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texas man
Forums Member
Joined: 19 Jun 2009
Posts: 13
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#1 · Posted on 19 Jun 2009 13:01
Does anyone know of a way to get a refund on your money that you have spent joining? I joined up, along with my wife 2 1/2 years ago at the Platinum level. We tried with everything in us, spent a small fortune with absolutely NO results. I bought leads. I paid for the web site, I paid for the use of the Visa card, and anything else I could to try to make it easier. We went to the Seminar in Nashville, using money we didn't have. No good. I met Scott Chatron, who turned out to be one of the biggest jerks I have ever met.
I want out. I have never used any of my so-called vacations, nor activated any cards or anything. My "Director" did not help me at all. He just kept pointing me to web sites or telephone calls. He would not answer my questions and just basically left me all alone with it. I am sick of it, and I want my money back. I used my entire savings and had NO sales whatsoever. I made well over 100 phone calls, used the tips recommended on web sites, and said verbatum what my "Director" said to say, and got nowhere but deeper in debt.
I have never been instructed how to activate any of our vacations. I have tried to find out how, but cannot for some reason. This is ridiculous. We spent close to $15,000 for it all and what do I have to show for it? 3 pretty books full of flyers for crap I can't even use. Just give me my dadgum money and we will call it even.
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johnjimat
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Joined: 31 Mar 2009
Posts: 357
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#2 · Posted on 20 Jun 2009 09:13
$15000 was to much. why are they tell you to spent money that much?when you join that first. did they tell you money back guarantee? it hard to refund because you have been doing 2 1/2 year
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texas man
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Joined: 19 Jun 2009
Posts: 13
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#3 · Posted on 20 Jun 2009 09:40
That was the total amount we spent, with buying leads, the web site, the toll free number, etc. etc. No, they do not have a money back guarantee. In fact, they pretty much tell you that once you buy in, you are in for life, and there is no going back. From what our
"Director" told me, we would have money running out of our ears, we could both quit our "J-O-B-S" as he put it withing two month, maybe 3 tops. The Platinum membership was $11k. After you add on the trip to Nashville, not to mention the time, effort and energy, it was over $15k, I am sure. But, just for the sake of argument, $15k was pretty close.
Shoot, if I could even get my membership fee back, I would be satisfied.
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mountainmom5
Joined: 30 Aug 2007
Posts: 3117
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#4 · Posted on 20 Jun 2009 11:01
No, you can't get your money back. I had that much in as well + , and although I did make mine back in sales, I am no longer promoting it as I had a hard time getting my team to duplicate... so am off doing other stuff now and I call it a lesson learned.
We can't just blame them ... After all, WE were the ones sending off that money in the first place.
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texas man
Forums Member
Joined: 19 Jun 2009
Posts: 13
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#5 · Posted on 20 Jun 2009 11:39
Yeah, I guess you are right. Live and learn. Can't trust anyone these days, no matter how long you have known them. Shucks, if nothing else, I would like to know how to at least activate my vacations, cards and such. I never learned how to do even that. Like I said, my director was the pits...
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Newbie Shield
Joined: 22 Sep 2007
Posts: 2226
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#6 · Posted on 20 Jun 2009 20:55
Hi Texas Man,
Sorry that happened to you.
You might contact them and ask to get someone from your director's upline to help you on all accounts - perhaps even the biz if you are still interested.
In the future, you might be a bit more proactive early on in regards to making sure you understand things well and can make everything work. If you don't take care of yourself, no one will. Cruel world but true none the less.
Best of luck in any case,
~Newbie Shield~
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texas man
Forums Member
Joined: 19 Jun 2009
Posts: 13
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#7 · Posted on 22 Jun 2009 10:13
Aint that the truth! See, the problem was, is that the guy who talked me and my wife into it, was an old family friend of hers, who we thought we could trust. It was a bad deal from the get-go. Sure hated I wasted my money on it. Sure could use it right now.
Now, as far as contacting them, I would like to have a contact number I can call, I guess with the Board of Directors, but I cannot find any on any web site. In fact, the only "contact" number is for if you want to sign up. I didn't find any for talking to someone about problems.
I am not totally against getting back into it, but right now, there is no way financially to do so. The wife and I are just so turned off by telemarketers, and basically, that is exactly what Coastal is. A whole lot of "cold" calling, trying to talk total strangers into giving you their hard earned money for a dream. And, that dream has not panned out for us yet. Still searching, but hoping that it will turn into something a lot better.
If anyone on here knows the number for the Board of Directors at Coastal, I will be happy to call and try to get things sorted out.
Thanks!
