Trek Alliance

I was invited to the local Trek Alliance office (which has since closed) a few years ago when I was looking for a second job. The people there told me the business only involved selling so-called "vitamins" and water filters. I figured this was a great opportunity since Colorado Springs is among the most health conscious U.S. cities. My recruiter encouraged me to pay about $4,300 for the Trek "starter kit," several brochures and a variety of their products. After that, I was told the only way to make a profit in this business was to recruit other people.

I tried to make this opportunity work for a few months without success. My recruiter later closed the local office and moved to Chicago, where he is now running a similar scam with a different company. When I read about a court settlement involving Trek Alliance, I had hoped I would receive a full refund. Instead, the low settlement amount divided amongst all the victims only came out to just over $200 each. Rich V. and all the other crooks are still living the high life while I'm still struggling when it should be the other way around.

I was working at General Nutrition Center in Oklahoma while going to college. I have seen an ad in a paper about a career in health and fitness. The job was in OKC and I seen this as a chance for a possible career since I was only 19. I was told to come in for an interview for which I was very excited. I wore dress shoes, a tie, and everything. I showed up to the office which was decorated with all the nice plants and a bragging board with vacation pictures posted all over. I had barely traveled out of Oklahoma at the time and was captivated with their lifestyle. I met Brad **, who I hope is suffering from a chronic disease as we speak. The story is the same as the others I have read - the seminars, the products, etc. A lady drove up from Dallas, or so they say, to give her rags-to-riches speech. The vitamins they were selling were only A, C, and E with Selenium for $40.00. I questioned all their products because I worked at GNC for over a year. They asked me to leave.

Brad ** asked me to return because he was impressed with my knowledge. He started to talk to me like a buddy about the business side of things and that he had seen all this potential in me. I ended up giving the ** about $1000.00 of my money for other products like their stupid water filters. After one day, I came to my senses that this could be a scam, so I went to give the products back to Brad who refused to give me money and threatened to call the cops on me for belligerent behavior when I was polite and calm about the whole ordeal. I sat in shock as he picked up the phone pretending to call the cops, so I said a few choice cuss words to him and left. He basically robbed me with a suit and tie. Ever since then, I have been troubled about that situation and have been more pessimistic about people in general from that incident. He even kept the water filters!

The economic damage that resulted was that he took my 5.15 hr saved money, leaving me no choice but to join the military. I ended up serving four years in Alaska and now I am stuck in Alaska. The physical damage was to this day I still google his name hoping to get back at him somehow, but his name never shows on any searches. All I want is my money back plus damages if possible for throwing my entire life off track from finishing school. He made me feel like school was a waste of time and now I don't have a degree and can't find work here in Alaska because I'm either overqualified from being in the military or under-qualified for having no degree. Brad ** ruined my life with their Trek Alliance scam.

I was 19 and had just had my first child. I saw an ad in the classifieds that said I am 21 and drive a Corvette. He said he earned thousands of dollars and works when he wants. Me and my boyfriend at the time called for an interview. When we showed up it was a presentation with about 20 other people. I was young and stupid and they were so convincing. They made it seem so easy.

They went on to explain the best way to get started and be successful was to rent desk space and pay for a phone line to recruit other associates. I couldn't afford that so we never did that. However,I did buy about $300 worth of products and attended a worthless seminar that cost me about $250.00. Not to mention the stuff I charged on my credit card.

From all of that I got a check for $15.87. I wasted gas (about an hour each way), time and money for nothing. I finally got out of it and received a letter in '06 saying the FTC was suing Trek Alliance for deceptive marketing practices. Thank God I did not take out loans like they tried to convince me to.

Looking back now, 6 years later, I see how foolish I was to believe this. They were very good at what they did. They knew exactly what to say to get you to do what they wanted you to do. Being young I saw this lifestyle that I thought I could have and I admired it.

I had to settle the credit card I bought products on and that is on my credit. I lost time with my newborn daughter and wear and tear on my car.

