Scammed Again!

A fellow Network marketer wrote about getting scammed on a forum. Very surprising because he is an expert at what he does. I learned a HUGE lesson here. I had to share it with my readers.

I Got Scammed!
By Tony Rush

Man, I'm mad. I'm so mad I can't see straight. And I'm not just being emotional. I'm an intelligent person and I'm speaking from experience. Don't make the mistake I did or you'll regret it.

Gold's Gym is a scam. In fact, I think the whole fitness club industry is a scam.

I saw pictures of people who were fit and trim and beautiful. And I wanted to be fit and trim and beautiful. So, I paid the $30 fee to come every month.

Then, guess what! No one told me that I had to pay extra for those power-bar snacks that were on the counter. Or that my membership fee didn't include the sports drinks. Or that a personal trainer wasn't included.

These things should have been my first red flags.

But, still I was excited that I might be able to lose some weight and start looking good. So I ignored the warning signals and started working out.

Well, I did everything they told me to do. I worked my legs a little. I didn't work out my arms because I hurt it one time in the past working out and I was afraid I'd get hurt again. So I skipped the arms.
I worked out my back. I worked my stomach a little bit but I decided I didn't want to push myself too hard. Plus, I was getting hungry after all this working out so I went and bought a powerbar. SIX DOLLARS! I kid you not. If I hadn't been so hungry, I wouldn't have bought one. But one of the guys who worked out there said he used them for daily snacks and he looked pretty good. So I thought I'd "try" one.

Anyway. That's not what made me mad. I'm coming to that part.

This all went on for a few days. I even spent $100 on workout clothes. It wasn't required but other people in the gym had them so I thought I'd get some, too.

In fact, I spent another $100 on a pair of new workout shoes. I picked a pair that I felt like I could still use even if I stopped working out. You never know if things are going to pan out the way you want, you know?

Anyway...one day, I was talking to a guy in the locker room. He was about 40 pounds overweight and he told me he'd been coming to the gym for SIX MONTHS. I did the math in my head..."If this guy has been here for six months, why isn't he thin and trim yet???"

That's when the warning bells went off again. This whole thing might just be a scam to get people's money. I mean, this guy wasn't mad or anything....in fact, he was excited that he'd lost some weight....BUT HE'S STILL OVERWEIGHT! And he's spending that money every month...and Gold's Gym just keeps taking it!

Then I thought, "I should get on the Internet and look up Gold's Gym!". I don't know why I didn't do that before! So, I went to Google and typed in "Gold's Gym scam" and you won't believe what I found!

Seriously.

Did you know that 80% of the people who join Gold's Gym cancel their membership within the first year? That 95% of the people who join Gold's Gym have never won a fitness contest? Or gotten a job as a model?

I found one lady online who said she joined Gold's Gym and the manager of the gym said she needed a personal trainer to help her create a "fitness plan" and to keep her on track. Guess what? She said it cost her an additional $200 a WEEK! What a ripoff! She DID say that she lost some weight while she was going but that -- after she stopped going every day -- the weight came back. She fired the trainer and said it was all a scam, too.

I even found one story about a guy who said that they Gold's Gym stole his money. He was supposed to get a promotional price of $19 a month but when he got his credit card statement, he found out that they were charging him $30 a month. That's like $120 a year in stolen money if he hadn't caught it.

Anyway....

As if that wasn't enough, some friends and I were at McDonald's the other day and I mentioned something about Gold's Gym. My friend Susan said that she'd tried Gold's Gym a few years ago and got NO results at all. She laughed that I'd fallen for it, too. I was so mad I almost spilled my milkshake.

Anyway....after I read all the stuff on the Internet about Gold's Gym and talked to some of my friends, I decided to quit. I don't deal with scam artists. They're just in it for the money. They act like they're interested in people's health but I guarantee you that -- if no one paid them -- they'd close up shop. So much for their "mission", huh?

And I'm beginning to think that those fit, trim, beautiful people in the Gym are part of the scam, anyway. Gold's Gym probably pays them to come in there and work out so they can sell more memberships.

Am I saying that exercise doesn't work? No, I'm not saying that. I'm sure it does. I'm just saying that you have to be careful when you join these big fancy gyms with the full-color brochures and all the stories of how people are getting results.

Because the truth is that those people are probably coming in there EVERY day (not just sometimes).....they've probably changed their eating habits (which no one mentioned to me)...and you can bet that they're all buying a lot of extra stuff from the Gym that's not part of their regular membership fee.

So, take it from me: Gold's Gym is a rip-off. I know. I've been there. The idea that you can come in and work out every day and start looking fit and trim SOUNDS good....but that's just to get you in the door.

Remember what they say, "If it sounds too good to be true...it probably is."

Anyway, all this has taught me a lesson. I'm not going to get suckered again. Next time I see someone or something that can supposedly "improve my life", I'll think twice.

Whether it's a diet.....a business idea.....or just an idea....I'll go check it out on Google first.

After all, if it's on the Internet it must be true, right?