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mountainmom5
Joined: 30 Aug 2007
Posts: 3117
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#8 · Posted on 22 Jun 2009 11:11
The only numbers I have are the ones on the officialcoastaltraining.com but I was with the Coastal Wealthbuilders and they had awesome training and support as a group. If you want one of their live call numbers , let me know. I think I can still get it for you.
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texas man
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Joined: 19 Jun 2009
Posts: 13
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#9 · Posted on 22 Jun 2009 13:21
Thank you, but no. I want this phone call to be strictly one on one, not one on a bagillion. See, that is the problem. Why can't there be ONE person I can talk to so I can get some good answers? Why does it have to be a forum, or a live phone call with dozens of other people on there, ALL of which are so pro-Coastal that they act like I am the anti-Christ if I don't have only positive things to say? I wish I had someone local that I could talk to face to face. That would be even nicer. But, it would have to be someone that would listen to my questions, then honestly, without bias, answer them to the best of their knowledge. I have spent all this money for what? I don't know how to activate a vacation, for Pete's sake, much less can tell someone else how to activate one. Training? Support? I wish.
I just wonder if there are others like me out there who have jumped in with both feet only to find out the pool is way over their head, and there is no lifeguard on duty. And, the guy who was supposed to be your lifeguard walks away with your wallet while you are in the pool drowning. At least that is the way I feel.....
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rhondap
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Joined: 13 Jun 2007
Posts: 284
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#10 · Posted on 22 Jun 2009 20:10
If I'm not mistaken the phone number to the BOD will not be a live body you will need to leave a message and wait for a return call. Has that changed?
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mountainmom5
Joined: 30 Aug 2007
Posts: 3117
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#11 · Posted on 22 Jun 2009 20:23
I think you are right Rhonda - whew, I could hear myself echo here in the Coastal thread... where is everybody?? I am no longer doing it as a business but surely someone around here is???
Wonder where Adam went to...
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Newbie Shield
Joined: 22 Sep 2007
Posts: 2226
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#12 · Posted on 22 Jun 2009 20:32
Where did Homer Simpson go? He was the one that seemed to be into Coastal the most.
~Newbie Shield~
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texas man
Forums Member
Joined: 19 Jun 2009
Posts: 13
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#13 · Posted on 23 Jun 2009 13:41
The responses I am getting sure sound like I am not alone. If I may ask, why did you leave Coastal, MountainMom5?
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hsimpsonjr
Joined: 16 Dec 2006
Posts: 612
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#14 · Posted on 29 Jun 2009 12:11
Hey newbie, it's Harold (not Homer- hehe) and I don't do Coastal anymore either. This is one of the reasons that I don't do Coastal anymore. There is NO customer service or support if you have a crappy director. I went to GRN and it has WONDERFUL support where you CAN talk to a person in the official GRN office and get answers immediately. Yes, I made good money with Coastal at one time but when the other companies came in and started doing what Coastal wouldn't do then my Coastal sales stopped dead cold. Such is the world of competition. My suggestion is to use the package, (it really does work) and or try to sell it to someone who will use it to travel. Getting your money back will be impossible because it's been so long.
One other point, calling 100 or 200 leads is not very much. If you are going to cold call you need to plan on doing that many every couple of days depending on what kind of lead they are. It has to be an everyday thing where you are spending several hours a day on the phone. That's how the cold calling works. You could also do Google adwords and weed out tirekickers that way but that ain't cheap either and you have to deal with lots of other companies using your keywords to badmouth your company. It's a dog eat dog world out there so you have to be ready to change your methods of marketing at a moments notice.
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Newbie Shield
Joined: 22 Sep 2007
Posts: 2226
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#15 · Posted on 29 Jun 2009 14:29
hsimpsonjr: Hey newbie, it's Harold (not Homer- hehe)
Hi Harold,
I know but I've been dying to call you Homer since the first time I saw your name way back when. ;)
Was also trying to resurrect the dead and it looks like it worked! Glad you're back in action on this board.
hsimpsonjr: ...and I don't do Coastal anymore either.
I know, lots of folks were yelping for a while after Coastal tanked and I don't blame them.
Glad GRN is working out well for you.
Cya 'round,
~Newbie Shield~
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ateamfuntimer
Joined: 22 May 2007
Posts: 759
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#16 · Posted on 30 Jun 2009 11:32
It hurts my heart to see all the pain that is in this thread. I will be the first to state that alot of the training that was given in how to run a Coastal Vacations business left many people stranded. I will also be the first to say I happened to be part of that training until I saw that while I was successful way too many people couldn't duplicate the success we had.
