TVI Express declared a scam in the US state of Georgia
Back in May this year, the the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) won a judgement in the Australian Supreme Court effectively prohibiting TVI Express from being promoted in Australia.
The ACCC claimed that TVI Express was nothing more then a pyramid scheme and after examining the TVI Express compensation plan, I came to the same conclusion.
Shortly after the Supreme Court decision, TVI stated that they would be ‘strenously defending‘ the ACCC’s claims. I’m not entirely sure what that means but as far as I know nothing has been done to combat the ACCC’s claims nor the legal action they took against TVI.
Now it seems a further nail has been hammered into the TVI Express business coffin with claims from the US that the state of Georgia has sent TVI express a cease and desist.
Allegedly the FCC aren’t too far behind.
‘Online success coach‘ Donna Abreu runs the marketing blog ‘The TVI Express Review Blog’ and recently published a letter she claims is from a Patrick Dejour. Dejour seems to be pretty high up the US chain of command of TVI Express and seems to have been involved since the US launch.
Here’s the letter sent out to Dejour’s downline;
Greetings Team,
I write this letter on a very discouraging note. TVI has been served a Cease and Desist Order in the State of Atlanta, Ga. I have also heard That TVI has also been served a Cease and Desist order in Hawaii although I have not been able to confirm.
In speaking with the State Attorney in Atlanta, GA… I was told that even though Atlanta has a Cease and Desist order… TVI is in Violation of FTC Laws as well.
As a result we urge all members in Atlanta to Stop Promoting TVI or risk criminal prosecution and a fine. There were several leaders present at the meeting at Commissioners Office. Therefore this information can be confirmed by the others.
As you know I have been there all the way through our successful TVI endeavor. But there comes a time when we have to re-evaluate our opportunity and our options.
I was told by the State Attorney that If TVI company owners cannot be prosecuted (Because they are outside U.S. jurisdiction). Then they will go after the Leaders Promoting TVI in the U.S. because they are in essence acting as an Agents for TVI.
We have given TVI ample time to get in contact with us and get a copy of the order. But till date no one has contacted us to help get this matter resolved. My concern is that now the Cease and Desist order is standing… that other states or even the FTC will become more aggressive in their enforcement. And our leaders might be in Jeopardy.
I am no longer going to be promoting TVI in the U.S. until TVI is in compliance with all State Laws. I also recommend all the TVI leaders in the U.S. to take appropriate action. Since the incedent in Atlanta I have been anticipating a situation such as this. So I have been doing homework to find a back-up plan for all of our team.
This is not a scare letter this is real. I as a leader, feel I have a responsibility to my downline to inform you of This Major issue with TVI..
I was personally served A Cease and Desist Order in Atlanta and when I informed TVI they told me their Attorneys would be calling me to resolve this issue immediately.
It has been almost a month and no attorney from TVI has called and even worse they are promoting TVI In the U.S. as if everything is fine knowing the U.S. leaders could be liable.
In addition to these issues I continue to get hundreds of complaints from the downline. Including no travel portal and instead of 3-5 star Resorts they are 1 star resorts in the U.S. Many people are not being able to get their funds, residual income checks are consistently wrong and Power Pool commissions were Never Paid some dating back from Oct 2009.
If you have any questions or concerns about this information. You can send us a reply. at: (email removed). As we stated we are exploring options that will Not run us into the same issues we are experiencing right now.
We will Not entertain another Matrix Plan as I have found they only Pay out about 8-12% of all funds collected. I am Sorry to be the one giving you this news but again I have a responsibility to my downline.
Again, If you have any questions or concerns about this information. You can send us a reply. at: (email removed)
Highest Regards,
Pat Dejour
TVI North America Team Leader
The first point of contention I have with this letter is that Dejour states he’s ceasing his promotion of the TVI business due to a ‘responsibility’ to his downline. Yet he acknowledges hundreds of complaints, a lack of communication from TVI and a terrible commission payout ratio.
