I would like to put in a formal complaint about Thrive Learning Institute.


In July of 2008 I decided to go forth with Thrive on a new business website for an investment of $5.703.00. My initial investment was supposed to pay for all the learning materials, advisers, website & SEO Package. I was told that if I did not make my initial investment back within 1 year that I would be eligible for a refund- a “100% money back refund”. I also signed a contract stating that Thrive Learning Institute believed in their program so highly that after my initial 12 week consulting period with the advisers, if I made no profit, that I would continue to have access to the advisers via email, and chat as well as access to all the online information. I have made $0.00, and I had made $0.00 after my initial 12 weeks. After 4 months my login no longer worked for their site and they no longer replied to my emails. I could not chat either as I could not log into the thriveli.com website. After repeated emails and speaking to Drew in tech support and Ann, Cody, & Josh I was told my login would be re-instated and it never was.


I called August 17th of Last year and spoke to Melanie at 866-512-6740 x 336 requesting my refund and I was told a manager would get back to me. I have called several times and no one gets back to me. I called 866-334-3672, I gave up on the 866-512-6740 number as no one answers the phone now, this morning and I was told that there was no record of me in their computer system and a manager would have to get back to me. Three hours later I heard no response from the “manager” so I called back and let them know I had opened a BBB complaint, FTC complaint and IC3 complaint. Suddenly I got a call right back from a Tucker.


Tucker said I was not eligible for a refund and their company does not give out refunds even though I was promised one. He was snotty and rude and only offered me more consulting. He also said he has no record of me contacting Thrive Past July 27, 2008. I have emails proving such. People who I corresponded with along the way, I wrote down their names and Tucker informed me that no such people exist. When I questioned him about the number I was told to call when I started the program, 866-512-6740 x 336, I was told that number is not valid for Thrive and they do not work with that company anymore.


I would like you to look into this, and I would like a refund of $5, 703.00, my investment in this scam. The more research I do, the more victims I find of this scam.

I personally have also been scammed by Thrive Learning Institute. I joined up with them through a company called Auction Profits at that particular time which was October 21, 2008. The convinced me that they would assist and teach me how to set up my own website, obtain a drop shipper for blind drop shipping and would double my investment within six months. I invested initially 5, 485.00 on my credit card of course. They always use that saying "Use other people's money" Well now I know exactly what they are talking about. They are getting rich off of poor suckers like me who falls for their scam! I was also referred to Innovative Tax Services as well for business planning etc. and that cost me another 1600.00 bucks. All Innovative tax services did was get a federal ID number for me for my so called business. I worked anywhere from 8-12 hours every single day of the week trying my best to learn everything I possibly could. I was determined I was going to be successful! NOT! I actually posted my unfinished website in December of 2008. Since that time to date I have only made three sales. Two leather hats and one leather pair of pants! I have only made 120.00 from those sales and have not had any sales since that time. I complained to Thrive almost everyday, cried many tears, was so stressed out about the money I have spent that I made myself sick quite literally! I filed a complaint with the BBB in Utah and got no answers for about a month. I filed against Thrive as well as Auction Profits who now call themselves E-commerce solutions. The original person Josh Bish whom I so called purchased this program from no longer works there and they have of course changed their names. The new manager or owner of Auction Profits otherwise now known is Kevin Handren. When I filed a complaint through the Utah BBB he responded after his time limit which was seven days with similar wording that I was offered additional coaching time by Thrive which at that time I refused and that all my complaint was for was buyer's remorse. I responded that after a year of begging and pleading for help and attempting to get answers I had simply given up and that I have a certificate that was provided me by Auction Profits for a written guarantee that I would double my money profits within six months, and it is a lifetime guarantee. The BBB didn't seem to care about that and suggested that I take what Thrive was offering which was four months of free website hosting and eight more weeks of personal coaching. So I have again given up. I plan to file this complaint with the Utah Division of Consumer Protection as well as the Federal Trade Commission and see where that gets me. I have spent upwards of ten thousand dollars paying hosting fees, the original charges from Thrive and Auction Profits and have made absolutely zero profit up to this point.

So in a nutshell my words of wisdom to anyone who is being called and conned into buying into any of their programs out there, STOP! Don't listen to their fake promises and don't spend one single penny! They are a bunch of crooks who prey on people who are simply looking for a way to make some extra money in an honest fashion and then they dump you like a hot potato when you start complaining! It's not worth the time of day! I hope that this complaint helps anyone out there who have been approached with their tactics!

Attention: Zach Bradshaw:

Sending another fax in hopes that we will get a response to the request for a refund of our money paid to Thrive.

We were smooth talked into being able to make some money by getting a web site and a drop shipper. We were told we could get our money back in 6 months time and then be able to make a 6 figure income. We gave you our credit card information and you scammed us out of a lot of money; ruined our credit rating and we are left with nothing but a BIG credit card debt.

We are seniors and thought that we would just be able to make a little extra income a month in order to help us pay for the mortgage on our house; maybe live a little more comfortably in our retirement years and now we are having to continue to work to pay off this credit card debt.

We were told not to tell our family at the time; that should have been a big flag to us, but we were so assured that we would be able to do this; without any computer skills, that we fell for it.

Please, please, I beg you to refund us our money. Please give us a call and give us our hard earned money back.

Thank you.