So what is the solution? The solution is to change the game plan. Here are some ideas. At one time members were paying about $150 a month for a website. Well folks you can buy a server at Go Daddy and pay less than that and make tons of website yourself. Not internet savvy at making websites well there are hundreds of companies that make free websites that are as easy as cut and paste these days. Use them to make a site.
At one time we paid about $500 a month for leads. Well now we pay nothing. There are many ways to get free leads for MLM's on the internet. Or you can generate them yourself. Make a Squiddo page, use Twitter, Facebook or MySpace to social network. Give out flyers. Do a customer appreciation day. What is that you ask? Well you go to a business and offer them a vacation in your package to give away to a lucky customer for buying their product. This will create tons of leads.
Do fundraisers. They are great for the community as well as getting leads. Do a silent auction and have people bid on a cruise or a vacation. We raised thousands in a matter of minutes at one we did.
The key point is not to give up. Why did you get started is the question you have to ask yourself. Was it to save on travel? If so then use the package to travel. If you were looking to make money then think like a business man. Coastal while it has its challenges is in my opinion the ultimate marketing tool. With its unlimited vacations you have as many free samples to give away to promote your product as possible. That's the key.
If anyone reads this forum and the post they will see that many have left Coastal. I look at that as a shame because we have lost a ton of good people. The reason in my opinion is that the goal should have been to teach people how to be independent business owners and not to sell websites, leads or systems. Now many of those products were good products but the cost priced alot of people out of the game. If I could do it all again boy would I change alot.
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texas man
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Joined: 19 Jun 2009
Posts: 13
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#17 · Posted on 30 Jun 2009 20:11
Me, too, ateamfuntimer, me, too. I would do things a lot differently, also. But, hindsight is always 20-20, isn't it?
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nojobnoboss
Forums Member
Joined: 19 Jul 2009
Posts: 2
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#18 · Posted on 20 Jul 2009 00:10
Hello Texas Man,
I'm not sure if you have gotten your answer on how to activate your package and vacations, but if you go to the official Coastal Training website, (www.officialcoastaltraining.com) there is a recording there on product training. I believe that it tells you how to activate your membership. Also, inside your Level 1 kit is the form that you complete and I believe that the instructions are attached on the form, as how to activate it as well. In order to activate a vacation, you will need to send in for the vacation voucher that you want, the shipping center will then send it to you, in which you will have to activate the voucher by sending it in to make your reservations. All the addresses to where to send the information should be in your kit, and on the vouchers.
I have used the vacations and have saved quite a bit of money. So, if you like to travel, at least get your money's worth from your package by using it.
Also, it sounds like you got really poor training, and a lot of hype. 100 phone calls definitely isn't enough. If you become interested in trying it again, I would suggest that you get on a team that is supportive. There are still people making money with Coastal today.
I Hope this helps andbest of luck to you.
Eileen
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JenaV
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Joined: 9 Aug 2007
Posts: 112
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#19 · Posted on 24 May 2012 17:16 · Edited by: JenaV
texas man: We spent close to $15,000 for it all and what do I have to show for it? 3 pretty books full of flyers for crap I can't even use. Just give me my dadgum money and we will call it even.
That's really awful!  I'm sorry you've had a bad experience. however, I came in at Plat (2006). my husband and I went to vegas for a seminar. I paid back my HELOC ($15k), put $36k back into our savings & became a released Plat Director (in my 1st year) under a different trainer. I haven't look back since.
Your trainer let you down. Not the product & Not the business. PM if I can help.
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texas man
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Joined: 19 Jun 2009
Posts: 13
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#20 · Posted on 26 May 2012 17:51
JenaV
Hi Jena,
Thanks for the reply and the encouragement. I have been told so many different stories from so many different people, I don't know WHO to believe. I was told I couldn't change directors, that I was stuck with the one that talked me into it. I was told I could change directors, but I would have to get the original one's permission to do so. You are exactly right. The director that talked us into it let us down big time, and he admits it, too. At this point, I am so incensed with Coastal that I am gun shy of getting back into it. I felt like I was thrown to the alligators while he stood by counting my cash grinning. Everytime I would ask a question, he would just tell me to go to the web site or get on this conference call and they would walk me through it. That is NOT what I needed. I needed one on one assistance. I had never done this kind of thing before, and I was betting my retirement on it. Well, I lost. After a solid month of giving it everything I had, money, time and effort, and no movement or even a hint of going forward, I gave up. That was 4 years ago. I wish I could just get out of it and get my money back. I am not a salesman, and I don't appreciate phone calls from someone trying to sell me something, and for ME to do it?? No way.
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