and shoddy merchandise we all received. I told him the company is refusing to provide us with names and contact information of their "successful" distributors. He told me that I was the fourth person to contact him complaining about the Sports Connexion. As a result, he has discussed the situation with Leslie. She has been instructed to ask for reference requests in writing via fax. The bank will then fax the information back to the caller regarding the Sports Connexion "banking relationship only". I agree with F that he seems like a decent sort of person. He said we approached this in the right manner by filing complaints with the proper authorities and we should continue to pursue that route. He is keeping a list of us that have complained. He said he is obviously concerned about the situation and that for now he will make sure the bank only provides information regarding the manner in which the Sports Connexion has conducted its banking business unless instructed otherwise by their regulators.
April 17
Contacted Ted Fuller requesting contact information of "successful" distributors. Per Ted "you don't need a second hand to count the number of complaints that we have received. It is only 5% of the total number of distributors." Doing the math means he is claiming they have 100 existing distributors.
Ted called the Sports Connexion "a business opportunity" "it is not a franchise".
April 24
Received fax from Sports Connexion of their proposal.
April 25
Had a phone conversation with F. He had a discussion with a law professor who is also a practicing lawyer. This gentlemen feels the Sports Connexion is in violation of the RICO Act (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization), the Federal Franchise Act, and Common Law Fraud. However, the lawyer had concerns on the clause that requires arbitration in the contract/agreement we signed. It will hold up in court. He feels we need to continue to harass them. If they file suit against us, then the arbitration clause becomes a non-issue. If they file suit against us, then we can file a counter suit and have the case heard anywhere.in addition, he believes they do NOT have a right to hold our Advance Merchandise Deposit.
A second lawyer he talked to disagrees except that he too believes they do NOT have a right to hold our Advance Merchandise Deposit.
Ted left a message @ 11:47 A.M. On my home number requesting a reply about the program they faxed to me. He said they faxed it to me on Monday, April 21st which is incorrect.
April 28
Received letter from Illinois Attorney General Office containing the Sports Connexion's response to my formal complaint.
May 2
Faxed and mailed reply to Melissa Newton in the Illinois Attorney General's Office.
Send letter to Sports Connexion requesting refund of Advance Merchandise Deposit and partial refund of retail account services for accounts not established. I sent the letter Federal Express Priority Overnight using their account number (245842392).
May 16
Was contacted by Ken Podeschi, Attorney, Illinois Securities Department - Enforcement Division regarding my complaint that was filed in April. Contact info: 217-785-4934. He has requested additional documentation. I am sending him copies of sales brochure, video tape, training manual, classified advertisement, contact list of all victims, FTC complaint, Dun & Bradstreet report, and any other relevant emails, etc.
June 4
Was contacted by Ken Podeschi, Attorney, Illinois Securities Department - Enforcement Division regarding my complaint that was filed in April. Contact info: 217-785-4934. Email: [email protected] He has received the additional documentation.in addition, he has attempted to contact Terry Loughlin at the Ft. Lauderdale Attorney General Office (954) 712-4600. Terry has all the documentation that Chris Campbell had put together from each of us. Ken will follow-up with trying to contact Terry.
June 7
Contacted DeShawn Hawkins, 1794 Somerfield Lane, Crystal Lake, Illinois, 60014.
Work 312-419-5391, Home815-356-8257, Email [email protected]
Started Oct however accounts were not installed until Feb. Begin with 12 Accounts and was given Delores Gaither and Nick Mezlin as references. I gave him Ken Podeschi's contact information.
Complaints filed with FTC
The following individuals filed complaints with the FTC regarding the Sports Connexion Limited:
Name FTC Ref #
J?
T 1332239
B 1218285
R 1312399
F 1231861
We believe the Sports Connexion are in violation of the following Federal Regulations:
The Sports Scam is in violation of Chapter 1 Code of Federal Regulations Part 238 & 255.
Part 238 references guides against bait advertising,
Part 255 concerns the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. They violated Part 255 when they had us contact the bogus references - Delores Gaither, William Howarth, Nick Mezlin, and Dan Heroux
All of us talked to Delores Gaither, Nick Mezlin, William Howarth, or Dan Heroux. B visited William Howarth's home in Munford, Al. (population 690). He is not a distributor for The Sports Scam; however, if you call him on the phone he will tell you he has 15 locations doing about 2 sales per day (this is an outright lie). Delores Gaither is in Cassville, MO. (population 2700). She claims to have 37 locations averaging 2-3 sales per day. Will she give you one of her retailers to verify that she is actually a distributor—no. Each of us received a different story as to where here accounts are actually located. Nick Mezlin actually placed Jeff Meyer's locations in Arizona. They are no doubt working with The Sports Connexion helping to promote the "scam".
May 1
Melissa Newton
Citizen's Advocate
Consumer Protection Division
Office of the Attorney General
500 South Second Street
Springfield, IL 62706
Re: The Sports Connexion Limited
File No: 28301
Dear Ms. Newton:
The letter is to serve as my comments to the response of the Sports Connexion regarding my complaint. Attached you will find a copy of their plan of action' which they recently faxed to me. I have several comments regarding this plan of action'. First, the Sports Connexion never made any efforts to contact me until they became aware I had made contact with twelve other dissatisfied distributors who had experienced the same disappointing sales results. Following is a chronological log of my contact with the Sports Connexion since that time.
