Comments on: ePerks: A Case Study in Greed and Self-Imposed Brand Destruction http://brokerscience.com/real-estate/eperks-brand-destruction/ Mortgage Marketing | Mortgage News, Tools and Resources Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:46:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Justin http://brokerscience.com/real-estate/eperks-brand-destruction/#comment-318 Justin Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:31:54 +0000 http://brokerscience.com/?p=176#comment-318 Wow, great information. I had this eperks website bookmarked to take a look at it in the future. So glad I came across this page. Unfortunately, there are many companies out there that take advantage of the real estate agents all across the USA. I have extensive knowledge of marketing and websites and know that most promise you the world but provide nothing at all. Don't fall for the lead generation websites either. The leads are all junk. I fell for the realestate.com crap and spent a ton of money off nothing at all... The best way to get business is a well designed website that is user friendly. Have a lead capture and just keep up on it! Thanks for creating this page, just hope it makes people avoid making these costly mistakes. Wow, great information. I had this eperks website bookmarked to take a look at it in the future. So glad I came across this page. Unfortunately, there are many companies out there that take advantage of the real estate agents all across the USA. I have extensive knowledge of marketing and websites and know that most promise you the world but provide nothing at all. Don’t fall for the lead generation websites either. The leads are all junk. I fell for the realestate.com crap and spent a ton of money off nothing at all…

The best way to get business is a well designed website that is user friendly. Have a lead capture and just keep up on it!

Thanks for creating this page, just hope it makes people avoid making these costly mistakes.

]]> By: Eugene Homes http://brokerscience.com/real-estate/eperks-brand-destruction/#comment-139 Eugene Homes Thu, 22 Jan 2009 03:05:02 +0000 http://brokerscience.com/?p=176#comment-139 Jackie, I do not know for sure if they filed. The website I originally saw it on was threatened with a lawsuit by Behrouzi (again) and the article was removed. Check this link out and any California Bankruptcy sources you can find. http://lordmatt.co.uk/item/1232/ In my opinion they can not survive and they damn sure won't get a bailout. Every article I have read by an agent about them states how they've been treated unethically (actually lied to and ripped off). For God's sake agents, do a little background check on anyone before you do business with them. If they insist the deal is only good right now and try to pressure you, hang up on them. As agents we are slammed with phone calls constantly by scam artists..... Beware! It is very hard to get a refund from an unethical company that never intended to give you one to begin with. IF they WERE an ethical company and cared about their business name they would promptly give any promised refunds. Funny I have never heard of them doing that. Jackie, I do not know for sure if they filed. The website I originally saw it on was threatened with a lawsuit by Behrouzi (again) and the article was removed. Check this link out and any California Bankruptcy sources you can find. http://lordmatt.co.uk/item/1232/

In my opinion they can not survive and they damn sure won’t get a bailout. Every article I have read by an agent about them states how they’ve been treated unethically (actually lied to and ripped off).

For God’s sake agents, do a little background check on anyone before you do business with them. If they insist the deal is only good right now and try to pressure you, hang up on them. As agents we are slammed with phone calls constantly by scam artists….. Beware! It is very hard to get a refund from an unethical company that never intended to give you one to begin with. IF they WERE an ethical company and cared about their business name they would promptly give any promised refunds. Funny I have never heard of them doing that.