Tongue firmly in cheek,

Tony Rush
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No scam here..... www.GailsDreamVacations.com - Book fantastic vacations on this site, competitive rates

Looking for a way to beat the recession? Try a home based business in travel.
www.GailsVacationandTravel.com -Fill out the contact information.

John McCain and Sarah Palin the Master Network Marketers!

John McCain and Sarah Palin made a Master Network Marketing move. I always heard in training calls that we should find our niche market and target them. Well John McCain did just that. Democrats are celebrating Barack Obama’s historic acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination for the president of the United States on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I have a Dream" Speech”. McCain Knew he had to come up with a master plan to steal some of Obama’s thunder. After all everyone will be talking about Obama's speech and historic nomination the next day. McCain knew there would be some women who were waiting for Hillary’s night in the spotlight for the past 4 years ( trust me, I know what I am talking about, I’m from NY!).

So what does McCain do? He thinks out the box, went against conventional thinking. He bypassed all the "expected" candidates and went for the woman!

Then, McCain makes the move of all time! He fills up the empty void with his choice of Sarah Palin, hoping to lure the diehard disappointed Hillary supporters to his team. A virtual unknown. That was the move of all time! Now whether it will work is another story. McCain made a classic network marketing move. He found people with a need and he provided the solution.

McCain also filled another niche. Obama is talking about change. That is the theme of his campaign. Lets get away from the old way of doing things. The Democratic ticket is definitely a ticket of change. So McCain could not have the same old "good ole boy" political ticket of the past. So by picking a woman he is appealing to the younger Republicans who can say yes, the Republicans are also changing. So essentiall in November the new leadership in our country will be a first! Either the first Black president, or the first female Vice President.

Here is the connection with network marketing, or any home based business. You have to find people with a need, then you need to provide the solution or answer for that need. You also have to find a niche to market to. That is what John McCain did. With my Home based travel biz, I find people who have a need to make an extra income and I let them see a way they can do it that is fun and nearly hassle free.

I try to connect with niche markets, such as the bridal industry, because I have a Bridal and Honeymoon registry and my Honeymoon site .

I live not far from a Golf Course, so marketing Golf vacations at my http://www.ytbgolf.com/gailtravel to all those weekend golfers is perfect!

Its no different than what McCain just did! Network marketing is all around us, even in ways we don’t know!

Remember to register to vote! Remember to follow your dreams! Remember to NetWORK Market your business and your life!
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Gail aka GailTravel, is a Referring Travel Agent in the Bronx New York. A wife of 28 years, and a mother of 3 young men. She is pursuing her goal of financial freedom and helping others to do the same through her online Home Based Travel Agency. Join Gail’s team now and see what the excitement is all about.

Book your vacation on www.GailsDreamVacations.com

5 Beliefs to Make your Online Home Based Travel Business Unstoppable

5 Beliefs to make your Online Home Based Travel Business Unstoppable!
There are fundamental beliefs that are crucial for the success of your online home based travel business. In 1973 New York Mets Relief pitcher coined the phrase “Ya gotta believe” which became the catchphrase that helped propel the New York Mets to win the National League Pennant that year. It is so much the same when we own our own home based online travel business. You just gotta believe!

1-Develop a belief in the Product. You have to know that you are offering people a Great Product which is Travel. Get familiar with it. Go in your back office and get familiar with it. See all the products that can be offered. With www.GailsDreamVacations.com we offer cruises, hotels, golf vacations, hunting and fishing vacations, honeymoon website and so much more.

2-Develop a belief in the company- Get around people in the company who are Leaders. Find mentors. Take advantage of the National conventions, the weekly meetings, the travel trade shows , webinars. I have greatly benefited from being associated with leaders In my company.

3-Develop a belief in the industry of network marketing. Mark Yarnell wrote a book called the “Your First Year in Network Marketing”. That book made me believer. I learned the advantages of Network Marketing . I see the success of the many champions in the field. Robert Kiyosaki and Donald Trump both support the Network marketing business model. After all we do it everyday.

4-Develop a belief in others – Teach your team that they can be successful. Stay focused on the understanding that most people want exactly what you want, that is a better quality of life than they are currently living. Remember to value people NOT money! The worse thing in the world is to entice people to join your team, you gain the commission and then abandon them. That is what gives Network Marketing a bad name.

5-Develop a belief in yourself. In the Motown Musical Version of “the Wiz” Glenda the good witch sings a song that has the line “Believe in yourself right from the start, believe in the magic that comes from your heart…..Believe in yourself like I believe in you”

Glenda said it all. With these 5 beliefs ,you will feel more confident as you approach future clients and business partners and your online home based travel business will take off.
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Gail aka GailTravel, is a Referring Travel Agent in the Bronx New York. A wife of 28 years, and a mother of 3 young men. She is pursuing her goal of financial freedom and helping others to do the same through her online Home Based Travel Agency. Join Gail’s team now and see what the excitement is all about.
Email –WLKRG5@gmail.com