Complaint Review: IPA - International Profit Associates Scam - Buffalo Grove Illinois

SPECIAL UPDATE October 27 2012: International Profit Associates remains committed to 100% customer satisfaction and has drastically improved their business processes over the years to better serve their customers. International Profit Associates is truly dedicated to making sure ALL customers are happy with their coverage. International Profit Associates continues to show customer service is of the utmost importance and they currently have no complaints!

To date, International Profit Associates has addressed and resolved all reported complaints, which have always been resolved to the complete satisfaction of their customers. International Profit Associates proves to be among the top members of the Rip-off Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program, as a Verified Safe Business. Over time and since becoming a member, International Profit Associates has remained actively engaged and improving the way they address customer service complaints. Rip-off Report has confirmed that International Profit Associates is no fraud, is not a scam and is of the highest integrity. As an active and current member of the Rip-off Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program we are happy to report that now more than ever International Profit Associates remains committed to customer satisfaction and gets our top Verified Safe endorsement.

Ripoff Report REVIEW:

EDitor's UPDATE: Positive Rating and Recognition has been given to IPA International Profit Associates for its Commitment to Excellence in customer service.

Ripoff Report's review of IPA uncovers an ongoing commitment to total client satisfaction. This means that clients can expect the company will always work towards finding a mutually satisfactory resolution to any complaints or concerns, more importantly IPA is concerned with the new growth and success of their clients business and, IPA is listening carefully to what its clients are saying. After all, when becoming creative to make things better, making changes for the benefit of the business sometimes comes hard like any good lesson.

One top executive of the company stated to Rip-off Report, that IPA's corporate philosophy is based on the premise that IPA will advance itself through first advancing its clients. Their process starts by identifying what clients want, then reinforcing and continuing with its work, which ultimately leads to Client Company Life Cycle Management - what clients needs as they grow from start-up to maturity continuing through exit strategy and retirement for the business owner.

Rip-off Report has confirmed that IPA's approach to business includes a total corporate quality assessment. The result of which, leads to continual dedication to quality operations, client and employee relations, and innovation management. Rip-off Report was pleased to learn that the company's past and current approach to business is focused on its pledge to total commitment towards client satisfaction.

It is our opinion that large and small business owners can feel confident in the fact that IPA has worked with thousands of businesses in Canada and the United States. They are a full business development company and innovators in their field and have successfully helped thousands of businesses by providing new and innovative ideas and solutions for almost every type of business imaginable.

IPA recognizes that complaints posted on Rip-off Report (true or not) are issues that need to be addressed and if handled correctly can be valuable learning opportunities. With the feedback generated by Rip-off Report's Investigation IPA has made organizational changes allowing their clients a more streamlined approach to problem resolution and a total overall commitment to customer experience.

In summary, after our review, which included discussions with IPA Senior Management, Rip-off Report is convinced that the company has been and is committed to quality delivery of services resulting in total client satisfaction.

To demonstrate IPA's commitment to client satisfaction, and the rip-off report corporate advocacy program, we recommend you listen to testimonials from real IPA clients. You can listen to these testimonials by clicking on this link, www.ipaconsulting.com/video

Read more about IPA International Profit Associates Commitment to Excellence and Total Consumer Satisfaction and why consumers should feel safe, confident and secure when doing business with a member of Rip-off Report's Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program. ..yes, a long name for a program that does a lot for both consumers and businesses alike.

Read about Rip-off Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program,..A program that benefits the consumer, assures them of complete satisfaction and confidence when doing business with a member business. this program works.

===================== NOW TO THE ORIGINAL REPORT THAT WAS FILED

===================== IPA - International Profit Associates ripoff Scam high pressure Buffalo Grove Illinois

DISCLAIMER: The following is my story. My story expresses MY first hand experience and MY opinion about IPA.

It all began when we were cold-called by a salesman claiming that a "small business expert" from IPA-IBA, "one of the country's foremost small business consulting firms" was going to be in our area, and would be able to meet with me for a few minutes the following day. We were actually in the midst of a staffing challenge and he promised that he could help us find qualified workers specifically in our industry. He stated that IPA-IBA was expert at staffing and hiring, organization and increasing profits for small companies. I agreed to meet with the salesman on Thursday afternoon.