We are asking for a 100% refund for our money invested. We have worked hard at the program. But there was no help from Thrive coaching. We listened to the Webinars and the Live Chats, but they didn’t give us much information. Just asked us if we had questions and I didn’t even know what kind of questions to ask. I responded a couple of times on the live chats that I didn’t understand, but didn’t get any response or help. The discussion was way above our understanding and we were promised TLC; we were told we didn’t need computer skills; actually didn’t even need a computer; we could go to a library and do the same thing.

They promised to call us and we made appointments and we stayed home to wait for the calls and they never came. It took a couple of days for them to answer the calls.

We are seniors and the coaching staff were young computer techies and that didn’t understand our frustration. We were told that we were purchasing a web site and a drop shipper, but then we were expected to set it all up and get our own drop shipper. We paid a lot of money for service, but didn’t receive anything.

It is almost a year and we have no income and we are paying high interest charges on our credit cards without the means of paying it off.

Please refund us our money.

We are sincerely requesting a 100% refund of our money; $21, 717.00 US.

Greed! Greed has happened to many in this country. What was wrong with making a 10-15% profit and not cheating individuals for your own personal gain? Some people want more and will lie, cheat, and steal to get your money, so they can have more at your expense and you have less. You receive nothing in return but stress and have a harder time just trying to have the basic necessities of life—food, heat, medicine, but they don’t really care.

Welcome to Infusion Media, Thrive Learning Institute, and Capital One Credit Card Company where you are really taken for a ride. Hi Clint Arnell, Brandon Clark, Zach Bradshaw, and the Capital One Dispute and Fraud Investigation Departments.

At Thrive Learning Institute you pay a lot of money for a lot of nothing. Think you are getting a web site from them to start an online business. Think again. What you get is doing all of the work yourself because the only thing they provide is telling you where to go to access free things on the Internet for your web site. They also provide more ways for you to spend your money when you were told there were absolutely no more out of pocket expenses. You have to purchase a domain name, get a business license, a drop shipper, set up a merchant account through them, pay hosting fees, and so on.

Now this is the good part. I spent $4, 225 for all of this and what I actually got was this: Infusion Media had their phone number disconnected, so I thought it was a scam (it really is a scam) and filed a dispute with my credit card company. Brandon Clark and Zach Bradshaw said they had me on tape and I could not get my money back, so I worked very hard at making my $4, 225 really count. Here is where we find out what kind of a company Thrive really is. Sean from Thrive called to verify that I had, in fact, filed a dispute with the credit card company. When I verified I had filed a dispute, he said I needed to stop calling and e mailing them for help because they (Thrive) weren’t going to help me any more and I needed to call Zach Bradshaw.

So, I called Zach Bradshaw and he wanted to know why I filed the dispute. I explained why I filed the dispute and the concerns I have with Thrive Learning Institute. Zach said if I dropped the dispute, my concerns would be taken care of. Zach offered me 6 additional months of free hosting and to start my year training over again. Zach was to send a confirming e-mail regarding this, which I never received, so I didn’t drop the dispute. I talked with Zach again and told him I wanted my money back as I never received an email from him. Zach said why would I send you an email when I don’t know how you learn and I didn’t hear from you regarding dropping the dispute. I told him you know how I learn because I have been in contact with Thrive constantly trying to get this done. Zach used the communications I had with Thrive (verbal and written) against me for the dispute with the credit card company and Capital One fell for it. Zach said because I did not drop the dispute with the credit card company has caused Thrive a hit on their merchant account and also cost Thrive a considerable amount of money. I told him I was waiting for his confirming email before I dropped the dispute. Once again, I was getting nothing in return from Thrive for my $4, 225 investment. Zach offered me this: I could either continue with the training or forfeit my money.

I chose to file complaints with the FTC, Utah Attorney General’s Office, Attorney General’s Office in the state I live, and again file a dispute and fraud complaint regarding the charge with the credit card company, and the BBB of Utah.

So this is what I end up with. (1) An offer for $1, 000 from Thrive because I don’t want to continue their training because it doesn’t work, they are unprofessional, untruthful, etc., (2) Rejection from Capital One regarding the dispute and/or fraud complaint (you can prove their was misrepresentation, pay services and not receive them and still can’t get your money back), even though you provide documentation from agencies as the FTC, Utah Consumer Protection Division that there was wrong doing and nothing is done, and (3) you are unable to receive anything from Infusion Media. You would think the credit card company would agree with me, the consumer, as I did not receive the services promised and have sent the appropriate documentation. What I received was misrepresentation and deceptive sales practices of what Infusion Media and Thrive Learning Institute could and would do for you; when in reality what I received was misrepresentation of what they actually provide, when you actually receive much of nothing for your investment, but violating the Business Opportunities Act in Utah and in my resident state, and other violations. Does breaking the law no longer have consequences and full restitution for the victims?

So, at this point, I am out my $4, 225 investment. I could get $1, 000 from Thrive and pay only $3, 225 for 2 months of the Thrive Learning Institute’s training and support, which really got me nothing because Thrive locked me out of their training web site and access to my web site/domain name, which I paid for. And, last but not least, what company provides a service that you paid handsomely for is allowed to decide they are no longer going to help you because you filed a credit card dispute against them. Just like many other victims of Infusion Media, Thrive Learning Institute, and the credit card companies, Capital One in my case, I have been taken for a ride. It is even harder to survive myself, let alone taking care of an elderly parent and provide financial assistance to a child that has a brain tumor. Thanks for your greed and taking from others who trusted you. No one deserves to be taken advantage in this manner because they want to take provide for their family. A personal thanks to Clint Arnell, Brandon Clark, Zach Bradshaw, and Capital One for taking food from my table, medicine from my daughter, and heat from my home.