The dictionary defines fraud as " deceit trickery, sharp practice, or breach of confidence,
perpetrated for profit or to gain some unfair or dishonest advantage." I think that about sums up my experience with Tony Robbins coaching.
When I called for the free coaching session, what I got was essentially a very good sales pitch. They offered me the choice of 2 different packages - the entry level one and the expensive one. Since I thought I was buying a coach that had Tony's skill level, I opted for the cheaper alternative ($2600). I didn't see the advantage in paying more for the same thing.
There is a 3 day waiting period after signing the contract where you have no contact with the company. After that, you are contacted by your coach to set up your first meeting. This took a while for me. The coach apologized and said it is because they are very busy since Tony started doing a lot of infomercials and there is high demand for services. We had our first coaching session about a week after that. It wasn't bad, but it didn't leave me feeling like I could get a lot of benefit or value from it. It just didn't feel sincere. I felt like the coach was working harder than I was, so I didn't have a lot of confidence in her.
I asked to be transferred to someone else. I had been told in the sales call that this was perfectly fine, however after ten days, I still hadn't gotten a new coach.By this time I was fed up and asked for a refund.
The refund took 3 weeks to happen. They charged me $650 for one coaching session. I have asked for an itemized receipt, but I still haven't received it. (I am told that $500 is an early termination fee).
I feel like an honest company doesn't have to hide their price or their policies. An honest company is accessible. An honest company doesn't show you attention and respect until they get your money and then all customer service is gone. An honest company provides what you pay for in a timely manner, listens to your concerns, addresses them, and strives to make you a happy customer. None of that happened. While I was told that the company is a "family" and that they form long lasting relationships with their clients what I actually saw was that it's a one way transaction where you give them your money and get very little of value in return. Tony Robbins is very good at getting the sale, but not good on providing the goods.
What I learned from this:
* do business with people who are accessible
* do business with people who have their policies and prices clearly posted for all to see
* do business with people who care about your satisfaction
* if someone asks for your money upfront, has no guarantee of satisfaction, and charges you a hefty fee for canceling, they are out for themselves.
I feel like this company has no integrity. At $600, that was an expensive lesson to learn. (But I am trying to recover it from my credit card company - minus the first session fee that I feel I legitimately owe).
0 comments