Thursday the salesman visited with me and my Controller. He performed a convincing and polished presentation promising that once IPA had evaluated our company they would be able to recruit highly skilled and qualified long term employees. Not only that, but they could help us better manage our time, be awarded more bids, increase profits and reduce tax liability.

As a small business owner for 20 years that has struggled with staffing and time management I was intrigued and figured it couldn't hurt to find out what the analyst had to say. I was burnt out!!

We agreed to a "business analysis," for a fee of $950.00 with a 100% guarantee -- if we were not satisfied, we would not have to pay. He made several phone calls and was pleased to inform us that they had one in our area that would be available on Monday at 9:00 am.

Enter Steve McCrillis, Senior Business Analyst, "instant best friend." He was polished, intelligent, composed and had every answer. McCrillis reviewed our business operation. Along the way, he drew us into conversations ranging from shared business experience, always eliciting our input, feeding my ego, finding commonality and engaging our friendship and trust. He was professional yet personable and in two days of meetings picked up on every weak area of our business that we had struggled with. He spoke with all of our employees briefly and gave amazingly accurate profiles of each employee and what their personalities were like and how they were bleeding my business.

His "analysis" indicated that our business was in crisis, managing cash badly, had put ourselves in a very compromising tax position and that none of our staff was to be trusted. His voice took-on concern over the immediacy of our impending doom. But, the good news was that IPA was the one company that could save our company! AND, if we worked together, we would, without doubt be a much smoother running operation and I would enjoy more freedom to pursue other outside interests.

At the end of the second day McCrillis asked my Controller if he could have a minute alone with me. (looking back, he didn't want a witness to his manipulation). McCrillis wanted to bring in a Project Manager immediately to help us implement changes and give us a blueprint for better managing my company and staff. He also wanted to bring in a tax strategist to better plan my tax liability. The price tag for the tax strategist was a whopping $36,500.00. According to McCrillis a small price to pay based on what his findings were that I could ultimately end up with a HUGE tax liability for this year. I agreed to only having the Project Manager. I told him I was not in a position at this time to hire a tax strategist at that price. McCrillis understood and told me that because he was so concerned for my company that they would send the tax strategist along with the project manager simply for consultation. He assured me that I would not be obligated to the fee for the tax strategist. He simply wanted him to be aware of our situation. I was thrilled, this guy was going the extra mile for me. McCrillis placed a consulting contract in front of me. I executed the agreement with a 100% satisfaction guarantee (McCrillis' verbal assurance, not written in the contract).

Two days later, three consultants Bill Scheyer, Eric B. Hensen, and Tito DeLeon III, arrived (We had expected 1 consultant; however, in less-noticeable print in the contract, we were obligated to also pay an account coordinator" $245 an hour.) At this point we thoroughly smelled a rat! I told the three men that I was told only a Project Manager would be sent. I did not want the other two and I was not obligated to anything. They very strongly urged that we needed their services and that we would be sorry if they were turned away. It took us two hours of get nowhere conversation to get them to leave. I told Bill that he needed to get a hold of Steve and his home office immediately and clarify what the agreement was. Bill kept bringing up the contract that I had signed. Unfortunately I had been so enthralled with Steve's promises that I had unknowingly signed for a project manager a consultant and the tax strategist. We told them to leave and come back with a solution to the situation. At this point I still had some hope for Steve's original promise.

Two hours later the three appeared at our office again. They presented me with two invoices One from IPA for expenses and 20 hours of consulting at $245.00 per hour for a total of $7,757.11 and an invoice from ITA (International Tax Advisors) for expenses and Initial on site tax consultation and conference and Lost Opportunity Fee in the amount of $5,473.12. In the meantime my Controller was faxing the contracts over to my attorney's office. She came back in and I handed her the two invoices. She told the three that the invoices would not be paid and they would need to leave immediately and that this was pure extortion. Bill said that he was sorry that it turned out this way and that he was certain they could help us!! They don't give up. They finally left very slowly, lingering in the parking lot for awhile not sure what to do. When they pulled away they parked across the street for awhile.

This is a highly-engineered, psychological, sophisticated scam operated by sleazy, disreputable people, designed to take the maximum-advantage of vulnerable, honest, unsuspecting small businesses owners.

As a successful businessman, it is a little embarrassing for me to have been duped. But, I believe that I was a victim of a highly-sophisticated fraud.

John Southern California, California
U.S.A.