Can I sue this online business for fraud?

I was contacted by a rep of web design company Higher Impact, asking me if I was interested in an online home business opportunity. He had a voice recording explain everything to me and I thought it couldn't hurt to try.

The basics behind the idea are that I buy a website from the company for a one-time, fixed fee of $110. The website would feature products from the company's sponsors offering health care, mortgages, and something else. For every product sold through my site, I would get a commission.

My only job then, would be to drive traffic to my website.

For that, the rep explained to me that the company will provide me with "marketing coaches" that will "coach" me on how to drive traffic to my website.

I bought the idea, gave the my CC info and paid $110 for the website. The rep told me that I will get a call from a "coach" in 2-3 days.

I wait 14 days, and after submitting a complaint to their site, I get a call the next day from the "coach". He sweets talks me about how good this business opportunity is, and tells me that he will have another "coach" contact me in several minutes.

The "coach" finally calls me, and after 10 minutes of trying to sweet talk her way to getting me "excited" about this business opportunity, she tells me that there are three packages available - on for $5K for 10K traffic to my site, one for $10K, and another for $20K.

At this point, you probably know why I consider this to be fraud. I was never told that their "coaching" would consist of them peddling me their "traffic packages" for tens of Gs.

I could easily just get my $110 back and finish this, but this is straight up FRAUD, and I don't want them to get away with it!!!

Is there anything that can be done about this in courts? Could I sue them, and if yes, up to what amount?

A good friend of ours recently had the same experience. She choose the additional traffic package for $4000 and yet to have her web page even developed. Have you received any responses to your post? We could use some advise on how to proceed.

[mazBut]

Remember, there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world!

Most of the ads on the internet are scams or frauds with 'hidden' risks and costs. you ought to be very careful while dealing with them and always ask them to write you back in confirmation of your email exchanges before you make them any payment.

Since the amount is small suing them may be like wastin a pound for a penny. Pass it off as experience

Based on what you say here, you could file suit against them (or at least threaten to do so) in small claims court or in regular court; filing in small claims court is easier and requires no attorney...you could try to collect all of the costs and damages that you suffered due to their behavior...


You may also report them to your state attorney general's office.

You don't have to use their coaches. I agree though, that sending them buku bucks for advertising is like a, ahem, scam.

You can advertise yourself, to see if this works for you. You can buy internet traffic and drive web users to your site. Google targeted traffic and see what you find, go from there if you wish.

[onlinev]

Hi,
This is online dv from canada. I am a newbie of this site and i think this site has a lot to provide to the visitors.

Hey there -
same thing happened to me earlier this year - I joined the the hundreds of other "law-abiding" citizens
that were looking for a little relfief from all the creditors that were looking to get paid on time,... and of
course, I thought like you,... I was already in the hole and sinking fast - I thought, just one more try at
something that sounded "too good to be true",.. and once again,.............I got taken advantage of.
Not only did I invest close to $200 of my hard earned monies,... but three months later (that's when one
of their "so called coaches" called me),.. and wanted to help me build my "website",so that I could start
making money with all the traffic they were going to provide for me once I invested some cash thru them.
And bye then,. I was working some more hours at all three of my part-time jobs,.. YES - you heard right,
three-part time jobs to make ends meet - - I got talked into investing my last $1000 dollars so that I could
get the traffic going on my website - The tough part for me was,.that they guy sounded so sincere - he told me to "not re-invest the first $1000 dollars that was coming back to me",. to keep that and anything
far and beyond of what I was scheduled to make, I should re-invest in the company,.. I thought, WOW,
someone whom is really looking after me and my interests,.......WRONG!!!... Just a ploy like all the other
salesmen that sweet talk you into buying in to their products. A month later,. I went to check the traffic on my website,...alas,.. I could not log on to "my website" and they could not help me log on either,..I thought, hummm,.. let me try again - the second time around, they told me that they were able to log-on to my website and account and they assured me, that there was traffic on my website - I thought, how funny - they can see my traffic, but I can't - and the last I heard, was that I was really close to the 3500 visits or traffic that I had purchassed thru them - and that I should invest some more soon. Well,. it's
been almost three months since my investment and I have not received any monies back - needless to say,.. I am very dissapointed about HIgher-Impact on Line - and what they stand for - but - never again.
Good luck in your search for redemption and let me know if you get anything back?

Peace out,

p.t.