]]> By: Jackie Felix http://brokerscience.com/real-estate/eperks-brand-destruction/#comment-138 Jackie Felix Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:22:21 +0000 http://brokerscience.com/?p=176#comment-138 Eugene, Do you have any confirmation that ePerks has filed for bankruptcy? Like Sue, I am a former ePerks agent. I started with them when the site was in Beta, only agreeing to join because ePerks promised a full refund if I continued with the service for 8 months and did not have any return on investment. Well, I had NO leads. I did provide the information required for my refund, and received a certificate last Spring, promising my refund on December 15, 2008. When I called asking about my refund I was told by Michael Andres that the company did not have the money to refund my $1087.04. Instead he offered two options: a settlement of 20% ($217.40), or 1/12 of the amount owed paid monthly until paid in full. However, he says the company is on the verge of bankruptcy, and so he highly recommends taking the 20% settlement. He indicated the 'fund' for refunds is shrinking fast and I had best make my decision right away, implying that I may get nothing. Apparently Mr. Ben Behrouzi is planning to start up another company. If he can afford to do that, he should be able to honor the commitments made to ePerks customers! Has anyone heard of a class action suit against this company? Any advice on how best to get my full refund? Eugene, Do you have any confirmation that ePerks has filed for bankruptcy?
Like Sue, I am a former ePerks agent. I started with them when the site was in Beta, only agreeing to join because ePerks promised a full refund if I continued with the service for 8 months and did not have any return on investment. Well, I had NO leads. I did provide the information required for my refund, and received a certificate last Spring, promising my refund on December 15, 2008. When I called asking about my refund I was told by Michael Andres that the company did not have the money to refund my $1087.04. Instead he offered two options: a settlement of 20% ($217.40), or 1/12 of the amount owed paid monthly until paid in full. However, he says the company is on the verge of bankruptcy, and so he highly recommends taking the 20% settlement. He indicated the ‘fund’ for refunds is shrinking fast and I had best make my decision right away, implying that I may get nothing. Apparently Mr. Ben Behrouzi is planning to start up another company. If he can afford to do that, he should be able to honor the commitments made to ePerks customers! Has anyone heard of a class action suit against this company? Any advice on how best to get my full refund?

]]> By: Eugene Homes http://brokerscience.com/real-estate/eperks-brand-destruction/#comment-136 Eugene Homes Sat, 17 Jan 2009 05:16:46 +0000 http://brokerscience.com/?p=176#comment-136 Good Luck Sue Eperks, last I heard eperks filed for bankruptcy protection. They definitely don't make it a habit to act in an ethical manner. Good Luck Sue Eperks, last I heard eperks filed for bankruptcy protection. They definitely don’t make it a habit to act in an ethical manner.

]]> By: Sue Eperks http://brokerscience.com/real-estate/eperks-brand-destruction/#comment-137 Sue Eperks Sat, 17 Jan 2009 01:23:36 +0000 http://brokerscience.com/?p=176#comment-137 I am a real estate agent and digruntled former customer of ePerks who has been now waiting over four months for my refund, while being forced to submit to a host of unusual and unreasonable requests that I did not sign up for. This company has not only shafted me while I was on their service by discontinuing my territories without notice, claiming I was sent an e-mail and did not respond making me ineligible for the money back guarantee, I am getting bent over once again. Now, four months after submitting my original request for refund, due to, what a surprise, no return on investment and only one lead in ten months (who didn't even speak English and didn't return my calls or e-mails), they are forcing me to give the names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of all the clients I sold homes to during that period. I refuse to do that as it is totally unprofessional and a breach of trust among my clients. Not to mention, don't you think they would be pissed if they found out that I was offering a 20% rebate an didn't offer it to them? When I refused to give anything other than their names in order to cross reference against their records, their robot in "customer support" told me I sound like I have something to hide. Contact information for clients is obviously something a professional would be unwilling to provide, I was ever told I would have to provide this implicitly or explicitly when I signed up. What a joke! Well, after spending countless hours on the phone with these monkeys and writing e-mails and this post, I have had it. I am looking for other disruntled customers who have shared similar experiences and a lawyer who is willing to go after Ben Behrouzi, ePerks, Brabus Ventures, Dot Next, Leapfish, or whatever fraudulent brand he is now destroying at the expense of defrauded customers. I am a real estate agent and digruntled former customer of ePerks who has been now waiting over four months for my refund, while being forced to submit to a host of unusual and unreasonable requests that I did not sign up for. This company has not only shafted me while I was on their service by discontinuing my territories without notice, claiming I was sent an e-mail and did not respond making me ineligible for the money back guarantee, I am getting bent over once again.