Mr. Ted Fuller left me a voice mail message on March 22. On that same day, I had contacted the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Classified Advertising department and filed a formal written complaint regarding the misleading advertisement for the Sports Connexion.
On March 23, I contacted the Florida Attorney General's office and talked to Robert Buchner. Robert informed me that the case listed on their website (# L01-3-1272) dealt with the Sports Connexion listing of the State of Florida Department of Corporate Consumer Services as one of the Corporate References. The Economic Crimes Division investigated and ordered them to stop using this reference. Robert agreed to mail me an affidavit to file a formal complaint against the Sports Connexion. The Economic Crimes Division does not normally handle or investigate consumer complaints. However, if they receive a number of complaints regarding the same company, then they consider making a formal investigation.
On March 23, I returned Ted Fuller's call. This is the first contact I had with the company since early January when I called them concerning minimum reorder requirements. All during the conversation, Mr. Fuller tried to make me feel responsible for all the poor sales and lack of success I had experienced. He claimed I should have contacted them if I was not happy with how sales were going. His point was that I should have been communicating with them more frequently so they could help me be a successful distributor. When I asked for contact information of some of the successful distributors, he refused to provide me any such information or any of these distributor's accounts. I explained to Mr. Fuller that I was not provided the assistance to establish the initial twelve accounts that I paid for, and, as a result, had sold very little of the initial merchandise. The company had originally sent me large quantities of Rams shirts and hats. The only other merchandise I received was 144 Cardinal hats, 144 NASCAR hats, and 288 NASCAR mini-cars. Once football season ended, no one was interested in purchasing Rams merchandise. He told me they would get back to me with a proposal by March 27. I asked for the proposal in writing.
On March 24 I filed a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (Ref. No. 1332239) via the FTC web site. On March 28, I received a voice mail message from the Sports Connexion requesting me to fax them a list of my remaining inventory. I did so on March 29. On April 2, I left a message for Mr. Fuller stating that I had still not heard back from them regarding their proposal and the inventory list I sent them. Later that day, Mr. Fuller left me a voice mail message stating "We are trying to work out the mechanics of how best to approach this and so on. We will have something definite for you no later than Thursday. We'll get back to you."
On April 5, Mr. Fuller left me a voice mail message stating they were trying to contact me. He requested that I please call them back as soon as possible.
On April 6, I returned the call to Mr. Ted Fuller. He proposed for me to provide them with zip codes of where I would like my accounts located. Using a software program they have, they will locate and contact businesses within these areas. They will explain the program, profit margin, and explain the merchandise. They will then setup appointments for me to contact the retailer.in addition, they will send to me at "no cost" additional Cardinal hats, NASCAR shirts, WWF hats, and WWF shirts. I tried to explain to him that I was not interested in additional merchandise. I pointed out that I had seen similar merchandise from the same manufacturers selling in area stores at the same price (or a dollar or two higher in some cases) as I had paid for it from the Sports Connexion. I told him the merchandise appears to be over-priced for the quality. After additional discussion, I requested them to send their proposal to me in writing. Ted said he would fax it to me early next week.
On April 11, I sent a fax addressed to Ted Fuller and Ed Elliot stating that I had not yet received the written proposal regarding their plan to help reduce my unsold inventory. I requested they send it to me via fax or email ASAP.
On April 12, Mr. Ted Fuller left a message on my business number stating they were preparing the proposal and then received a letter from the Illinois Attorney General regarding my complaint. He is "confused as to how I want to proceed with my distributorship". He asked me to call them back ASAP. He stated they would be closed tomorrow because of Good Friday.
On April 17, I contacted Ted Fuller again requesting contact information of "successful" distributors. Again, he refused to provide such information. According to Mr. Fuller, "you don't need a second hand to count the number of complaints that we have received. It is only 5% of the total number of distributors." Doing the math means he is claiming they have 100 existing distributors. Mr. Fuller stated the Sports Connexion offers "a business opportunity" and "it is not a franchise, therefore we do not have to provide you that information.
Finally on April 24 I received the attached fax.
Their proposal to provide additional merchandise is NOT acceptable to me. Over the last two months, I have found numerous victims of this fraud in multiple states. I have not found any evidence supporting The Sports Connexion's claims to having numerous successful distributors. If they are as successful as they say, it is very simple to prove by providing me with a list of successful, satisfied distributors. They can not. They do not exist.
As I have relayed to them before, I am extremely dissatisfied as a distributor for The Sports Connexion Limited, Inc. Of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I will not conduct any future business with this company unless they can prove they are a legitimate business. Therefore, I demand a full refund of my advance merchandise deposit ($7,500) over which they have no legal entitlement.in addition, I believe I am entitled to a partial refund of the retail account services. I paid $200 per account for the establishment of twelve retail accounts (a total of $2400) and only three accounts were actually established. Therefore, I feel I am entitled to a refund of $1800 for the service that was NOT provided. I will be mailing a certified letter to Mr. Fuller to this effect on May 2.
Please feel free to contact me if you need any additional information regarding this complaint. I will be glad to provide you with the contact information of the other eleven dissatisfied distributors that I have found so far. Thanks for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
T
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