TVI Express launched in the US in early 2009 and what, it’s taken a year and a half and hundreds of complaints for Dejour to realise there’s something wrong with the company’s business operations.
More worrying is the conceding of major operational flaws including most resorts being one star located in the US, incorrect commission payouts and a lack of a downline.
This isn’t some disgruntled new TVI Express member, this is coming from one of the founding US members.
I’m sure Dejour wants nothing more then for his downline to think he’s making this decision to cease operations on their behalf, but I’ve got a sneaking suspicion it’s more to do with the cease and desist he’s personally received. It seems to be the only concrete motivator for him to retire his TVI Express business.
When I looked at the TVI Express compensation plan it was clear to me that it was nothing more than a recruitment operation. Recruit as many people as possible and keep those matrix cycling commission cheques rolling in. The fact that you could completely isolate the travel voucher aspect of TVI and have no impact on people’s commission earnings was a big factor.
If your product isn’t attached to your distributor earnings then you’re just recruiting people for money – the simplest definition of pyramid scheme there is.
mr. Dejour was nice enough to provide a scan of the actual order:
http://kschang.blogspot.com/2010/09/confirmed-tvi-express-is-finished-in.html
Oh, and Mr. DeJour has moved his TVI Express team to another cycler called “Revolving Relay”, which many other ex-TVI-folks have already moved onto. Hah. 🙂
Companies like this give MLM a bad name.
iam new member of TVI Indonesia and just bought Rp 20.800.000 rupiahs, is that news are really true?
Because i borrowed from my father and if the same news happen in indonesia, can i get back my money??? this not small amount of money for my family
The news about TVI Express in Georgia? Absolutely true. Do you wish to see the actual order itself?
http://hubpages.com/hub/TVI-Express-is-an-international-scam
Scroll down to “TVI Express Lie #7: TVI Express is a legal opportunity around the world”.
FACT: TVI Express was investigated in Sikkim India and TVI Express chose to refund 6000 participants rather than face further scrutiny. Local HGTI official called it “Fake Tourism Organization” out to fleece locals.
FACT: TVI Express and TVI Team OZ is Australia/New Zealand was slapped with a court injunction in Australia by ACCC, local consumer protection agency, back in May 2010. The trial should be over but results have not been released.
FACT: Indonesia’s APLI, direct selling organization specifically told people NOT to join TVI Express, as it is NOT certified or recognized by the organization OR the government.
Google translation link of original APLI
http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.apli.or.id%2Flist_pertanyaan.php&sl=id&tl=en
FACT: Detik News of Indonesia recently published comment from TVI Express member… Trip impossible to claim, must deposit money into local “leader” bank account to try to redeem. Still no result.
http://us.suarapembaca.detik.com/read/2010/10/19/134547/1468780/283/proses-me-redeem-voucher-hotel-dari-tvi-express-tidak-bisa-lanjut?882205470 (In Indonesian)
FACT: TVI Express has been illegal in China since July 2009, with at least 7 arrested and 3 sent to prison.
There are a LOT more facts about this International Scam that you were not told by people who recruited you. Here are actual news items (includes some of the links I gave you earlier)
http://hubpages.com/hub/News-Articles-Your-TVI-Express-Upline-will-never-show-you
Yet TVI Express “uplines” in Indonesia are telling people to join this scam, IGNORE warnings about this scam issued by this website and others, and join while it’s red hot.
That is how TVI Express is “touching lives”… buy ruining them.
Call upon your government to shut this scam down at once before it can spread further. It is the ONLY way you can get back any of your money.
Do it quickly. Tarun Trikha, the alleged leader of this scam, has already disappeared from the company “advisory board”. When the whole website goes, there will be nothing left.
Hi agung, the Georgia news is most definitely true.
If you’re not feeling confident about the business I’d be contacting your upline and enquiring about a refund. I don’t know specifically about Indonesia’s laws but surely there’s a cooling off period in there somewhere.