- Report: #45739
Complaint Review: E-Commerce Exchange - Lake Forest California
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
E-Commerce Exchange
2 South Pointe Suite 125 Lake Forest, 92630 California, U.S.A.
Phone:
800-418-9285
Web:
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E-Commerce Exchange Rip-off Lake Forest California
Last July my husband,Tim, was looking for some way we could make extra money to help pay our mortgage/bills. He contacted e-commerce exchange orange county. After speaking with Brian Borbonis, Tim thought it would be a great opportunity to make a mint of money. He told him of this 'credit card processing website' that was guaranteed to bring in big bucks for only a measley investment ($3,500.00+/-) and very little work.
Tim talked it over with me and I said NO WAY! It's a rip off! Shortly thereafter, Brian contacted me and we went over all the details and questions I had regarding this adventure for over two hours. He made big promises and said that it wouldn't cost us a dime. The returns would begin immediately. He said, "Why would we try to get money out of people if we weren't positive they would make money?" He said that we were being considered a target/test area and that if we weren't processing orders right away, he or someone from e-commerce support would be calling us because that would mean they weren't making any money either!
They would get a % of each credit card processed. He actually convinced me that everything was on the up & up and not to worry.
I spoke with Tim and told him I still felt apprehensive about this, but it was ultimately up to him if he wanted to proceed. He did. They sent the paperwork and he signed it & sent it back. It was stated on the contract that we would be processing orders for personal safety gadgets & equipment. After it was mailed to Brian, I told Tim I didn't feel it would be morally right to sell these items to people. Who knows who or what they would be using them on?
So, Brian was contacted & set up a website that sells gifts & decorative items. No new contract stating this was ever signed by Tim or myself. E-commerce began to have $89.95 taken out of our checking account automatically every 1st of the month. Then, Discover Card Services began taking out $25.00 every month??? No authorization was ever given by us.
After several hundred hours & months, during which time I personally took every step possible to promote this so called business on line, nothing. There have been only three orders placed. 2 by family members, & 1 by a support person at e-commerce to test the site because nothing was happening.
They said we would be listed in the Top 4 search engines. We aren't. You cannot even find us anywhere except for the free places I placed us on! It infuriated me to no end.
We placed a stop on the automatic payments and I contacted the division that was making the withdrawals on behalf of E-commerce, Duvera Billing and told them to contact E-Commerce, because we were not going to spend one more cent on this flop.
I also called Brian the same day. I left a message for him on his voice mail. No response. I e-mailed him after a week. No response from him, but another person, Mike Miller at E-Commerce e-mailed me and told me basically - too bad the contract is non-cancellable.
I e-mailed him back & said I would report them to every single place I could if he didn't satisfy our dilema. I am awaiting a reply.
Tim & debi
West Point, Utah
U.S.A.
Tim talked it over with me and I said NO WAY! It's a rip off! Shortly thereafter, Brian contacted me and we went over all the details and questions I had regarding this adventure for over two hours. He made big promises and said that it wouldn't cost us a dime. The returns would begin immediately. He said, "Why would we try to get money out of people if we weren't positive they would make money?" He said that we were being considered a target/test area and that if we weren't processing orders right away, he or someone from e-commerce support would be calling us because that would mean they weren't making any money either!
They would get a % of each credit card processed. He actually convinced me that everything was on the up & up and not to worry.
I spoke with Tim and told him I still felt apprehensive about this, but it was ultimately up to him if he wanted to proceed. He did. They sent the paperwork and he signed it & sent it back. It was stated on the contract that we would be processing orders for personal safety gadgets & equipment. After it was mailed to Brian, I told Tim I didn't feel it would be morally right to sell these items to people. Who knows who or what they would be using them on?
So, Brian was contacted & set up a website that sells gifts & decorative items. No new contract stating this was ever signed by Tim or myself. E-commerce began to have $89.95 taken out of our checking account automatically every 1st of the month. Then, Discover Card Services began taking out $25.00 every month??? No authorization was ever given by us.
After several hundred hours & months, during which time I personally took every step possible to promote this so called business on line, nothing. There have been only three orders placed. 2 by family members, & 1 by a support person at e-commerce to test the site because nothing was happening.
They said we would be listed in the Top 4 search engines. We aren't. You cannot even find us anywhere except for the free places I placed us on! It infuriated me to no end.
We placed a stop on the automatic payments and I contacted the division that was making the withdrawals on behalf of E-commerce, Duvera Billing and told them to contact E-Commerce, because we were not going to spend one more cent on this flop.
I also called Brian the same day. I left a message for him on his voice mail. No response. I e-mailed him after a week. No response from him, but another person, Mike Miller at E-Commerce e-mailed me and told me basically - too bad the contract is non-cancellable.
I e-mailed him back & said I would report them to every single place I could if he didn't satisfy our dilema. I am awaiting a reply.
Tim & debi
West Point, Utah
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Tim & debi
West Point,Utah,
U.S.A.
E-Commerce Comes Through!!