Now, four months after submitting my original request for refund, due to, what a surprise, no return on investment and only one lead in ten months (who didn’t even speak English and didn’t return my calls or e-mails), they are forcing me to give the names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of all the clients I sold homes to during that period. I refuse to do that as it is totally unprofessional and a breach of trust among my clients. Not to mention, don’t you think they would be pissed if they found out that I was offering a 20% rebate an didn’t offer it to them? When I refused to give anything other than their names in order to cross reference against their records, their robot in “customer support” told me I sound like I have something to hide. Contact information for clients is obviously something a professional would be unwilling to provide, I was ever told I would have to provide this implicitly or explicitly when I signed up. What a joke!

Well, after spending countless hours on the phone with these monkeys and writing e-mails and this post, I have had it. I am looking for other disruntled customers who have shared similar experiences and a lawyer who is willing to go after Ben Behrouzi, ePerks, Brabus Ventures, Dot Next, Leapfish, or whatever fraudulent brand he is now destroying at the expense of defrauded customers.

]]> By: jason http://brokerscience.com/real-estate/eperks-brand-destruction/#comment-135 jason Fri, 17 Oct 2008 00:23:23 +0000 http://brokerscience.com/?p=176#comment-135 I was another sucker for eperks. I can't understand how guys like eperks and click smart get away with robbery. Tell you that they will generate new business for your company and after about 2 month you realize that nothing that anyone on there staff have said anything true. I was told that this is the best way to advertise on the internet gauranteed. So I give them my credit card info and start an account finding out later that I myself couldn't find eperks myself let alone any potentional customers. So I call thier offices telling that this is not what I was told by the sales person abd would like my money back. So I get a call back from a manger and i am told that I will recieve a refund in 3 to 5 days. I keep watching my bank account any realize after 5 days there is no refund yet. So I call again now I talk to isabelle account manger and she saize sorry about what has happen and she will have answer for me In a day or 2. Five more days have now gone by and no answers yet. So keep calling she's never there for like another 2 weeks. So at this point realize some thing wrong. Finally after calling every day for 2 weeks she answer and seize now we are not going to refund you. And I don't know who told you we would refund your money back. So I ask here don't you record all these conversations she seize only some of them. Oh so I guess you don't record the part that seize if your not satified with our service we will refund money. Then I tell her that I am going to dispute the charge to my acoount. She has the nerve to tell me If you do that we will sell your debt. to 3 rd. party collection agency. My comment to this is" in our falling economy and the fact that joe painter looking for advertising help get rip off again" I hope isabelle doesn't need her money to feed her children like I. Sincery yours, Rip off painting contractor!!!!!! I was another sucker for eperks. I can’t understand how guys like eperks and click smart get away with robbery. Tell you that they will generate new business for your company and after about 2 month you realize that nothing that anyone on there staff have said anything true. I was told that this is the best way to advertise on the internet gauranteed. So I give them my credit card info and start an account finding out later that I myself couldn’t find eperks myself let alone any potentional customers. So I call thier offices telling that this is not what I was told by the sales person abd would like my money back. So I get a call back from a manger and i am told that I will recieve a refund in 3 to 5 days. I keep watching my bank account any realize after 5 days there is no refund yet. So I call again now I talk to isabelle account manger and she saize sorry about what has happen and she will have answer for me In a day or 2. Five more days have now gone by and no answers yet. So keep calling she’s never there for like another 2 weeks. So at this point realize some thing wrong. Finally after calling every day for 2 weeks she answer and seize now we are not going to refund you. And I don’t know who told you we would refund your money back. So I ask here don’t you record all these conversations she seize only some of them. Oh so I guess you don’t record the part that seize if your not satified with our service we will refund money. Then I tell her that I am going to dispute the charge to my acoount. She has the nerve to tell me If you do that we will sell your debt. to 3 rd. party collection agency. My comment to this is” in our falling economy and the fact that joe painter looking for advertising help get rip off again” I hope isabelle doesn’t need her money to feed her children like I. Sincery yours, Rip off painting contractor!!!!!!

