Summary of my experience with the company websitebusiness.com

I was looking into jobs and was called & signed up with this hosting and web design company websitebusiness.com and paid 199$ with the goal to earn some money with writing reviews, blogging, having a website set up by the company. I signed a work contract online and verbally on the phone I was told that there was a 30-day trial period and if I didn't like it I would get my money back. The work contract doesn't mention anything about a refund policy and I addressed this while signing up. However I was verbally guaranteed that I would get my money back if I wasn't happy.
The next day after signing up I looked into the company and called customer service talking to many representatives to find out more about what I would be expecting and to see if I indeed liked it. After a couple of calls I started realizing that this was a bad deal (financially), I didn't trust them at all due to their lack of professionalism, communication skills, their tactics of manipulating and twisting the facts. The account managers I spoke to were rude, abusive, impatient, pushy and patronizing. I wanted immediately out especially because of the sense of untrustworthiness I was experiencing. I asked an accountmanager about the service I would be getting and he basically said I couldn’t expect much for what I was paying: 199$. This was totally demotivating and I sensed "a control factor".
Also getting the message that you get what you pay for...and get if you pay..
On the third day after signing in I called customer service and cancelled and asked for my money to be refunded. I asked to speak to someone about this and even requested to speak to the sales representatives that signed me in. This was not the policy to speak to the sales representatives anymore. I left a message on the voicemail of one of the sales representatives but he never got back to me. I requested an e-mail address so that I could cancel by e-mail as well. So on the same day I also sent an e-mail cancelling, asking for my money back and requesting a confirmation that they received my e-mail. They never sent a confirmation e-mail back. In the work contract the company lists all the contents of service they will provide. I hadn’t begun the training yet and didn’t receive the services. The response to my cancellation was very offensive, defensive and I was told that I had to continue with the program.
Three days after I had sent my cancellation e-mail and cancelled by phone, I received an e-mail from the company saying that they had finished setting up a domain name for me and that after that the website would be set up. They totally ignored the fact that I had cancelled the 3rd day after signing up. I responded by e-mail reminding them that I had cancelled and asked for a refund. Once again they totally ignored that response and sent me another e-mail explaining that they now completed the basic site setup.

By then I no longer wanted to communicate with this company and did not want to look into anything they sent me or set up for me due to the fact that I had cancelled and did not want anything to do with this company.
On the 4th day after signing in, because of the mistrust, I also called my bank and contacted the dispute department to have the amount 199$ credited back (a chargeback).
At least I felt support and backed-up by the bank. I was relieved that I had used a credit-card.
In the past I had already experienced scam situations and fraud and very soon I was sensing the same uncanny feeling. I just wanted to break all ties, get out and get my money refunded. I would like to share my experience and to prevent other people from falling prey to their deceitful and dishonest tactics.
However this is apparently a legal business. As I was told by a representative of websitebusiness customer service, there are approximately 10 customer service representatives, 6 account managers and 3 assistants. I was told that the business is growing and that about 60 people sign up a day. By reading some reviews and testimonials, some people are happy with websitebusiness and their services. It is indeed good to hear that something you invest your time and money into works. I personally found out that this company is not the place for me.
The company did fortunately after eight days of my cancellation, refund the amount of 199$.
What I have learnt from this experience is that I will not pay in advance anymore for anything I know nothing about. It was also a tricky thing concerning the work statement I had to sign. Nothing about a money return policy is mentioned. This gives space to twist or deny the truth of what was agreed on verbally. At the moment I gave my notice of cancellation, I was told that I had to go through with the program and then I was verbally guaranteed that I had 90 days the time to make money. If I didn’t make any money I would get my money back.
They can just make anything out of it. So if you earn 5$ within the 90 days, you did make money and can't get your money back. This was the attitude, feedback I was continuously getting.
I didn’t trust it for a moment and asked if this could be documented on paper because apparently everybody can say anything and then ignore it, twist it and deny it, just like the 30-day trial period regarding getting your money refunded if you are not satisfied.
I didn’t get a response to this. Another thing before I get into anything, I’m going to check reviews and take my time to check it all out before I pay something. I’ve decided that I’m not going to blindly pay anything in advance anymore.
Like Jesus says: Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, meaning learn and know both the tactics of the darkness and of the light. Sometimes we apparently have to go through the darkness, deception to recognize what it is...

