Complaint Review: Tommy Rodriguez - Sarasota FL

This report is inaccurate and defamatory. To begin with, Automation Empire's "dropshipping" model is not "illegal" or otherwise violative of "Amazon's guidelines" or Terms of Service, as stated clearly in Amazon's own Seller Rules (https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/external/201808410). 

Automation Empire does, in fact, screen potential investors to ensure that our clients understand the risks involved with running an e-commerce business and that they have sufficient operating capital/credit needed to make their store viable. In this sense, we have "limited spots"; we do not enter into contracts with anyone and everyone who's interested in purchasing our service. 

Our company most certainly has the manpower and resources necessary to support our more than 1,000 clients, despite what this report suggests. As we have shown over & over on Tommy's website (www.tommyrodriguez.com) and on various social media platforms, we utilize a staff of more than 100 employees based primarily in Bogota, Colombia. These hard-working men and women provide the management services promised in our customer agreements: we help investors set up an online store on Amazon.com; identify products to sell; source, buy, and ship those products to consumers; handle customer service requests; and work directly with Amazon agents on our clients' behalf if/when their stores are temporarily suspended. 

We diligently and consistently reply to our clients' emails, Facebook messages, and tickets submitted through FreshDesk. We pride ourselves on our communication and accessibility to our clients, and we never hide from their complaints or shirk our responsibilities. 

It's true that we do not offer refunds, since all investment involves the risk of loss and we cannot guarantee a customer will be satisfied with his or her decision to start an online storefront. Automation Empire makes no promises or guarantees regarding the financial returns our clients may or may not experience. Our contract explicitly states that the typical ramp-up period before most clients begin earning a profit is at least six (6) months, and further states -- IN ALL CAPS -- that there is no guarantee that our clients will make any money whatsoever using our service or selling products on Amazon. Further, all of our promotional material and advertisements contain express disclaimers stating that investment in our e-commerce service involves the risk of loss, and that other clients' results do not necessarily reflect what is typical or common. 

Automation Empire does not promise that any client will begin to realize profits within any specific timeframe. We make no promises or assurances about our clients' profit margins or expected return-on-investment, nor do we make any guarantees regarding the financial returns our clients may or may not experience.

Any allegation that Automation Empire's e-commerce store management services constitute "a scam" or "Ponzi scheme" is unsubstantiated, defamatory, and legally actionable. Automation Empire has numerous 5-star customer ratings and maintains an A-rating with the Better Business Bureau. Our company works with certified public accountants and attorneys (both in-house and externally) to ensure that all of our services remain consistently compliant and accurately reported. While we do offer our affiliates and referral sources a ten percent (10%) commission stipend for referring a new client to us, that is in no way illegal or improper, and certainly doesn't constitute a "Ponzi scheme." 

In sum, we vehemently deny and refute the contents of this report, and request that the entire report be removed from this site immediately in order to mitigate any further financial or reputational harm. Thank you.