]]> By: Tracy Coenen http://brokerscience.com/real-estate/eperks-brand-destruction/#comment-134 Tracy Coenen Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:41:05 +0000 http://brokerscience.com/?p=176#comment-134 ShopToEarn is bullying bloggers and threatening legal action in an attempt to stop them from voicing their opinions about the company. Please check out my most recent post on the situation, and consider writing about it on your blog. The only way to stop this aggressive behavior is by standing up to it. http://www.sequence-inc.com/fraudfiles/2008/07/15/shop-to-earn-lawyer-ups-the-ante-with-financial-blogger/ ShopToEarn is bullying bloggers and threatening legal action in an attempt to stop them from voicing their opinions about the company. Please check out my most recent post on the situation, and consider writing about it on your blog. The only way to stop this aggressive behavior is by standing up to it.

http://www.sequence-inc.com/fraudfiles/2008/07/15/shop-to-earn-lawyer-ups-the-ante-with-financial-blogger/

]]> By: Social Marketing is Like Showing Up Naked to a Cocktail Party | Beyond Niche Marketing http://brokerscience.com/real-estate/eperks-brand-destruction/#comment-133 Social Marketing is Like Showing Up Naked to a Cocktail Party | Beyond Niche Marketing Mon, 07 Jul 2008 19:44:15 +0000 http://brokerscience.com/?p=176#comment-133 [...] job of illustrating the “transparency” Web 2.0 imposes upon businesses. In the post ePerks.com: A Case Study in Greed and Self-Imposed Brand Destruction, Trace Richardson follows the multiple bread crumb trails left by multiple players in the tale of [...] [...] job of illustrating the “transparency” Web 2.0 imposes upon businesses. In the post ePerks.com: A Case Study in Greed and Self-Imposed Brand Destruction, Trace Richardson follows the multiple bread crumb trails left by multiple players in the tale of [...]

]]> By: Judy http://brokerscience.com/real-estate/eperks-brand-destruction/#comment-132 Judy Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:57:21 +0000 http://brokerscience.com/?p=176#comment-132 Wow, this is shocking I just obtained my real estate license in March 08 I've signed a contract with Brabus Real Estate Company to work as an Agent for them I think I should find another company to work for please email me at my address listed. Wow, this is shocking I just obtained my real estate license in March 08 I’ve signed a contract with Brabus Real Estate Company to work as an Agent for them I think I should find another company to work for please email me at my address listed.

]]> By: The Beginner’s Action Guide to Learning about Vlad Zablotkyy vs. ePerks / Ben Behrouzi http://brokerscience.com/real-estate/eperks-brand-destruction/#comment-131 The Beginner’s Action Guide to Learning about Vlad Zablotkyy vs. ePerks / Ben Behrouzi Wed, 18 Jun 2008 22:50:07 +0000 http://brokerscience.com/?p=176#comment-131 [...] ePerks.com: A Case Study in Greed and Self-Imposed Brand Destruction [...] [...] ePerks.com: A Case Study in Greed and Self-Imposed Brand Destruction [...]

]]> By: ePerks Pulls The Trigger: I am being Sued. http://brokerscience.com/real-estate/eperks-brand-destruction/#comment-130 ePerks Pulls The Trigger: I am being Sued. Sun, 08 Jun 2008 16:52:17 +0000 http://brokerscience.com/?p=176#comment-130 [...] ePerks.com: A Case Study in Greed and Self-Imposed Brand Destruction [...] [...] ePerks.com: A Case Study in Greed and Self-Imposed Brand Destruction [...]

]]> By: Support the Vlad Zablotskyy Legal Defense Fund: A real estate weblogger is being throttled by corporate bully ePerks.com. The free speech rights you will be fighting for are your own… | BloodhoundBlog: Real estate marketing and technology blog | Rea http://brokerscience.com/real-estate/eperks-brand-destruction/#comment-129 Support the Vlad Zablotskyy Legal Defense Fund: A real estate weblogger is being throttled by corporate bully ePerks.com. The free speech rights you will be fighting for are your own… | BloodhoundBlog: Real estate marketing and technology blog | Rea Sun, 08 Jun 2008 05:51:11 +0000 http://brokerscience.com/?p=176#comment-129 [...] ePerks.com: A Case Study in Greed and Self-Imposed Brand Destruction [...] [...] ePerks.com: A Case Study in Greed and Self-Imposed Brand Destruction [...]