by Kristel

I just came off the phone with IgoMogul as well. Basically, I already made an investment with Thrive Learning and I was told by IgoMogul that I wasted my money because they will only charge me $199.00 The gentleman tried to tell me that he will help me get my money back. Then, he tried to sign me on with them really fast, even after I repeatedly told him that I would call him back. In essence, I guess they don't want you to research the company before they can get the money out of your hand.

It also seems like the people that are defending them on this forum are either employees or stand to gain something from singing the company's praises. The average, legitimate customer will make a comment and that is it. There is too much venom in the writing of the defenders for it to be true.

I am sure that with all of these companies, you will get some measure of results depending on the amount of work you put in. The problem that most people have with companies like this is that they give you a false impression of how you will reap the rewards.

My only advice is to do as much research as you can before committing to any one company. Go with someone who proves to be trustworthy over time. Don't allow yourself to be bullied into signing any contracts. Most importantly, whatever you are deciding, pray about it because with all the scam artists out there, (if you can call them artists) the only protection you will have is spiritual. Good Luck!

by Janet Spangler

This is now a few hours later and I must say I am shocked and appalled about what happened to me with iGoMogul.com tonight. I joined 5 days ago for $199. I was to meet with my coach yesterday to help choose a domain name and for him to begin working on my website, but a new phone system was being installed, so we agreed to meet at the same time today instead.

Tonight at 5:30 EDT, my coach told me about the 4 ways to make money on-line, through their company. Then he began talking about how I should "upgrade" for six months and I would get 2500 products to sell on-line through my RockBottomPrices link (remember, Christmas is coming, he said). He promised me 120 articles for my site and would have his best bloggers pointing out my website to others on-line, so I would develop traffic. Then he gave me a figure of $5, 945.00! I was dumbfounded. I am on disability, he knows I'm on disability and won't get off of it, knows my income is low, so he would ask me to invest this much? And then when I didn't go for that, he suggested, $3, 220 for three months (same deal, except only 40 articles). My jaw was still on the floor! He disappeared off the phone line and came back and offered me the 3 months for $2420, rock bottom deal. Well, I said I wanted a day to think this over, to be able to talk to my son and my boyfriend about this investment. This is big money to me. And from what I've seen, it didn't look all that easy to recoup this money in 6 months, as he said. He got mad and "showed" me what $199 would "buy" me. Michael Donaldson, who'd made the initial call, told me that my site would look like divineattraction.com (but with 500 products rather than 2000 like she, "the owner of that site", has). This site is simply beautiful! My coach, Andrew, told me to open up igogolfingusa.com. This brought you to a very barebones website, with none of the appeal of the one I'd been told to expect for $199 5 days ago. When Andrew and I kept arguing about what I'd been promised and what was getting delivered, he said he'd send me an e-mail with the information to teach myself. Then he hung up on me. He'd cut me off a couple of times this evening, due to the new phone system supposedly. He'd called back before, but not this time!

So... I waited about 30 minutes, then I called Michael Donaldson who "sold" me the package 5 days ago and asked him to contact me. Oh, how sweet he was on that day, but I have NEVER been able to reach him again, despite his promise that he "loves" his clients and would be happy to speak to them anytime. Instead, I got a call back from a man named Josh Murray, who has to have one of the most wicked tongues in creation. I began by saying that I didn't like what I was seeing and wanted a refund of my money. I pointed out that Andrew had neither prepared a website for me, nor sent the alleged "papers" to teach myself yet--and that I wanted out now. I'd cost them nothing and wanted my money back. Josh Murray insisted I'd cost them a LOT by utilizing the employees' valuable time. To whit, I said, "Well, they took up MY valuable time. I spent just as long on the phone with them as they did with me, plus I spent many hours doing the training that was on the site. For nothing, now, because I don't want to be part of this thing! I don't like it, I don't want to be a part of it."

