ME Leading Financial, ME Insider Financial, Inner Circle
Complaint 300138 Details

One day a post card comes in the mail with the real estate "guru" from HGTV Scott McGillivray on it inviting me to attend a real estate convention that was in town. How exciting I thought to meet and listen to Scott McGillivray. Well needless to say he was not there and a video of him was shown instead stating sorry he couldn't make it but he was at his daughters Bday party. However, there were programs presented that promised to teach the ways of the real estate guru. It was initially $1,000 to start and my business partner and I split the cost and went on to the next meeting.

In the next meeting, at a different location we were told there was three day training. This training was a Thurs, Friday, and Saturday. I had to miss work in order to attend. Upon this "training event" we were presented with an "opportunity" to be part of the Diamond Package promising us exclusive access to the real estate hand held training that would get our business started. The last couple days were spent with my business partner and I racking up any credit cards we had, upping our limits as high as the creditors would go until we both had a combined amount of $39,997. With this came the most uncomfortable feeling however, we were assured that we were making the right decision by all (about 20 people) that were there to teach and guide us through the process.

After a couple days passed we received a call asking us if we wanted to join "The Inner Circle". This was presented as a business opportunity where someone would help us one on one to expedite our real estate business. After we were asked to complete a "Why" letter explaining why we want so badly to have a real estate business and what our dreams and goals are. We then had to wait and see if we qualified. We then received a call stating that we did and all we had to do was make another investment of $21,000. Again, promising that we would have one on one time with an expert to expedite our business. We made this investment.

We were then invited to Las Vegas, NV to attend "The Inner Circle" seminar. This seminar had visitors of all types from the real estate world come and talk about real estate and their story. The seminar was also there to provide a legal service to start an LLC, a buying summit that had real estate for sale, and other products that you could spend your money on. Of course, we purchased the LLC with one of their affiliated companies for $250, then another $5,999 on a legal business plan.

After returning from Vegas we were scheduled with a one on one visit with a "specialist". I must admit the guy sure was nice, but we basically drove around, called realtors, and looked at the outside of homes that were "potential" investments.

I would have to say that the money given for all of this was one of the worst decisions I have ever made in my life. I paid to basically see some famous people in Vegas, get a couple books, and bother real estate agents about homes that I could not afford to purchase. My business partner and I were constantly asked how much savings we had, how much our limits were on our credit cards and how bad we wanted to have our own successful real estate business. We definitely bought into the scam that is The Inner Circle. I would like to have at least 80% of our money back and call it even but I don't even know where to go to ask for it.

It would be wise that anyone thinking of joining this so called "real estate education" stay far far away!

I now have to use a national debt relief program and am trying not to lose both my house and my car right now due to this debt from all the credit cards I racked up to pay for this program.