]]> By: Ben Behrouzi Updates Company “Values” and “Culture” Web Pages. Only One Problem: They’re Stolen. http://brokerscience.com/real-estate/eperks-brand-destruction/#comment-128 Ben Behrouzi Updates Company “Values” and “Culture” Web Pages. Only One Problem: They’re Stolen. Sat, 07 Jun 2008 18:36:45 +0000 http://brokerscience.com/?p=176#comment-128 [...] is no surprise, CEO Ben Behrouzi has a proven track record of engaging in unethical behavior and marketing and his latest debacle of adding “copyright infringement” to his resume are par for the [...] [...] is no surprise, CEO Ben Behrouzi has a proven track record of engaging in unethical behavior and marketing and his latest debacle of adding “copyright infringement” to his resume are par for the [...]

]]> By: Is ePerks.com’s Ben Behrouzi, infamous for trying to censor a real estate weblogger, stealing content from Mervyns and Chevron? | BloodhoundBlog: Real estate marketing and technology blog | Realtors and real estate, mortgages, lending, investments http://brokerscience.com/real-estate/eperks-brand-destruction/#comment-127 Is ePerks.com’s Ben Behrouzi, infamous for trying to censor a real estate weblogger, stealing content from Mervyns and Chevron? | BloodhoundBlog: Real estate marketing and technology blog | Realtors and real estate, mortgages, lending, investments Sat, 07 Jun 2008 13:08:52 +0000 http://brokerscience.com/?p=176#comment-127 [...] to silence real estate weblogger Vlad Zablotskyy with a cease and desist letter. Starting with an analysis of how ePerks has managed to achieve an orderly self-destruction, Trace has uncovered one irregularity after another in Ben Behrouzi internet [...] [...] to silence real estate weblogger Vlad Zablotskyy with a cease and desist letter. Starting with an analysis of how ePerks has managed to achieve an orderly self-destruction, Trace has uncovered one irregularity after another in Ben Behrouzi internet [...]

]]> By: Anonymous http://brokerscience.com/real-estate/eperks-brand-destruction/#comment-126 Anonymous Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:25:05 +0000 http://brokerscience.com/?p=176#comment-126 You stated that "Ben has demonstrated his lack of leadership abilities with ePerks and has clearly shown where he stands in regards to ethics in business. By all appearances, he does not seem capable of building a brand nor growing a business on his own." I could not agree more. I worked under Ben several years ago at the company he co-founded with his uncle, and his management style is all at once threatening, intimidating, and tyrannical. He is a pathetic excuse for a corporate exec, and seriously needs to halt his half-ass efforts at brand-building and sleazy marketing "campaigns" and rethink his long-term strategy. Unfortunately, long-term planning is not one of Ben's strong suits, so ultimately there really is no way this guy is going to succeed. He's blown almost every business opportunity he's ever had. Unless his general attitude towards "customer service" and "corporate culture" changes, then sadly, there's no hope for him in *any* industry. Note I am not trying to slander Ben in a public forum, only to relate my experiences working for him and the impression with which he'd left me. Hopefully I don't get sued by Mr. Behrouzi for speaking my mind; he seems to have real issues about people doing just that. You stated that “Ben has demonstrated his lack of leadership abilities with ePerks and has clearly shown where he stands in regards to ethics in business. By all appearances, he does not seem capable of building a brand nor growing a business on his own.”

I could not agree more. I worked under Ben several years ago at the company he co-founded with his uncle, and his management style is all at once threatening, intimidating, and tyrannical. He is a pathetic excuse for a corporate exec, and seriously needs to halt his half-ass efforts at brand-building and sleazy marketing “campaigns” and rethink his long-term strategy.

Unfortunately, long-term planning is not one of Ben’s strong suits, so ultimately there really is no way this guy is going to succeed. He’s blown almost every business opportunity he’s ever had. Unless his general attitude towards “customer service” and “corporate culture” changes, then sadly, there’s no hope for him in *any* industry.

Note I am not trying to slander Ben in a public forum, only to relate my experiences working for him and the impression with which he’d left me. Hopefully I don’t get sued by Mr. Behrouzi for speaking my mind; he seems to have real issues about people doing just that.

]]>