#2Author of original report
Mon, February 24, 2003
Dear Fellow Consumers, Today I received a phone call from tne president of E-Commerce Exchange, Brian Ginsberg. He has agreed to CANCEL our non-cancellable contract. We are very satisfied with this agreement and will owe no more money on it! This is absolutely wonderful news. Understandably, when I filed the original report, I was very angry with them. We had a failure to communicate professionally. Kudos to E-Commerce and Brian Ginsberg, they're not so bad after all. Thank you & God Bless.
Mike
Lake Forest,California,
U.S.A.
Owning a business means running your business
#3UPDATE Employee
Fri, February 21, 2003
I recently read this report offered by Tim and Debi and find it very unfair and inaccurate. Below is the last e-mail that I had sent to Debi and have yet to receive a response. At E-Commerce Exchange we have always offered the marketing support that is within our capabilities, but I cannot control what anyone does or does not do with that support. All of our documents and forms that were authorized by Debi's husband clearly state that this is a business and that no promises of success were ever made. Anyone who has seen our documents before their business started can attest to this. Here is the latest contact with Debi. Debi, I understand that you are frustrated with your business, but this is after all "a business". The success of any business is determined by the owner, not your credit card processing system, not your website, not your products, but you. You signed a form that specifically states that you understand that you have purchased a new Internet business storefront and that your success is predicated by your ability to effectively promote your business. I don't see anywhere where it states that we will guarantee your success. It isn't in there because I have no way to guarantee anything being that it is all controlled by you. I wonder, why do I have very successful clients that utilize the similar systems, similar product line, similar support and marketing ideas? You mentioned that you have spent 100s of hours to research and such, please clarify with me exactly what was done to market. Have you tried tapping into your local market? Have you tried opt-in e-mail formats from safe lists? Have you tried on-line auctions where people bid on your products? Have you tried flyers and such locally with the higher buying demographics? These are my questions for you. It is not Brian's responsibility to stay in constant contact with you to do your marketing for you. I have spoken to Brian and he has a strong history with his clients. I will once again pose this question, why are thinks working for others and not for you? It is important to us that our clients are successful, but it is not my, nor E-Commerce Exchange's responsibility to do it for you. That is why our documents clearly state that we will build the site, integrate a processing solution, host your site, etc. etc. If we wanted to do the work for you then you would be an independent contractor with us and all the profits would come to us and we would forward a small percentage to you. As it is, you would receive direct deposits for the entire $ amount purchased from your customers. This gives you the advantage of being able to actually tap into the profits of your business, but it also means that the responsibility to promote your business and make it successful lies on your shoulders. Show me where we violated this and then we can discuss things further. If not, give me a better description as to what marketing you have actually done and I will be more than happy to help evaluate what hasn't worked and direct you to what can work. Sound fair? As I mentioned, I have yet to get a response.
Mike
Lake Forest,California,
U.S.A.
Owning a business means running your business
#4UPDATE Employee
Fri, February 21, 2003
I recently read this report offered by Tim and Debi and find it very unfair and inaccurate. Below is the last e-mail that I had sent to Debi and have yet to receive a response. At E-Commerce Exchange we have always offered the marketing support that is within our capabilities, but I cannot control what anyone does or does not do with that support. All of our documents and forms that were authorized by Debi's husband clearly state that this is a business and that no promises of success were ever made. Anyone who has seen our documents before their business started can attest to this. Here is the latest contact with Debi. Debi, I understand that you are frustrated with your business, but this is after all "a business". The success of any business is determined by the owner, not your credit card processing system, not your website, not your products, but you. You signed a form that specifically states that you understand that you have purchased a new Internet business storefront and that your success is predicated by your ability to effectively promote your business. I don't see anywhere where it states that we will guarantee your success. It isn't in there because I have no way to guarantee anything being that it is all controlled by you. I wonder, why do I have very successful clients that utilize the similar systems, similar product line, similar support and marketing ideas? You mentioned that you have spent 100s of hours to research and such, please clarify with me exactly what was done to market. Have you tried tapping into your local market? Have you tried opt-in e-mail formats from safe lists? Have you tried on-line auctions where people bid on your products? Have you tried flyers and such locally with the higher buying demographics? These are my questions for you. It is not Brian's responsibility to stay in constant contact with you to do your marketing for you. I have spoken to Brian and he has a strong history with his clients. I will once again pose this question, why are thinks working for others and not for you? It is important to us that our clients are successful, but it is not my, nor E-Commerce Exchange's responsibility to do it for you. That is why our documents clearly state that we will build the site, integrate a processing solution, host your site, etc. etc. If we wanted to do the work for you then you would be an independent contractor with us and all the profits would come to us and we would forward a small percentage to you. As it is, you would receive direct deposits for the entire $ amount purchased from your customers. This gives you the advantage of being able to actually tap into the profits of your business, but it also means that the responsibility to promote your business and make it successful lies on your shoulders. Show me where we violated this and then we can discuss things further. If not, give me a better description as to what marketing you have actually done and I will be more than happy to help evaluate what hasn't worked and direct you to what can work. Sound fair? As I mentioned, I have yet to get a response.
