Phone Call with My SMC "Business Coach"

My Specialty Merchandise Corporation (SMC) "Business Coach" called me yesterday to get me started on the marketing of my new exciting business. Kim asked me a few questions about what I have going on in my life right now and what my goal was with SMC. We came up with a goal of $500/month working 20 hours a week at it. $500/month seems a little low but I did want to start out small and test the waters. She went on to explain the need for a web-site to meet my goal. I told her that I had signed up for a web-site initially. She informed me that I signed up for a basic site limited to selling only 150 items and those items would be under $19.95, of course, Chris didn’t tell me this when he sold me on it.

So in order to reach my goal Kim suggests the platinum web-site. SMC was going to send me catalogs, samples of their 8 best selling products, 105 $10 gift cards and a $250 credit. The cost of the platinum web-site is $1095(which, of course, is a deal that won’t be offered again)! Kim asked me if I had money set aside for this expense. I told her I had not counted on this expense.

Well, do you have a credit card with $1000 in credit?

I don’t think I am willing to risk that kind of money.

Well, you know, in any business there is risk involved and you know you will have to purchase supplies to get your business up and running.

Yeah I know that, but here’s my thing: If a company is going to advertise a business opportunity, they need to be up front about what the real cost is going to be.

I expected to have to buy catalogs and gift cards and other admin supplies, I understand in business, you have to spend money to make money. It makes you wonder though, after paying for the $314.95 membership and signing on for a $29.99/month web-site that Kim says likely won’t make me a lot of money, and then shelling out another $1095, what else are they going to say I need to buy from them in order to make this work? At this point I have lost my trust in SMC.

I had several questions I never got to ask because once I told her I wasn’t going to purchase the platinum web-site, she said my best bet was to go with catalog sales but with a web-site that only sells 150 items at $19.95 or less I figure why bother? I had wanted to inquire about sub-wholesaling since I had one person interested but Kim basically ended the call when she knew I was frustrated and no longer receptive to the “sales pitches”.

Something else that gave me a not so fuzzy feeling was the commotion that was going on in the background. Twice Kim put me on hold because of the noise. The first time it sounded like when the telemarketers or sales people get all excited and in an uproar about making the sale and the second time it sounded like someone was yelling in an angry tone. This reminded me of a scene in the movie Boiler Room when the stock broker got very beligerent with a man who said he would have to consult with his wife.

One more complaint: I signed up for all this on September 12th. I didn’t receive the kit to review until September 20th. I was unable to speak to my “Business Coach” until September 26th and my 30 days to return the kit and receive a refund ends on October 13th. To me the clock should not have started ticking until the kit was received.

Do I feel SMC is a scam? Possibly there is money to be made if you know a lot of people who have the disposable income to spend on these types of products. The fact that they rope you in with a smaller initial investment then smack you with a bigger one after giving you plenty of time to think about it seems dishonest and who wants to do business with a company like that?