The Highlander Club ???
Ed Tidwell
I received a mailing asking me to join this prestigious club only
offered to select individuals. The cost of membership is $20.00
for the first year and they send a monthly newsletter containing
information on Business Opportunities, MLM opportunities, etc.
I guess you're sworn to secrecy if you become a member. Although
I like the overall benefits and concept of the club and I like some
of the information offered, I have a few misgivings about it.
First, the enrollment kit was to offer a hand full of items which
was incomplete on delivery. I wrote a letter to this person named
James McGibbon and never heard a reply. Does this person exist
or is it just a namesake to make it sound realistic?
Second, they keep asking to pay a one time $120.00 lifetime membership
fee with only a $15.00 yearly fee instead of a $40.00 yearly fee. How
can they ask for more money before my original letter goes unanswered.
Third, I sent another letter to James McGibbon and still no reply.
Fourth, they offer informational books that seem to contain relevant
business information etc. at highly inflated prices. Seems like one
of those "Income Opportunity" magazine ads for books.
Fifth, I received another letter asking for more money for the
lifetime membership. And still both of my letters go unanswered.
I guess I've been bitten, or I'm stupid, unless one of you can clear
this up for me. This sounds like a clearing house for newsletter writers
and MLM information with no real intent in providing excellent customer
service.
Tom Peters said it clearly, "Customer Service sucks in America".
Anyone care to respond, or if you are a member, what has been your
satisfaction level, and do you keep sending them money?
Ed
Steven R. Garman
>Has anyone heard of "The Highlander Club"?
>
>I received a mailing asking me to join this prestigious club only
Who told you that it was "prestigious"?
>offered to select individuals. The cost of membership is $20.00
"Select", huh? Was the letter bulk-mailed? How large a group is "select",
anyway?
>for the first year and they send a monthly newsletter containing
>information on Business Opportunities, MLM opportunities, etc.
This sounds like a valid offering.
>
>I guess you're sworn to secrecy if you become a member. Although
Yeah, right. How do they enforce your silence? How big a group are they
swearing to secrecy?
>I like the overall benefits and concept of the club and I like some
>of the information offered, I have a few misgivings about it.
Sounds normal.
>
>First, the enrollment kit was to offer a hand full of items which
>was incomplete on delivery. I wrote a letter to this person named
Sounds normal.
>James McGibbon and never heard a reply. Does this person exist
>or is it just a namesake to make it sound realistic?
Sonds normal, yet again. Why should they be honest at all? What's the
penalty for lying? Are you going to do anything about it? What can you do?
>
>Second, they keep asking to pay a one time $120.00 lifetime membership
>fee with only a $15.00 yearly fee instead of a $40.00 yearly fee. How
Marketing gimmick. Get the most out of the applicant. Ask JPriluck about
when he bought his truck (Ford?); they offered him an extended warranty, for
money, which covered things like metal covers and other things-which-don't-
break. I hate to sound repetitious, but this is normal.
>can they ask for more money before my original letter goes unanswered.
No personal attention to you, probably. If I were running their show, and I
only wanted your money, then this is what I would do, too.
>
>Third, I sent another letter to James McGibbon and still no reply.
Sounds ... <sigh>.
>
>Fourth, they offer informational books that seem to contain relevant
>business information etc. at highly inflated prices. Seems like one
>of those "Income Opportunity" magazine ads for books.
Sure. What are these people dealing in? They appeal to your hope, and you
pay and pay. Look at casinos, and look at scams in general. (I'm not
saying that this is a scam.) They target your hopes; appeal to your greed
or need for money; and then try to get a large amount of money out of you.
If you know any compulsive gamblers, or even someone who gambles on
occasion, you can see that the payoff one a few individuals can be big.
>
>Fifth, I received another letter asking for more money for the
>lifetime membership. And still both of my letters go unanswered.