This was the beginning of a heated 15 minute conversation in which Mr. Murray demeaned me up one side and down the other. I stuck to my guns about wanting a refund. He accused me, multiple times, of wanting the company to do all the writing for me. I pointed out that a) I have written 5 books; b) my mother is a multi-award-winning journalist; c) my father is a poet; d) I am related to Shakespeare and was born on his birthday, and e) that my friends' tease, "It's another of Janet's novels!"--they'd write a sentence, I write pages... No, I was NOT asking iGoMogul.com to do the writing for me.

How angry Mr. Murray got when I pointed out that in their very own training information, it appears to take 3 weeks to earn $5 for an article. The writer has to finish for the "asker" within 48 hours, then it seems to get batted back to editing ad infinitum. Because I remember the example in the training in which the writer had finished on May 6 and it was released by iGoMogul's editing staff on May 23. Mr. Murray sputtered and fumed and said, "Oh, that's just a made-up example!" Then I added, "And without the protection of a coach, I'm limited to 2 writing assignments a day. If I spend the thousands, I'm promised a 'sidestep' around this rule, allowed to write 4-12 articles a day."

I continued to ask for my money back. Mr. Murray said, "You're like a little person with their hands clasped, saying, go ahead, YOU do all the work for me." He even said that I'm a quitter and that I won't be a successful person. I retorted, "So, I'm unsuccessful. Dish it out. I can take it." His words and tones dripped with venom. He is like a (wo)man-eating shark.

I told Mr. Murray that I smell a rat and that I just want OUT.

Josh Murray accused me of being poisoned by my son, who'd warned me against the company after doing research on Complaints Board last evening for me. Mr. Murray accused me of being poisoned because I'd run across this site accidentally today and read the anger in the lead writer's letter about his company. Mr. Murray even tried to say that he could prove that those who had complained against the company, most of them, had never been clients! I said I didn't believe it, what I'd read from other unhappy customers rings true with me, because I know about the simple e-mail igomogul.com sends out asking if you want to make money at home BY TYPING. Then, within hours, you get called at home and you get a sales speech that is oh-so-good (you're asked for 20 minutes of your time and you can kiss away an hour...), and you're going to be doing the WRITING. And against my judgment, because I believe if someone starts out asking YOU for money, you better run the other way, I accepted the offer based on what Michael Donaldson promised. After all, I LOVE to write and this seemed right up my alley, so I "caved".

Mr. Murray screamed at me that how dare I expect a talented team of expert website creators to spend hours and hours on MY site, when I was giving them $199. Did I have ANY awareness of how much it cost to have a professional website creator work up a site for you? I pointed out that my son got 2 websites through godaddy.com for $26. Mr. Murray said, "godaddy.com" in synchrony with me, sneeringly. The godaddy's websites/domains take some extra work on one's part, but where does iGoMogul.com go about asking THOUSANDS of dollars, within days, for their "product". My son had warned me yesterday that they'd be working me over to get more and more money out of me (but my son had guessed, slowly) and my son had also stated that he wouldn't be surprised if I ended up being asked to spend $7000 for my domain name and my website in the end. I could hardly believe it when I was asked, within 5 days, to fork over almost 6 thousand dollars!

I kept trying to keep the conversation calm, saying, "Now listen here, Mr. Murray, I just want to back away gracefully. I just want my money back." To which, he'd reinsist that I TRY his program for 90 days. I could back out after 90 days and get my money back. He kept on the attack that I am a quitter. I kept stating I want a refund NOW. I felt like I'd been ravaged by a pitbull by the time the conversation had reached the 15 minute mark because of all the evil things he did to "attempt" to make me feel one centimeter high. His words were cruel, his tone was cruel. Which did not work, by the way. I'm WAY too strong for it.