I lost a lot of money with Trek Alliance. Many of my friends that I made through Trek Alliance received a letter telling them they could file a suit against Trek Alliance. I never received anything in the mail.

I was told I could make thousands of dollars by joining trek alliance and selling the product but instead I was tricked into take out a 5000.00 dollar loan, maxing out my credit cards and I never recieved not so much as one check from them. I also was dealing with health issues at the time in which a was to be hospitalized for but tiffiany and her husband called me personally to convince me to spend $2000.00 to go to scottsdale, AZ for a one week training. These people have no consscience and deserve to be punished far worse than paying a fine. Not only did they steal money from hard working people but they put my life at risk. In my opinion there is no excuse for what they have done.

My credit is ruined and I am only 24. I have had to settle with numerous credit card companies. As far as my health is concerned soon after I left trek alliance I was so far in debt and with my health failing, my car had been reposed by the bank and I attempted suicide and was hospitalised for 9 weeks out of state because of my health issues. I am not blaming them fully for my health but the whole situation escalted the severity of my disorders. I was sent a letter about settlement checks being issued in regards to this matter back in august and I sent in the form but I have not heared anything since. I am very cuirous about what is going on with this.

I was recruited by there sneaky ad in the paper. I was young and naive let them talk me into spendin around $1000 bucks, before I gave up on them. I did not sell any of the worthless junk that they were pedaling, nor could I return it for a refund.

They talked me into putting the cost of training and products on my credit card. I am still trying to pay of this dept in 2006, I got involved with Trek in 2001.

I was looking around on the and decided to check on an old company i used to work for (Trek Alliance). I found that they had been shut down by the federal trade commission. I read some of the complaints and found that many of the people felt the same way about this company that i did. after working for trek for 6 months i came to realize that they cared nothing about selling their products. They pushed the products on the reps. They wanted you to get more people in and get them to buy the starter kit for $2000.00 and keep doing it repeatedly. You had to place deceptive ads in the paper to recruit people to come to the group meetings. If they signed up then you had to try and get them to go to a seminar in some city where the speaker would attempt to talk the people into buying products. After attending a few of these I started catching on to what they were doing and decided to get out. There were times when i could not afford to go to these seminars, but i would end up going because those above me would make me feel very low if i didn't go. They would tell me that I would not make any money if I didn't go.

I lost a lot of money. $4000 for the starter kit. $2000 to $3000 for the money spent on seminars, hotels, food, gas, etc. $1000 on desk rent. $5000 on newspaper ads. $2000 on phone bill. And I lost time.

In the spring of 2000, I was calling on job ads in the paper. I went to an interview (or so I thought) where I listened to a presentation in which a gentleman described how much money I could make and how controling that corporate America really is. Needless to say I was young and insecure and fell easily into believing these people cared about me and my future. I was talked into buying $3000 worth of product within the first week, which was my entire savings through college. I was also talked into renting desk space, getting a phone line installed, going to training sessions all over the US every month, and continue to buy product not only for myself, but to sell as well. Trek Alliance made it appear that I could be rich within a year, they even tried telling me that I could move to San Diego to help start the new office and that I would be the first in that market.

I never would have gone that far without the encouragement and pressure of the people working above me. After several months, all of my credit cards were maxed out, they had talked me into taking a leave of absence from my job, and I was barely paying the bills. I ended up spending over $14,000 on their promises of a better life. I had to file bankruptcy in August of 2001 because I could no longer afford to live. Since then, not only did I lose money, I also lost credibiliy. I cannot get a decent car or home loan, I cannot get a credit card, and I cannot move apartments for fear that when they check my credit report my application will be denied. I read that Trek Alliance is under investigation and I would appreciate being considered as another victim of the illegal pyramid scheme. I want to see the company stopped so that no one else falls into the same financial and emotional despair that I did, and I am sure a lot of others like me did.

I lost $14,000 on product, seminars, flights, clothes, and all the other things they told me that I had to have to succeed. I have every receipt to prove every penny that I spent. I ended up having to file bankruptcy and therefore living with that on my credit report.