>
>I guess I've been bitten, or I'm stupid, unless one of you can clear
You've been bitten. You're not stupid. You just banked on your hope for
$20. No great deal. You paid them $20 for the privilege to receive ads,
selling overpriced material, which directs you to do things which won't
work, or that you simply won't do.
It is a little funny that you paid to recieve ads. Usually advertisers lust
for your name and address, and send your ads in handfuls when they get it.
>this up for me. This sounds like a clearing house for newsletter writers
>and MLM information with no real intent in providing excellent customer
>service.
Good call. :) Yes, their treatment of you is quite revealing. Although it
is possible that you are the unlucky one to get caught by statistical bad
service, their products show their concerns to be very focused on money --
and people are very good at caring for nothing else, when they lust for
money.
>
>Tom Peters said it clearly, "Customer Service sucks in America".
At least Tom Peters is reasonably priced. Read him. Forget the authors in
the ads you received.
For another thing, perhaps you could do us all a service (with risk, of
course) by responding to some of these ads, and giving us the scoop on what
your discover. After all, we all laugh at scams, but our experience with
them isn't that great; we tend to get caught up in other's scorn, and mimic
it in accordance with respect for the majority opinion; we also tend to get
caught by a little scam or two, and this decides the matter for any such
affair -- as if we caught a wolf in sheep's clothing, and now we shoot any
sheep we see.
>
>Anyone care to respond, or if you are a member, what has been your
>satisfaction level, and do you keep sending them money?
>
>Ed
Thank you for relating your experience. Tell us the name and address of
this "prestigious" group. We can only enhance its prestige, no?
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Christopher J. Dennis
I am in the info mktg biz and know what goes on in the industry.
The Highlander Club is unfortunately a scam that gives a bad name to
reputable DMers like myself. It's nothing but a get-rich quick scheme, or
"grqs" to decent, respectable info mktrs.
Up until a few years ago, they were known as something like Ad Cloc
Cosanta, running the same sort of game. "Secrecy" and crap (pardon my
French, but this garbage really gets to me) like that.
Whoever is behind this apparently stays one step ahead of the Post
Office, so they haven't been shut down by the Post Office. However, I suggest
you and everyone else reading this to call your atty general and
postal inspector. I'd like their "club" to be clubbed!
For more info about what I do (other than my primary job, innkeeping),
see the "FOR REAL ENTREPRENEUR'S EYES ONLY!!" posting. If you're tired of
some of the borderline- scam bizopps marketed in this newsgroup as well, it
will be a breath of fresh air.
By the way, are you self-employed, too? I hope so, because although
running your own biz is very hard work, I wouldn't trade it for anything in
the world. It's mine. I own it. My pride and joy. That's what makes
capitalism great.
I spoke yesterday with Louisiana's former (one of the most brilliant
people I've ever met) Harvard-educated governor, Buddy Roemer. He's now the
CEO of a consulting firm, and it really is rather sad our voters didn't give
him another shot. As bad as our image is, and they just made it worse by
re-electing "Fast Eddie" Edwards. Roemer wouldn't play the politician's game,
so he was out. But Louisiana politics is a whole other story. I'll get off
my soapbox now!
To get to the point,Buddy has many contacts around the world and has
found only one reason the USSR fell apart. Nobody owned anything! When it
fell,it didn't just sprout a few leaks. It was a tidal wave of people who
wanted to own something for the first time in their lives.
Communism doesn't work. Capitalism does. China and Cuba aren't far
behind. And who makes capitalism work? Entrepreneurs...
Until Next Time and Yours In Info,
Chris
Ed Tidwell
something I'll look out for in the future. Uninformed I was going in
but your response turned me around quickly.
Ed
Ed Tidwell
wish to know before I throw money out the window.
Ed
jcopala...@gmail.com
I remember recieving an invite from them in 1995! I never replied to it. I have no doubt at all it's a scam. Sorry bud.
Charity Standish
> Hi Ed,
>
> I remember recieving an invite from them in 1995! I never replied to it. I have no doubt at all it's a scam. Sorry bud.