Then voila, my attorney walked past. I handed him my cell phone and within 30 seconds, Mr. Murray had agreed to refund my money and had hung up on my lawyer! Because my attorney had said that if my funds were not returned pronto, both he and I would contact the Arizona State Attorney General regarding iGoMogul's company and its practices! The (wo)man-eating shark turned into a mouse and ran away!

Warnings to one and all! Do not place your trust nor your money here!!!

The New Jersey Tigress

by IAMNOMOGUL

YOU ARE CORRECT, IT IS A SCAM AND WE should file against
their tactics. I dropped the whole thing knowing if I continued
with the bare bones home page, they would try to suck me into
upgrading...I told Josh in so many words to shove it.

Here we are now, simply trying, with good intentions to generate a few bucks and this is our reward...a bunch of kids,
sucking the bucks out of us. I warned them I would complain
but it fell on deaf ears. Onward, do not fold up and let it go
I will not stop until I feel good that I have done something to
keep others from being sucked into this. My 30 day agreement
promise with my "manager" before I signed was a joke.
Later, INOMOGUL (I like my new name)-it will remind me that moguls are like czars, they only exist in the Obambi administration...wow

by Maria

This time last year I was contacted by Vinny, an account manager for Igomogul. I listened to him explain his company and how you can get your own website. He went over the different types of websites and prices. I told him I could not afford the expensive ones, only the $200.00 one due to having had two brain surgeries. I was still paying a lot of medical bills. He said he understood, but sure gave me the run around and tried his best to up-sale me. He then explained that afterwards, I would be able to make money with the company, not only from my website, but writing articles and eventually reviews on other websites. I liked the idea because I am a freelance writer.
I paid the money, got my very basic site, and started writing my articles. After ten completed articles with Writezilla, I began my review writing with Postzilla. I loved it. It was nice to make a little extra money to help pay some bills, especially since with my medical condition I cannot go back to work outside the home. I gradually made my way up with writing articles, going from two at a time, to three, four, and was just recently at ten. I was also writing a lot of reviews. I was making a nice little bit of money to help out.
About November last year, I suddenly lost the ability to write reviews for Postzilla. I called Vinny and he explained that Postzilla had been taken away from me due to needing to spend more money and upgrade my website. He wanted at the minimum, $1200.00 or more. I said I couldn’t do it. And because I couldn’t do it, he would not reinstate my Postzilla. I was upset, but knew I still had Writezilla, my articles. Well, that too has now come to an end. Just a week or so ago, I noticed the editors were taking their time getting my articles reviewed. Then the writing opportunities for choosing articles to write slowed down. Then, my open opportunities went from ten open articles to just two….the amount I started with a year ago. All because I wouldn’t upgrade my website and dump more money into it. I called Igomogul again, and all they did was harass me for more money. They tried playing the “God” card acting like they are all a bunch of Christians, quoting Bible verses to me. I was disgusted, being a real Christian myself. Then, to add insult to injury, they acted as though all the money I made with them this past year (only $4, 000.00), was handed to me by them. I earned every stinking dime I made with them writing those articles. I took real offense to that!
Igomogul changed their contract on me. They lied to me to get me in the door, then tried to up-sale me, or cut me off. Websites do not cost as much as they want to charge. My nephew had a website developed for $200.00 just a month ago, and it is amazing…check it out… www.themandial.com. $200.00!
There is a website… demandstudios.com that does not charge any fee to get on and write articles for them. Nothing to pay, no contracts and you can make up to $15.00 an article. Igomogul should be shut down. They are sneaky, underhanded, and lie. They do unfair business. Their business practices are shady to say the least!