You may have
received an email or seen an infomercial promoting a seminar or
conference that promises to help you make a lot of money.
Earn up to
$150,000 per year!
At the
world's most
successful seminar,
we'll show you how
to multiply
your money in 6 months or less with little risk.
Our experts
will teach you the latest insider
SECRETS
for making money fast.
You can't
afford to pass up this valuable opportunity.
Seminar hucksters
say they'll give you valuable information about how to invest
successfully or operate a profitable business. Their "success
stories" and testimonials seem to show that anyone who attends
the seminar can make money from the investment or business program
they're selling. Some promoters even claim to have gotten rich from
their own investment in the program.
They like to use
high pressure sales pitches to get you to pay upfront for expensive
materials and SECRET knowledge which turns out to be generalized
information. They may promote pay for view websites, software
packages which are unusable or inadaptable to your needs, or a type
service for which there is no market in your area. Consumers
who invest in these "opportunities" frequently find that
the pay-off isn't as promised and that they can't even recoup
the money they spent.
The Federal Trade
Commission wants to alert you to the secrets of the seminar squeeze.
Be wary of promotional materials or sales pitches that make these claims:
Advice on Seminars
Promises of quick,
easy money can be a powerful lure. If you buy into a business
opportunity at a seminar, you may find that the products and
information you purchased are worthless and that your money is gone.
You can take steps to avoid getting hit by the seminar pitch.
-
Take your time.
Don't be rushed into buying anything at a seminar. Avoid
high-pressure sales pitches that require you to buy now or risk
losing out on the opportunity. Remember, solid opportunities are not
sold through nerve-racking tactics.
-
Investigate the
people you're considering writing the check to. Talk to experienced
business people and experts in the field outside of the "seminar
group" before spending your money or wasting your time.
-
Be wary of
"success stories" or testimonials of extraordinary success.
The seminar operation may have paid "shills" or
"singers" to give glowing stories.
-
Be cautious about
purchasing from seminar representatives who are reluctant
to answer questions or who give
evasive answers. Remember that legitimate
businesspeople are more than willing to give
you information about their investment or sales opportunity.
-
Ask about the
company's refund policy and the exact benefits it promises to
provide. Get this in writing. Keep in mind that you may never recoup
the money you give to an unscrupulous seminar operation, despite
their stated refund policies. Taking precautions before you invest is
a more effective way to safeguard your money than trying to get a
refund after the fact.
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